We all have our highs and lows. From birthday celebrations and job promotions down to a divorce or a death in the family, and everything in between. I have always believed: “What doesn’t kill you, grows your character. It is how you respond to challenges that determine your direction of growth.
But when you start feeling “low” or depressed or anxious for no apparent reason, then something more serious may be going on. At some point we have all experienced that nausea or pit in our stomach that makes us feel uncomfortable. But for some that small pit grows into other physical changes like a racing heartbeat, dizziness or sweating. This is our body’s innate “Fight or Flight Response”, completely necessary to our survival in the case of a real threat. But in other cases, even if the threat is “unreasonable” or “unfounded” it is still a very real physical reaction for the individual experiencing it.
With the uprise of suicides in the news and in my local area, this topic has been weighing heavily on my heart. From kids suffering with minor social anxiety caused by the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) relating to Social Media, to more serious anxiety that leads to isolation and unfounded fears of attending school or normal daily activities, the uprise of anxiety, depression and suicide is growing exponentially. And the same is happening with adults. I am sure that every one of you knows someone close to you suffering with a mood disorder, and you don’t know how to help.
How Prevalent Are Anxiety & Other Mood-Related Disorders?
In the U.S., numbers related to mental illnesses are on the rise. Around 40 million adults aged 18 and above, roughly 18 percent of the population, have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders, making these the most common mental illnesses in the U.S.
Here’s a breakdown of how many adults in the U.S. are affected by certain anxiety disorders:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder: 6.8 million (3.1 percent), more common among women
- Panic Disorder: 6 million (2.7 percent), more common among women
- Social Anxiety Disorder: 15 million (6.8 percent), equally present in men and women
- Phobias: 19 million (8.7 percent), more common among women
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: 22 million (1.0 percent), equally present in men and women
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: 7.7 million (3.5 percent), more common among women
The way doctors remedy any sign of depression or anxiety is through medication, instead of finding the root cause. And, typically the medication tricks the brain into thinking there is plenty of serotonin by blocking the serotonin receptor sites and forcing the little serotonin in the brain to continue floating around. As a result, the body shuts off the production of the little serotonin that it was producing. This actually escalates the problem. Yes, some anxiety and depression can have a genetic component, some can be triggered by a devastating event, and some can be caused by a conditioned response from circumstances in your life. But, regardless of what triggered the mood disorder, the way to resolve the issue is to help heal the body so that it starts producing more “happy Hormones” naturally.
Your Gut is Your “Second Brain”
The Gut and the brain actually stemmed from the same fetal matter in the womb. The Gut is the home to an intricate microcosm of Microbiome, or bacteria, viruses, and fungus. (Yes, we do have some good viruses and fungi in there.) But, when things aren’t in balance, the bad guys outnumber the good guys, and this environment can lead to Leaky Gut.
This imbalance can be caused by sugar, gluten, and toxins from vaccines, pesticides and other poisons. Leaky Gut is where holes in the intestinal wall allow particles to enter the blood stream that are not suppose to sneak through, which leads to Systemic Inflammation and an over exaggerated Auto-Immune response. As a result, the Inflammation can lead to issues like ADHD, Autism, IBS, Acne, Skin disorders, and Anxiety and Depression.
95% of Serotonin is made in the GUT!
So if your GUT is inflamed from any of the above threats, the inflammation can cause a reduced production of serotonin among other important “happy” hormones, in addition to inhibiting the absorption of important vitamins and minerals that support healthy mood. As a result, a normal “stressor” can trigger an exaggerated response of Anxiety or Depression that manifests through a physical, mental and emotional reaction.
Distinguishing Anxiety Disorders From Everyday Emotions
Clinical anxiety refers to a group of disorders that can cause nervousness, fear, apprehension and worrying.
There are seven common types of anxiety disorders, namely:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Panic Disorder
- Phobias
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Separation Anxiety Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Emotional Response to Anxiety:
- Feelings of apprehension, dread or danger, and anticipating the worst
- Restlessness
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Feeling tense or irritable
- Feeling that the mind has gone blank
Physical Response to Anxiety:
- Pounding or fast heartbeat (or palpitations)
- Excessive sweating
- Headaches
- Upset stomach
- Dizziness
- Frequent urination
- Diarrhea
- Shortness of breath
- Muscle tensions, tremors and twitches
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
Natural Solutions for Combatting Anxiety & Depression
Even if you have Anxiety in your genetic make-up, you aren’t destined to suffer. To heal yourself from Anxiety, you first need to heal the GUT-BRAIN connection. You can do that with the following:
A Change in Lifestyle
As hard as it is, by eliminating stressors in your life and introducing meditation and breathing exercises, you actually can improve your Gut microbiome. Believe it or not, Anxiety by itself can wipe out the good bacteria in your gut which causes a vicious cycle of anxiety leading to hurting the gut and the compromised gut exasperating the anxiety condition.
Follow a Ketogenic Diet
Eating a Low Carb, High Fat diet without sugar, gluten, corn and soy is the base of what is needed to stabilize mood and start the healing process. By eliminating these GMO foods, you are not causing further threats to the Gut lining and allowing the Gut to heal. Also, with the healthy fats and minimal carbs in the diet and using an exogenous ketone supplement, the body starts to use ketones for fuel instead of depending on glucose. With that, the brain is able to make more GABA, which is a hormone known to calm the brain. On the other hand, too many carbs in the diet can cause ups and downs with blood sugar that can trigger episodes of anxiety.
With the Keto Dietary Guidelines, you can find delicious foods that help support this way of eating.
Acceleradine®
Whether you are suffering from depression, addictions, aggressive behavior, extreme fatigue, taking everything personally, lacking motivation or any mood disorder, iodine is crucial for your quick path back to sanity.
The main cause of all dis-ease is parasites and toxins. (Clark, 1995). All parasites and toxins have a positive charge. (Young, 2001) True anionic iodine is comprised of singlet iodine atoms that have a negative charge. There is no parasite resistant to iodine. Low serotonin levels are directly linked to aggression and violence. With the use of iodine, we can rid ourselves of parasites, increase our serotonin levels and improve our mood issues.
Acceleradine® is a scalar charged, high frequency 2% tincture of vigilantly pure, natural, singlet, active iodine (I¯) and thus ~100% bioavailable.
Additional Supplements That Support a Healthy and Balanced Mood
ION* Gut Health (formerly RESTORE)
ION* Gut Health is a soil-derived, scientifically-backed mineral supplement that has been shown in lab studies to strengthen tight junctions in the gut wall, our firewall against toxins entering the body. ION* Gut Health helps create a biological environment for good gut bacteria to grow and flourish, to support improvement of overall health. As it heals the gut lining and heals the intestinal walls from LEAKY GUT, the body is able to rebuild a healthy microbiome and start absorbing the proper nutrients which in turn, lead to a higher production of Serotonin and other “happy” hormones.
Latero-Flora Probiotic
Latero-Flora™ encourages a normal balance of friendly colonies in the Gut that support good health and systemic function and safely helps the body maintain beneficial colonies of microorganisms. Latero-Flora™ also helps balanced yeast levels and vaginal flora.
TrueCalm
The TrueCalm formulation is helpful in lowering anxiety and reduces mental tiredness, hyperactivity, restlessness, aggressiveness as well as strengthens our immunity, improves learning ability and concentration. It enhances the digestive power and works as a nerve tonic.
Calm Spirit
Calm Spirit is a traditional Chinese Herbal Formula that helps calm and alleviate stress-associated emotions, anxiety, depression, and anger. It also helps relieve insomnia, restlessness, dizziness, spontaneous sweating, constipation due to stress, dryness of the mouth, poor memory.
