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Eating Well for Emotional Health

Have a happy meal! No, not the kind you get at the golden arches in a little box. I am talking about the kind that helps you maintain a stable mood and energy level so you can feel your best and think clearly.

The basic guidelines are simple. Eat whole unprocessed food whenever possible, drink plenty of good water, have a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and aim to keep your blood sugar stable. It is also important to include what are known as essential fatty acids, which are oils we must obtain from our diet, as our bodies are not able to produce them.

The foods that are best for us don't contain chemicals whose names look like Greek. Many of them are quite tempting, as they have been designed to appeal to your taste buds. However, most snack foods and convenience foods add more to your waistline than to your health as they often contain high amounts of added sugar and fat.

Plain old water should be the beverage you reach for most often. It's what your body needs and is free of the added sugar contained in sodas, juice blends and bottled teas. Many of us now have a second breakfast or two lunches per day when we consider the calories contained in our mega-Frappucino.

Include fruits and vegetables in your meal choices throughout the day. Buy organic as often as possible to minimize exposure to pesticides. They contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other helpful plant chemicals. Choose those that have had a minimum of processing. If fresh are not available, frozen fruits or veggies beat canned for freshness and can be easily used in cooking as well as eaten thawed straight out of the freezer. Think fruit smoothies or toppings for cereal or ice cream (if you have been good that day!)

Have a little protein throughout the day, rather than just one serving with a large meal. Proteins provide the building blocks (amino acids) which then are made into brain chemicals (neurotransmitters). Protein also aids in keeping blood sugar stable. Lean cuts of beef, pork, chicken or turkey can be enjoyed with a salad. There are several low-fat dairy products which provide a good serving of protein, like yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese. Bean, peanuts and whole soy products are other great choices. It's OK to enjoy an energy bar or protein drinks on occasion; but these choices are far from unprocessed. Soy protein isolates, in particular, may have estrogen effects when ingested in high amounts.

Some of us can include a serving of whole grains at least once or twice during the day. Those who are struggling with their weight or blood sugar, and those with sensitivity to gluten should consider limiting or eliminating grains. They are a good source of a particular amino acid, tryptophan, which becomes a very important brain chemical, serotonin. They also contain lots of fiber, which helps you to feel full and protects you from having wild swings in your blood sugar. Breads and cereals made with processed white flour do not give you this important benefit.

It takes a bit more effort to include adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which are most plentiful in certain varieties of fish. Wild salmon, tuna and mackerel are some of the fish that have high amounts of EPA and DHA. Other forms of omega-3 fats are found in flaxseed and walnuts. For many of us, it might be necessary to use supplements to ensure an adequate intake.

That's it! It's simple, but eating this way may seem to take a bit more work than stopping for fast food. However, the benefits of preparing a meal at home with your family don't stop with what it does for your body. Evidence shows that families who eat together enjoy more satisfying relationships, and the children in these families are less likely to engage in dangerous behavior.

If you would like to learn more about the role of nutrition in determining emotional health, attend one of my presentations on this important topic. I will be offering a class each month at my office for only $30 per family. Just call the office for details. If you have a group that might enjoy learning about this, I would be glad to arrange a session for you. Simply call and let me know what you need.

Understanding the Role of Stress in Negative Behavior

The Stress Model, developed by B. Bryan Post, PhD, is a very simple theoretical model for understanding human behavior, in all it's complexity. The Stress Model states that all behavior is created as a reaction to the perception of stress. Stress, when first perceived, creates an emotional response in the lower part of the brain. There are only two primary emotions: love and fear. (We can also call these emotional states good and bad.) Negative behaviors arise when the first response of the bodymind system is one of fear. The Stress Model tells us that when we see negative behavior we should see fear. It further informs us that we cannot change negative behavior by reacting to the behavior with more stress and fear. Fear can only create more of the same. In order to change negative behavior, we must acknowledge, process and understand the stress and fear that are present. We must be able to deal with the stress and fear that negative behavior creates in us, so we can respond to that individual from a place of love.

Stress refers to any perception of our bodymind. In milliseconds, the brain creates an emotional response to this perception. If the current perception is deemed to be threatening or if it matches with a past threat, the result is creation of a state of fear and the drive for survival. All of this occurs in less time than it takes to draw a breath and without our conscious awareness. The behavior that is created automatically when our brains have registered a threat will not and cannot be kind or positive. We are surviving! The only way to prevent negative behavior from occurring in the face of a stressful event is using the skill of regulation, which is the ability to experience stress yet remain calm. Regulation is a skill best acquired during our early years. Having our needs met consistently and with emotional attunement are the requirements. Young children are not old enough to have this skill and their tolerance for handling stress may vary to an extreme. In adults, it can be lacking completely or it may be taxed by excessive levels of stress.

Adults and children can restore some level of regulation by simply taking a few deep, slow breaths. This can quickly decrease the intensity of the stress response. In doing so, it is possible to move out of a state of fear and consciously choose a more loving response to negative behavior.

Children depend upon the adults in their lives to learn how to regulate their strong feelings. If everyone is "stressed out, children don't receive the support necessary to acquire this very important skill. We are learning more and more about the powerful role that stress plays in causing many acute and chronic illnesses. This makes learning how to handle your stress important not only for yourself but for the lives of you children as well.

The Facts on Fats

Not all fats are created equal. For some time, we have been encouraged to avoid foods that are high in fat. This recommendation has done little to slow the epidemic of obesity that is occurring in our nation. We are still consuming large quantities of fat and too many of us are burdened with extra pounds, a condition that both affects and causes many chronic diseases.

The low fat trend began after the first long-term studies on heart health revealed an association between high saturated fat intake and heart disease. The response of the food industry to the warnings that animal fat( butter and lard) should be limited lead to the creation and wide-spread use of fats that are man-made and far worse for our brains and bodies. Not all fats are created equal, and partially hydrogenated oils have no place in our diets, as they are clearly harmful. When hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, trans fats are created. The FDA now requires food labels to include the amount of trans fat present, but a huge loophole allows there to be as much as .5 grams in a serving to be listed as 0 grams trans fat! Look instead at the list of ingredients. If partially hydrogenated oil is listed, avoid that food.

There are other kinds of fats which we must obtain in our diet, as our bodies can not create them. They are known as the essential fatty acids, and come in three forms, omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9. Imbalances or deficiencies in these fats have been found in depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and ADHD. The omega-3 fats are particularly beneficial to brain health and are can be obtained by eating fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. In countries where fish consumption is higher than it is in the US, there is a lower incidence of all mental illness.

Most Americans tend to eat a high quantity of omega-6 fats from vegetable sources like corn oil and only a small quantity of omega-3 fats. This imbalance plays a role in other disease processes, especially those involving inflammation, such as arthritis and heart disease.

It is estimated that you would need to eat wild salmon or other fatty fish 3 to 4 times per week to obtain an adequate amount of omega-3 fats from diet alone. This provides the brain and body directly with readily usable forms of omega-3 fats. Plant sources of omega-3 fats, such as flax seed and walnuts, must be converted into other forms needed by the brain and body. It is possible to get adequate amounts of omega-3 fats through diet alone, if you are willing to eat fish or the plant sources frequently. For many of us, it may be necessary to use supplements to ensure an adequate supply for good brain function.

If supplementing to maintain good health, children should be given 1 gram of fish oil per day and adults should take 2 or 3 grams daily. The active components of fish oil, fats known as EPA and DHA, should be maximized to get the most benefit from using supplements. Higher doses of these fats have been used in studies to treat several mental conditions with success.

Fish oil can cause gastric upset. High doses can cause problems with blood clotting. Use of fish oil or any supplement should be discussed with a physician, especially if other medications are being used. The "fish burp" that occurs when taking fish oil capsules can be limited by using a higher quality product and/or keeping the bottle in the refrigerator(a good idea to maintain freshness) or freezer.

It is a good idea to also include in your diet other healthy fats like those from nuts, avocado and olives.

For more information about this topic, attend Dr Braud's class on the role of nutrition in mental health. You can also check out the books on the recommended reading list.

Just Breathe!

Taking a deep breath is the quickest way to change your stress reaction and create calm. Granted, it may not always seem possible that something so simple could produce much change. But, it is true. There is ample research demonstrating the benefits of breathing practices. The trick to getting the most benefit from this cheap and readily available therapy is to practice it.

Where to start? The simplest breathing practice is "following your breath." You can start with as little as one minute. For one minute, sit quietly and just be aware of breathing in and out. Maintain your focus on your throat, chest and abdomen rising and falling. When thoughts come to mind, don't stay with them. Shift your attention back to breath as many times as necessary. It is not a failure that your focus is brief, don't judge yourself when your attention drifts. You might gradually increase the amount of time spent in this practice over the course of days or weeks. Alternatively, you might continue with short amounts of time but increase the number of times each day that you slow down and breathe.

"Following your breath" is really meditation. You focus only on now, only on your breath. There is benefit in this practice no matter how you use it, for one minute or twenty. It is a simple way to begin training the mind to quiet itself, to interrupt the pattern of constant thinking that keeps us wound up and stressed out.

Another breathing practice that can be very helpful is known as the relaxing breath. Begin with a short exhale. Next, inhale for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7, and then exhale for 8 counts. Ideally, repeat this pattern of breathing at least three times. You might feel lightheaded and struggle to hold your breath when you first start. Be patient with yourself. You will quickly build your lung capacity and soon find it easy to take big, slow breaths. This form of breathing is especially helpful at interrupting stress. When you use this practice to settle yourself, you might find that it has a positive effect on others around you as well.

There are times when it is not relaxation that is needed. Breath can increase alertness and energy level also. "Bellows breath" can be quite activating, so do it only for short periods at first. Gradually increase the amount of time doing this form of breathing until you can do a full minute. Begin by placing your tongue on the ridge between your front teeth and palate; hold it there while doing this breath. Inhale and exhale quickly and evenly through your nose, like sniffing. Try to relax your abdomen and diaphragm as you do so. It's a quick and efficient way to restore energy without the downside of sugar or caffeine.

Breath is our life force. The more we consciously breathe, the more alive we become.

Don't forget to look at the links and the recommended reading/viewing to learn more about ways to utilize the power of breath.