I’ve been wanting to write this post for some time now. But I keep coming across new information. And I’m still reading and researching. (Not to mention I don’t have much time to write a long post these days with a little guy that can’t seem to sleep past 6am.)  But I wanted to give an update of what I’ve learned so far…before I forget it or read too much! This is an update on my current status. I’m sure it will continue to evolve and change as I learn, but for now this is where I’m at. Since this has the potential to be another very long post I think I’ll save some of the detailed information for separate posts.

Last year I started GAPS. And it was great. I really think I experienced a lot of healing on my leaky gut. But after 6 or 7 months I started to feel worse. I struggled for a couple months wondering what was going on. I had been doing so well, the OCD was improving, digestion was better, etc. Then it went the opposite direction. What happened? I started getting more obsessive as I tried to do things “perfectly” to no avail. My tummy got worse. I got moodier and more anxious. The holidays were rough being so over anxious and not feeling well. This isn’t supposed to happen…that’s what I thought. But after a month of research and changing my diet a bit I’ve learned a lot. It is actually VERY common for that to happen. Why? I was eating way too low carb. And possibly too much protein and fat for my body to handle. I let my body get run down by not eating enough carbohydrates. I let my brain chemicals get too low…which led to the increase in OCD, anxiety and bad moods…which leads to stomach knots. I’m over tired, over stressed and just plain worn out. My hormones are out of balance – adrenals, thyroid, progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, etc. My brain chemicals are out of balance. It’s one big mess 😛  I have been doing a lot of reading lately. And most of what I read comes to the same conclusions about what is going on and what basic direction I need to head.

So I kind of know the problem (in general…my specific hormone/chemical needs are things I’ll have to figure out). That in itself is a stress reliever and helps me relax. But now that I’ve identified some issues, what can I do about them?

First – relax!! This is the biggest thing for me. If what I eat causes anxiety it doesn’t make much difference if it’s nourishing or junk food. It will still cause me harm. If the whole time I’m eating I’m worried a particular food will make me sick…then it will. There is no magic pill or diet that works for everyone. There is no one RIGHT way to eat/live (i.e. GAPS, paleo, primal, WAPF, gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, etc.). There is no one-size-fits-all. I have to figure out what works for me no matter what any book, website, blog, doctor, etc. says. Although GAPS was a great tool for healing my gut it was too rigid. I got so worried about what I could and couldn’t eat and about eating the “wrong” thing. I’d obsess over every meal/food when I didn’t feel well. Was it this? Was it that? Why can’t I eat that…it’s “supposed” to be safe. I’ve learned that I have to experiment and figure out what works for me. Over the last few weeks I’ve really relaxed my diet. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed eating bread, potatoes, rice, quinoa, yogurt, kefir, milk, ice cream. I still don’t know how they will impact me or how I’ll really tolerate them in the long run. But for now I’m just not worrying about it and enjoying food. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still eating real, nourishing food. But I’m not so strict about things in general. Some days I get more veggies than others. Some days I eat more eggs, some days less. Some days I eat more fat, some days less, etc. If I’m craving a lot of fruit one day I’ll eat it. I’ve even had 3 ice cream cones in the past week (of homemade ice cream :). Ice cream cones are my absolute favorite food ever. And I haven’t had one since before Abram was born!! It was so nice to relax and enjoy my favorite food again. I didn’t have to go overboard like I used to (I used to make massive cones…that’s a whole different eating issue/mentality I used to have). Just a small cone that I could enjoy without stuffing myself. I need to relax and enjoy eating. I can already tell that this has made a difference in my stress level and overall mood. I’ve gained about 5 lbs. since Christmas since I’m relaxing and enjoying so much food 🙂  I’m learning I will never get rid of my digestive issues if I continue to worry about food and restrict my eating. I need to eat enough and not worry about it.

There is another type of relaxing that is a bit tougher…a generally relaxed life. With a strong willed 3 1/2 year old and a very busy toddling, early rising baby there is never a dull moment around here. I don’t have much time to myself/time that I can truly decompress and fully relax. My mind never gets to “turn off.” Especially since nobody but Justin can watch Abram at this point. He has such stranger anxiety that even his own grandmothers can’t hold him. So he is ALWAYS with me…when I’m home, when I’m at MOPS, when I’m at church, when I run errands, etc. I love him. But sometimes I just need a little break. So that is something I need to work on. But at the same time it may not change much while I have small children. One thing I would like to look into to help is yoga. I would like to do yoga a few mornings a week instead of biking.

Another big component that I read about over and over is getting enough sleep. This is another big one for me. Due to my OCD and trying to get a few free min. in my day I get up at 4 am every morning. I use this time to do work in the kitchen, exercise, read, shower, get ready for the day before the kids are up, etc. Even getting up at 4 doesn’t always give me much time with a baby that gets up so early. In addition to getting up early I’m usually up a couple times in the night feeding Abram. That is just the life of a breastfeeding mom. But it all leads to major sleep deprivation. Which leads to major hormonal imbalances and always being stressed out and worn out. I consider it a good night if I get 3 consecutive hours of sleep once. Pretty sad. I need to put more effort into getting more sleep. I’m not sure at this point how to go about doing this. I can’t control Abram’s sleeping. But I would like to adjust my mornings so that I can sleep in a little sometimes. And go to bed earlier sometimes. One night this week I went to bed at 9 instead of 10:30. That sure was nice!

Relaxing and sleeping are two key components. Now I get down to the rest of the details. I have read several books and several diet theories lately. There is a lot of overlap in the information I have read. So I do have some direction. But I also have to figure out what works for me. One of the main components of health (especially mine) is the health of your brain. Many conditions that are said to be “psychological” are actually physical…they are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain…and they can be fixed! There is so much information on this topic. I am going to speak in very general terms/only skim the surface of what I’ve read. I highly recommend reading on this subject to everyone! I read “Change Your Brain Change Your Life,” “The Mood Cure” and “The Edge Effect.” All three books talk about the four main chemicals/amino acids that control your mood – dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA and serotonin. Everybody is dominant in one of these and it is what determines their nature/personality. Any or all of them can be out of balance…which causes psychological disorders and physical ailments. I believe that I am out of balance/low in both GABA and serotonin…which greatly contributes to the OCD, anxiety, constipation, inability to relax, overactive parasympathetic nervous system, hypothyroidism and infertility. GABA and serotonin both help the brain/body to relax.

What can I do about it? Well, that’s a bit tricky. All three books agree on some aspects, but greatly disagree on others. I tend to put the most trust in the information in “The Mood Cure.” Although the other authors have years of experience and lots of great info, I can’t fully support someone that tells you to stop eating saturated fat and instead eat polyunsaturated fats. One book even says that aspartame is good for increasing dopamine levels. Artificial sweeteners? No thanks! They all talk about medications, supplements, diet and lifestyle. As always my first line of defense is diet. I am gathering ideas/info from these books along with the theories of metabolic typing and blood type diets. I see where they all overlap, experiment and decide if it works for me or not. But here are some of the key components that I feel will help me.

DIET

1. Carbohydrates – I need to find the right balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates. I was eating way too low carb for a while. I need to increase my carbohydrate intake. I am still trying to figure out how much of that should be fruits and vegetables and how much (if any) should be grains and starches. I will have to experiment with the grains and starches. See how I do with each kind, especially those containing gluten. All of the sources I’ve looked into recommend a decent amount of carbohydrates in my diet. My blood type, metabolic type and brain chemical imbalance all require plenty of carbohydrates.

2. Protein – This is where “The Mood Cure” shines. Julia Ross emphasizes the importance of getting enough protein in your diet (all 3 books do, but she really goes into it.). Getting your brain chemistry back in balance is accomplished by getting the proper amino acids. And where do we get amino acids? Protein!!! It’s the only source. And animal protein is the only complete source. For example, serotonin is produced by tryptophan…which comes from things like poultry. Ross recommends at least 20-30g of protein three times a day (at each meal). I think I do pretty well with protein in general. Although as I’ve mentioned before I struggle with beef. Which is frustrating because it’s so healthy. I thought it was fascinating (and reassuring) to read this from Ross:

“Note: For better protein digestion, people with Type A blood seem to do best adding supplements of hydrochloric acid when eating animal protein, as they are known to be weak in this protein- (and mineral-) digesting acid.” I do have Type A blood. I guess I’m on the right track taking my stomach acid with dinner. Maybe I need to order more and start using it at each meal again for a while.

Ross also talks about the importance of eating fish. “It’s so quick to prepare, so easy to digest, and contains, along with plenty of all twenty-two aminos, the unique omega-3 fat that your brain needs to correctly form the cells in your brain, your eyes, and the lining of your arteries, among other things.”

Her list of great sources of protein (in order) include” fish; poultry (especially cornish game hens due to their good balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats); eggs; lamb, beef, pork, venison and buffalo; dairy products and shellfish.

3. Fat – This is another important factor. It is also one where I see “The Mood Cure” really shining again. Julia Ross recognizes the importance of omega-3 fats and saturated fats and decreasing omega-6 fats. This is actually one area that I don’t really need to work on. I eat quite a bit of fat. Daily I eat coconut oil, butter and EVOO. I also eat raw egg yolks daily (often 2-4 a day). I eat avocados daily (anywhere from 1/2 – 1 1/2). Plus I take a decent amount of fermented cod liver oil/butter oil. In addition to that I get fat from the protein sources I eat – meat, dairy, nuts, etc. (I do eat nuts sparingly so as to not get too many omega-6 fats).

4. Eating Enough – This is another key component for me. I am not a big person. And I hate feeling too full. So I tend to undereat I think. To my body that is a sign of starvation…which leads to anxiety, imbalances, etc. So I am trying to push myself a little to eat more. Like I said earlier I have gained 5 lbs. recently. So I think it’s working. Just a few extra pounds gets me out of the underweight category and improves my mood. Undereating also can be a cause for constipation. If you don’t eat enough your body will hold on to what it has and try to suck out every last nutrient it can.

5. Variety –  I tend to find something that “works” and then eat it day after day. But then it stops working as my body adjusts and starts digesting it differently. So I need to keep changing things. Even if I eat the same foods regularly I need to rotate them, take breaks and then bring them back, etc.

6. What to Avoid – sugar, caffeine, simple carbohydrates (white flour, etc.), artificial sweeteners, colorings, artificial ingredients, additives, soy.
SUPPLEMENTS
All three books recommend basically the same supplements for the same conditions. Since all of the books are written by experienced psychologists and say the same thing I believe there is a lot of validity to it. I hope to do separate posts on the specific brain chemicals and the corresponding moods and disorders. For now I’ll just mention the supplements that could help. I also want to mention that as badly as I want to try these I’m not yet. I just don’t know if they are safe while breastfeeding. I will start with diet and relaxation techniques. And if I really think I need to start the major supplements I’ll probably see my psychologist to get her thoughts.

1. Serotonin – This important chemical comes from the amino acid tryptophan. The most commonly recommended supplement to increase it is 5-HTP. Tryptophan converts into 5-HTP…and 5-HTP converts directly into serotonin. If 5-HTP doesn’t work there is l-tryptophan, St.-John’s-wort, and SAM-e. I want to include a short portion of what Julie Ross says about your gut and serotonin:

“If you’ve lived wtih your stomach in knots because of low serotonin worry or anxiety, it might help you to know that 90 percent of the serotonin in your body is not in your brain; it’s in your gut. When you raise your serotonin levels, your digestive tension (including constipation) can often dissolve along with your mental constriction.” Sounds a lot like the GAPS theory to me 🙂

2. GABA – This is the brain’s natural Valium. You can take GABA, taurine and glycine.

3. Magnesium

4. Vitamin B

LIFESTYLE

1. Exercise – Exercise is a natural stress reliever. It helps increase serotonin. But you also have to be sure to not overexert yourself. Otherwise you can have adrenal fatigue.

2. Sleep – ideally at least 7 hours a night. I haven’t figured out my plan yet to try to get more sleep. I’m afraid that will just have to come with time…as Abram gets older and sleeps through the night.

3. Relaxation – I need to find ways to relax. I’d like to try yoga.

That is the basic rundown of where things are at right now. I’m experimenting and seeing what works for me. I’m staying open to changes. I now know that just because something starts out great does not mean it will work forever. I need to be cautious of extremes and try to find a good balance in my life. I am currently eating grains and dairy. But both could potentially be hard on me. Again, I’m experimenting right now.

I did want to mention that it is kind of funny that in college although I was not eating healthy by my current standards, maybe I had my ratios in a better balance. I rarely ate red meat. And I ate plenty of carbs. And that was the only time in my life that I ever had regular cycles. So my hormones were a bit better balanced. Maybe I had things somewhat right…but I was eating junk food instead of real food. Now maybe I can bring it all full circle, eat the proper ratios, eat nourishing foods and get my body back on track. Only time will tell. But I already feel like my mood and anxiety has greatly improved in just the last week.

Finally I want to mention one more source of great health information that I’m just starting to dig into. It’s called 180 Degree Health. Matt Stone (the author) has a lot of controversial theories and health ideas. But a lot of it makes sense. He talks about letting your body totally rest, feed it well and getting back in balance. This is something I actually heard about a couple years ago, downloaded his info…and then forgot about it 😛  But I’m hearing about it more and more again lately. So we’ll see what comes of my research on that.

I’ve been kind of rushed getting through this post. I hope it makes sense and conveys what I wanted. I’d love to hear feedback, hear of any success stories of others that have used diet and supplements to improve both mental and physical disorders.

This post is linked to Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop.