nutrition and the brain

let me explain. (i'll try to keep this short, can't make any promises though!)

i've mentioned in other posts that i have been blessed with anxiety. By blessed, i simply mean blessed. Not being sarcastic as I have genuinely been able to thank my mind for being so out of sync at times...if it never was, if i never went through those feelings of hopelessness or fear (from panic attacks and anxiety), then i never would have found my raw lifestyle, and other things as well. i am truly grateful.

however...i refuse to let this control my life. there are still times where i have to fight with my mind, which i've become good at and usually always win. but boy, it's exhausting!

i AM on medication and just recently paid a visit to my doctor in order to get a refill. now...i adore my doctor. he's open to my raw food journey and he's just an overall great guy. i have insurance, he doesn't take it, but i pay out of my pocket just so i can see him. he listens to me, he cares about me, he sees my entire family. i wish i could get rid of all doctors in my life, but if i need one..and right now i do..he's the one i want. HOWEVER, like i said i just saw him a few days ago. we talked for a short while and at the end i asked him when he suggests is safe for me to try to go off my meds. i told him that i would like to try at the end of the summer. well, his response was supportive but...kind of discouraging. he said that he doesn't recommend going off this kind of medication until you've been on it for at least 6 months (which i've read and believe to be true)...so by the end of the summer, i will have reached the 6 month mark and he said i could definitely do that. but then he HAD to add that because a few years ago i was on the same medication, for the same reason, was able to come off but relapsed...that it could be CHRONIC! oh heavens, that word hit me like a lightening bolt. chronic, persistent, lasting, permanent. nooooooooooo =(

just had to let that out ;)....
i really don't believe it's chronic and i have raw food and all the amazing educational nutrition books i've read to thank. yes, maybe this is something that could be chronic to anyone who believes there is no other way and that they must live the rest of their lives depending on a daily pill. well my friends, i don't believe that...and that alone is keeping me motivated...the fact that i know there is another way.

anyways, that's my story. what i was hoping to get some advice on is what you all might be able to suggest i start adding to my diet to help keep my mind quiet, peaceful, balanced. i know what i have to do physically and mentally to strengthen my mind (exercise, yoga, meditation-i'd be lost without these)...but what do i do nutritionally? i know all the omega's are important and help a ton. anything else?

i had a thought the other day...sure you're not surprised...anyone with anxiety gets a million thoughts every second...but this was a good one! :)....i had a thought to "replace" my pill with some kind of food or concoction. let me explain. to be honest, half the time i take my pill each night i sometimes think its just a placebo...i really think that most people who have anxiety feel better knowing that they get to take something each day, at the same time, and that it will keep them safe until the next time they have to take it. its comfort, its safety, its rediculous!...but it works. so i want to play with this...i want to accept it and use it to my advantage. when i successfully come off my medication, i want to take something, every day, at the same time and tell myself that it will help to keep me balanced each day. what are your thoughts on this...and do you have any suggestions? i'm talking something quick...if i could take a shot of all the omegas i need, that'd work for me!....is there a drink i could make up each morning? is there a supplement that i could take each night? (i don't necessarily want to rely on supplements but i figured they gotta be 100 times safer than the pill i take each night)

so that's all. any responses to this are greatly appreciated. i am sorry if i sound uneducated or offend anyone here about the topic of medications and doctors...but i'm learning and i'm growing each day...

i reach out to you guys because i know you will listen to what i have to say and try your best to lend any kind words or advice you might want to share with me. one day, i will be helping people with my condition and show them there's a SAFE and more AFFECTIVE way of gaining that hope and peacefulness back inside you. we all have CONTROL over our minds!! i AM going back to school for nutrition in the fall (thank you, thank you) and would like to keep a main focus on the affects nutrition has on the brain. could anyone suggest some MORE books that might talk about this in depth? i love my books! :)

again, thank you guys for being here. i can't put into words how therapeutic it is to be able to share my thoughts with you.
stay well...and enjoy the weekend!!!! :)
lots-of-LOVE<3

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by LOVEBUG on July 26, 2008 at 1:53pm: thanks adam. that was helpful! i do exercise daily, mostly yoga. maybe i should start something more intense that will help me release a lot of my energy...that will help balance out the foods that i take in as well.

i love bananas :)
xoxo; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by nycgrrl on July 27, 2008 at 10:37am: i have anxiety and depression too, and just am weaning myslef off 15 years of meds now (3 weeks clean!)

Running is very important to my recovery. and meditating, and postive affirmations.

oh, and green smoothies!!! Lots of fruit..LOTS. Hang in there.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by RawZi on July 26, 2008 at 2:42pm: Yup! Stress can be relieved or prevented by exercise. Even AV recommends exercise to all his client who need it. He recommends a lot of exercise to some.

Some people's constitutional type (ayurvedic dosha) may require dance or other forms of exercise for optimal health.

This link is from skeptism to AV, but I thought it looked interesting. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AV-Skeptics/message/6445; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by amy c on July 27, 2008 at 11:13am: definitely agree with above posters about movement relieving anxiety.

try rocking back and forth in a fetal position! that can be calming. jumping on a trampoline like a little kid!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by amy c on July 27, 2008 at 11:15am: also. when i worked on the farm, i read some of rudolf steiner's work. he believes that cooked root vegetables feed the brain (steamed carrots, daikon radish, sweet potatoes, yams etc.). my take on that is that it could ground your vata anxiety.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by RawZi on July 27, 2008 at 11:43am: Sweet taste is something to balance vata dosha too. Daikon actually has sugars in it.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by durianrider on July 28, 2008 at 5:04am: science proves the brain runs only on glucose.
when people fast, they are turning fat into sugar to feed the brain. its called ketosis.
when people eat high fat diets, raw or cooked, they go into ketosis. they cant think properly. thats why fasters get a bit 'intense or 'out there' during extended fasting.

when we eat sufficient sugars to our brain we get enough fuel to perform exercise which helps keep us sane. society is largely depressed cos it doesnt MOVE ENOUGH!

everyone feels better after a jog, wheelchair, brisk walk etc. drop down and punch out some push ups..feel better? you bet.

fruit keeps us sweet.
exercise makes us feel neat.
crap food and sedentary lifestyle makes us feel beat.
down some water, put on ya shoes and hit the street.
set some goals that involve some physical feat.
aim for clear and frequent urine to beat the heat.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by RawZi on July 28, 2008 at 6:31am: No food and the brain. Nice when we're not digesting anything, and our bodies are instead using up storage of all different things we may have had for many years. I connect better when I'm fasting. I think carbohydrate ingestion gets in the way of my brain. Are you saying you're interested in fasting K? After the first few days of fasting, I can get calmer than usual, and after I'm done fasting, I'm so apparently serene. I wouldn't recommend it though. I believe fasting is very individual, and we should only do it when we feel like it.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by RawZi on July 28, 2008 at 7:14am: I wonder if frequent autourinetherapy doses give the brain any nutrients it needs? It sure helps with allergies. I handle many different temperatures/environments/types of weather (including hot) better when I'm doing pd than raw vegan.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Erin Fraser on July 28, 2008 at 10:28am: I went through an intense period of anxiety last year. The thing that helped me the most was guided imagery. I used the "Guided Imagery for Anxiety Relief" CD be Martin Rossman.

There's also a very effective and quick mind-body technique called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), or tapping. It works. Check out these free videos and you can experiment with it:
http://www.tapping.com/videos.html

Here's the EFT home site, if you want to read in-depth about it:
http://www.emofree.com/

If you want to pop a pill, look into theanine. It's an amino acid, found only in green tea (there is no caffeine in theanine) that promotes alpha brain wave patterns, so you feel relaxed, but still alert. It also works quickly.
It has no contraindications and has no side effects. It can be used as needed, or every day. It would be something safe to use until you resolve the anxiety. I've used 400mg's at a time.; ▶ Reply to This