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The Anxiety Summit

GABA alleviates anxiety caused by phthalates (found in plastics & fragrances)

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Are you aware that GABA alleviates anxiety caused by phthalates, found in plastics and fragrances? I share more about this in one of the registration gifts for the Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections: Top 10 Surprising Nutrients for Toxin Support and Anxiety Relief eGuide

GABA, the calming amino acid is one of my favorite amino acids, personally and with my anxious clients.

ANXIETY: GABA supplementation eases physical anxiety and tension

Low levels of GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid), an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the body and brain, is well documented in anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety, panic and post-traumatic stress disorder/PTSD.

GABA is also an amino acid that is calming when used as a supplement. It eases anxiety, physical tension and worry, and induces relaxation. In one study it was reported to work effectively within 1 hour, also allowing better focus and concentration. It also enhanced immunity under stressful conditions such as when crossing a suspension bridge. A significant increase in salivary IgA (immunoglobulin A) was observed 90 minutes after GABA intake.

Clinically, I have found GABA to be most effective for easing anxiety when used sublingually (you’ve heard me say this many times).

TOXIN: GABA supplementation alleviates phthalate-induced anxiety

What may be surprising, is the role toxins such phthalates play in anxiety and how GABA may actually offer some protection.  Phthalates are chemicals that make plastics soft and are also found in personal care products as fragrances.

Recent research shows that high levels of urinary phthalates have been found to be associated with an increase in anxiety, depression and stress in Chinese university students.

In a recent animal study, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate/DEHP, one of the most widely used phthalate esters, was shown to cause anxiety. The study concludes that the anxiety effects caused by phthalates could be alleviated by GABA supplementation.

As you may know I use GABA all the time with my anxious clients and having dug into the research for this summit, I am fascinated by how protective it is against toxins too. You’ll learn about this and how GABA also supports immunity in many of the summit interviews. 

====> Get The Top 10 Surprising Nutrients for Toxin Support and Anxiety Relief eGuide (it includes all the references and a mini cross-reference to certain summit interviews)

Some questions for you?

  • Do you have any guesses as to what the other 9 nutrients/herbs are? (no peeking until you have your list!)
  • What are your favorites for both anxiety and protection against toxins?
  • Any guesses what the herb is on the cover? And are you aware it helps with detox AND also anxiety? (I’ll share more about this one in another email)

You’ve heard me say the Anxiety Summit has been called “a bouquet of hope!”  My wish for you is that this summit is your bouquet of hope!

I hope you’ll join me and these incredible speakers, be enlightened and find YOUR solutions! When you download the eGuide you’ll get automatic access to the summit. 

Get The Top 10 Surprising Nutrients eGuide

 

Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins, Medications and Infections – Products

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This blog is your go-to for the nutrients and products discussed on The Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections,  Nov 2-8, 2020 and mentioned in the summit eBooks. 

Top 10 Surprising Nutrients for Toxin Support and Anxiety Relief

These are the nutrients listed in the ebook: Top 10 Surprising Nutrients for Toxin Support and Anxiety Relief  [click here to download the PDF copy and read the research] 

#1 GABA supplementation eases physical anxiety and tension, and alleviates phthalate-induced anxiety

Learn more about GABA for easing anxiety and protection against other toxins in these interviews on The Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections  

  • GABA and Tryptophan: Anxiety-Toxin Connections – Trudy Scott
  • Vagus Nerve Infection and Anxiety – Eva Detko
  • SSRIs, Benzodiazepines, Alcohol and Amino Acids – Hyla Cass
  • Fluoride: Neurotoxicity, Anxiety, Acne and Hypothyroidism – Melissa Gallico
  • GABA and Serotonin: Anxiety, PMS, Meds and Infections – Trudy Scott

#2 Tryptophan eases mental anxiety, worry and ruminations, and alleviates lead-induced anxiety/aggression

(Note: Both tryptophan and 5-HTP can be used to support low serotonin levels. Some folks do better with tryptophan and some do better with 5-HTP)

Learn more about tryptophan (and 5-HTP) for easing anxiety and offering protection against lead and other toxins in these interviews on The Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections  

  • GABA and Tryptophan: Anxiety-Toxin Connections – Trudy Scott
  • SSRIs, Benzodiazepines, Alcohol and Amino Acids – Hyla Cass
  • 5-HTP: Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia and Liver Protection – Michael Murray
  • GABA and Serotonin: Anxiety, PMS, Meds and Infections – Trudy Scott

#3 Probiotics (psychobiotics) improve mood, reduce anxiety and improve cognition. And a spore-based probiotic reverses the liver-toxic effects of acetaminophen.

Learn more about probiotics for easing anxiety and offering protection against acetaminophen (and other adverse effects of acetaminophen) in these interviews on The Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections  

  • 5-HTP: Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia and Liver Protection – Michael Murray
  • Acetaminophen, Spore-based Probiotics and the Liver – Kiran Krishan
  • Drainage in Anxiety and Autism – Luminara Serdar
  • GABA and Serotonin: Anxiety, PMS, Meds and Infections – Trudy Scott
  • Vagus Nerve Infection and Anxiety – Eva Detko

#4 NAC is a precursor of glutathione and promotes detoxification. And NAC also reduces compulsive hair pulling/trichotillomania.

Learn more about NAC for detoxification, helping with compulsions and easing anxiety in these interviews on The Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections  

  • Your Brain on Food: Anxiety, OCD and PTSD – Uma Naidoo
  • GABA and Serotonin: Anxiety, PMS, Meds and Infections – Trudy Scott
  • Loss of Chemical Tolerance and Glutathione Recycling – Datis Kharrazian
  • Liver Function and Bile: Anxiety, Detox, the Gut and Hormones – Ameet Aggarwal

#5 Melatonin improves sleep and reduces anxiety after traumatic brain injury. Melatonin also removes toxic proteins via the brain glymphatic system

Learn more about melatonin for sleep, anxiety and the glymphatic system in these interviews on The Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections  

  • The Glymphatic System for Brain Detox – Christine Schaffner 
  • GABA and Serotonin: Anxiety, PMS, Meds and Infections – Trudy Scott
  • Fluoride: Neurotoxicity, Anxiety, Acne and Hypothyroidism – Melissa Gallico
  • Red Light Therapy: Anxiety, Toxins and Benzodiazepines – Ari Whitten

#6 Triphala improves gut health and reduces noise-induced stress (and sometimes misophonia). Triphala may also help prevent and reverse radiation-induced DNA and intestinal damage.

Learn more about triphala for anxiety, gut health and misophonia in these interviews on The Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections  

  • Liver Function and Bile: Anxiety, Detox, the Gut and Hormones – Ameet Aggarwal
  • PANDAS/PANS: The Brain on Fire – Elisa Song
  • Body Burden: Environmental Toxins, Tattoos and Wheat – Tom O’Bryan (noise pollution) 
  • GABA and Serotonin: Anxiety, PMS, Meds and Infections – Trudy Scott

#7 TUDCA improves LPS-induced cognitive impairment and neurotoxicity. TUDCA also eases depression caused by chronic unpredictable stress. 

Learn more about TUDCA and taurine for depression/anxiety and bile production in these interviews on The Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections  

  • Impact of Toxins on Lyme Disease and Infections – Jay Davidson (TUDCA) 
  • SSRIs, Benzodiazepines, Alcohol and Amino Acids – Hyla Cass (taurine)
  • GABA and Tryptophan: Anxiety-Toxin Connections – Trudy Scott (taurine)
  • Liver Function and Bile: Anxiety, Detox, the Gut and Hormones – Ameet Aggarwal (taurine)

#8 Rosemary shows benefits for stress, anxiety, depression and pain. It’s also protective when it comes to electromagnetic fields (EMFs).

Learn more about rosemary and EMFs in these interviews on The Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections  

  • EMFs: Anxiety, Insomnia, ADHD and Headaches – Lloyd Burrell
  • Lyme: a Herbal Approach for Pain, Anxiety and Brain Fog – Darin Ingels
  • GABA and Tryptophan: Anxiety-Toxin Connections – Trudy Scott 
  • The Glymphatic System for Brain Detox – Christine Schaffner
  • Mold Toxicity: Anxiety, Depression, Panic and Psychosis – Margaret Christensen

#9 Oral lavender (as Silexan) is as effective for anxiety as the benzodiazepine lorazepam.  And lavender essential oil reduces LPS-induced inflammation via HSP70.

Learn more about lavender, benzodiazepines and LPS in these interviews on The Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections  

  • Psychiatric Medications in Children and Teens – Nicole Beurkens
  • SSRIs, Benzodiazepines, Alcohol and Amino Acids – Hyla Cass
  • Body Burden: Environmental Toxins, Tattoos and Wheat – Tom O’Bryan (NF-κB and Toll-like receptor 4)
  • Disconnection Syndrome, Immunity and Awe – David Perlmutter
  • GABA and Tryptophan: Anxiety-Toxin Connections – Trudy Scott 
  • Benzodiazepines: Short-Term Benefits, Long-Term Harms – Catherine Pittman

#10 Milk thistle is liver-protective and enhances glutathione production. It is also beneficial as an antidepressant for OCD.

Learn more about milk thistle, glutathione, the liver, alcohol and acetaminophen in these interviews on The Anxiety Summit 6: Toxins/Meds/Infections  

  • SSRIs, Benzodiazepines, Alcohol and Amino Acids – Hyla Cass 
  • GABA and Tryptophan: Anxiety-Toxin Connections – Trudy Scott 
  • Liver Function and Bile: Anxiety, Detox, the Gut and Hormones – Ameet Aggarwal 
  • Acetaminophen, Spore-based Probiotics and the Liver – Kiran Krishan
  • Loss of Chemical Tolerance and Glutathione Recycling – Datis Kharrazian

Stay tuned for additional information, products and resources all the summit interviews.

Let us know which are your favorites or which similar products you have used with success – and how they have helped you.

Feel free to also post your questions in the comments below.

The Anxiety Summit, Dr. Perlmutter, the fear center of the brain and the joy of fresh flowers

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trudy and flowers

These lovely flowers are all from our garden and I have my wonderful mom-in-law to thank for this arrangement which I used for a very special interview this week with Dr. David Perlmutter (more on this below) for season 5 of The Anxiety Summit. I have my mom-in-law, Althea, to thank for all the flowers in all the interviews.

As you know, I love nature and flowers and because of this it feels really special to be able to say that The Anxiety Summit has been dubbed “a bouquet of hope.” Someone in one of the past seasons shared this anonymously and then sent me a lovely letter afterwards saying it was her.

Unfortunately, we were in the middle of packing to move and her letter was misplaced so I still don’t have a name and person to thank. If you’re reading this now, please please let me know it was you so I can thank you.

I’m sure you don’t need a study to convince you why you enjoy flowers so much but here goes anyway because – you know me – I love to geek out on the research.

In a study, Effect of olfactory stimulation by fresh rose flowers on autonomic nervous activity, 19 female university and graduate students (21 to 26 years old) reported an increase in physiological and psychological relaxation when smelling fresh roses. The study reported that the aroma of the fresh flowers led to

  • a significant increase in parasympathetic nervous activities
  • an increase in “comfortable” and “natural” feelings.

I’m not one bit surprised at these results! Are you? I would expect there to be an effect on our endorphins too because we feel so wonderful when we get a bunch of flowers from our loved one!

Dr. Perlmutter – Anxiety: Gut-Brain Communication & Diet

As I said above, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dr. David Perlmutter for The Anxiety Summit this week (notice the flower arrangement in the background).

dr. perlmutter interview

You likely know Dr. Perlmutter as the author of Grain Brain, The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs and Sugar, with over 1 million copies in print. What a wonderful interview we had. He’s smart, articulate, funny, geeky and practical at the same time, and an all around lovely person. I can’t wait to share this and all the incredible interviews I have done for The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis.

In my interview with Dr David Brady on this summit he mentions how Dr. Perlmutter has championed the whole gut-brain connection. We all appreciate him for this work and with him being a trailblazer and leader in this, having him as a speaker on this summit could not have been more perfect. This is our topic and the talking points we cover

Anxiety: Gut-Brain Communication & Diet

  • Fermented foods, prebiotics, gut integrity and anxiety
  • SCFAs/short chain fatty acids, HDACs and serotonin production
  • Inflammation/cortisol and the amygdala/prefrontal cortex connection

Here is a snippet from our interview which went deep into the research, the mechanisms and biochemistry, and then brought it all back to practical interventions :

Both inflammation and stress can enhance anxiety. Well, what is anxiety? Anxiety is a physiological reaction to real of more commonly a perceived stress – in other words, a threat. There is no real threat there but the body perceives a situation that is not necessarily threatening as being threatening. So the body goes into this anxiety response for no good reason….

What we understand is that inflammation and cortisol actually tend to reduce the availability or the functionality of a connection between two parts of the brain. One of them, called the amygdala, is the fear center, and the other is the prefrontal cortex which is an area of the brain that tends to calm things down. It says to the amygdala: “Hey, cool, we’re glad you’re around but this isn’t one of those times you need to get excited.” It’s the adult in the room, if you will.

Inflammation and cortisol/stress breaks this key connection between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex and these are one possible mechanism that leads to anxiety. We go on to discuss solutions such as diet, nature, and sleep.

I could have brought up flowers and talked more about nature at this point but we still had so much to cover.

Earlier in the interview went in depth into dietary aspects like delicious fermented foods and prebiotics such as garlic, onions, leeks and cauliflower. Prebiotics are fuel for short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, acetate and propionate, which are involved in the integrity of the gut lining, protect from intestinal inflammation. They are also involved in the manufacture of calming neurotransmitters, so here we have some of the stress/cortisol aspect covered.

Please join us and listen to the entire interview on The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis.

Resources from Dr. Perlmutter

Now I get to share some of his wonderful work. You can find him online at DrPerlmutter.com and he has these new releases coming up:

  • He is the editor of the upcoming collection The Microbiome and the Brain that will be authored by top experts in the field and will be published in 2019 by CRC Press – written for both practitioners and researchers. This is so exciting and perfectly supports what we cover in this summit.
  • He shares a few gems from his book Brain Wash, which is proudly co-written with his son Austin Perlmutter, MD, in our interview.

Are you excited to hear my interview with Dr. Perlmutter? Which areas are of most interest to you?

And do you love flowers as much as I do? What are you favorites and how do you enjoy them?

If you have found any of the Anxiety Summits to be “a bouquet of hope” in your healing journey please tell us why and how you’re doing now.

If you’d like to give feedback or ask a question, please post in the comments below.

 

The Anxiety Summit Season 3 speakers and topics

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adaa-stats

20+ of the World’s Experts and Opinion Leaders Share Powerful Nutritional Solutions for Your Anxiety, So You Can Feel Calm, Joyful and On Top Of The World Again!
Join Food Mood Expert and Certified Nutritionist Trudy Scott as She Interviews Researchers, Doctors, Psychiatrists, Nutritionists, Consumer Advocates, Psychologists.
Discover the Very Powerful Connection Between Food and Mood!
Hear the Science and Learn Practical Tools You Can Start to Use NOW!
Be Empowered, Take Charge and Feel Hopeful!
Practitioners… Get Solutions to Help Your Clients and Patients.

There will be a speaker blog for each speaker with links to studies, snippets from the interview, related articles and blogs, videos if they are available and a speaker gift. This will be a place for you to comment and ask your questions during the summit.

Here is the complete speaker line-up and some snippets from a few speakers.

Wednesday, May 6th
Trudy Scott CN, “New 2015 Food/Nutrient Research on Anxiety and Speaker Highlights”
Dr. Daniel Amen MD, “The Brain Warriors Way to Attacking Anxiety, Depression and Aging”

Here are a few snippets from my wonderful interview with Dr. Daniel Amen, THE brain doctor!

  • women’s brains are more active and we make less serotonin
  • testosterone boosts GABA and sugar consumption can drop your testosterone by 20%
  • benzodiazapines reduce blood flow to the brain (and we know that they can cause pseudo-dementia
  • Amen proposed that the BCP (birth control pill) is likely the reason that 23% of women 28-60 are taking anti-depressants
  • eat real food, plenty of organic produce, healthy fats and grass-fed red meat

Thursday, May 7th
Julia Rucklidge PhD, “What if… Nutrition could Treat Anxiety and Depression?”
Rebecca Katz MS, “Your Brain on Food: The Science and Alchemy of Yum for Alleviating Anxiety!”

Here are a few snippets from my interview with Rebecca Katz, the queen of yum!

  • Pumpkin seeds are “nature’s smallest antidepressant next to a snowflake”
  • Pumpkin seeds are a source of iron which has been shown to boost cognitive performance, especially in women of childbearing years. Iron is also a co-factor for making our neurotransmitters
  • Parlsey and mint are so accessible and eating them “is like eating oxygen” (I recently shared the delicious pomegranate olive mint salsa recipe from Rebecca’s new Healthy Mind Cookbook

Friday, May 8th
Summer Bock, “Sauerkraut for Gut Healing and Reducing Anxiety”
Dr. Peter Osborne DC, “Grainflammation – How Grain Consumption Contributes to Anxiety and other Mood Disorders”

Saturday, May 9th
Lierre Keith, “Anxiety, Depression, and the Vegetarian Diet”
Kaayla T. Daniel PhD, “Real Food for Anxiety: Butter, Broth and Beyond”

Sunday, May 10th
Dr. Allison Siebecker ND, “Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and Anxiety”
Ann Louise Gittleman PhD, CNS, “The Parasite/Anxiety Connection”

Here are a few snippets from my interview with the legendary Ann Louise Gittleman PhD, CNS, grande dame of nutrition!

Monday, May 11th
Dr. Eva Selhub MD, “How to Heal Anxiety with Nature and the Body, not just with the Mind”
Dr. Jill Carnahan MD, “Is Toxic Mold the Hidden Cause of Your Anxiety?”

Tuesday, May 12th
Joe Tatta DPT, “Nutritional Influences on Anxiety and Musculoskeletal Pain”
Magdalena Wszelaki, “Foods to balance your hormones and ease anxiety – part 1”

Wednesday, May 13th
Dr. Benjamin Lynch ND, “How Methylfolate can make you Feel Worse and even Cause Anxiety, and What to do about it”
Magdalena Wszelaki, “Foods to balance your hormones and ease anxiety – part 2”

Thursday, May 14th
Mira Calton CN and Jayson Calton PhD, “Micronutrients for Eliminating Anxiety”
Yasmina Ykelenstam, “Histamine-containing Foods: their Role in Anxiety, Depression and Schizophrenia – part 1”

Friday, May 15th
Dr. Peter Bongiorno ND, “Serotonin and Anxiety, Happiness, Digestion and our Hormones”
Yasmina Ykelenstam, “Histamine-containing Foods: their Role in Anxiety, Depression and Schizophrenia – part 1”

Saturday, May 16th
Karla A Maree CNC, “Pyroluria, Amino Acids and Anxiety: Real Cases, Real Solutions”
Trudy Scott CN, “Pyroluria, Amino Acids and Anxiety: Troubleshooting when you are not getting results”

Sunday, May 17th
Dr. Kim D’Eramo DO, “How to use MindBody Medicine to Reverse Anxiety in 3 Minutes or Less”
Lebby Salinas, The Fooducator®, “How Gluten Elimination Healed Me and Eliminated my Anxiety”

Monday, May 18th – you’ll vote for your favorites to be replayed

Tuesday, May 19th
Dan Stratford, “My Anxiety-Zinc Story and the Message of Hope We Offer”
Trudy Scott CN, “Closing call: 30+ Nutritional & Biochemical Causes/Solutions and Recommended Supplements”

Wednesday, May 20th  you’ll vote for your favorites to be replayed

I have not yet interviewed Dr. Ben Lynch ND, on “How too much methyfolate may actually make you more anxious”. [4/24/15 interview has now been done]

Nor have I interviewed Dr. Peter Bongiorno ND, on “Serotonin and Anxiety, Happiness, Digestion and our Hormones” [4/24/15 interview has now been done]

Let me know if you have questions you’d like me to ask these doctors.

I hope you can join us! And do let us know which speakers and topics are of particular interest in the comment section below.

The Anxiety Summit site has officially launched! Yay! You can now see all the incredible speakers and topics at www.theanxietysummit.com

I am just so excited to kick this off Wednesday May 6 at 9am PST. It will run thru May 20 with 2 speakers per day available for viewing at no charge.

You will, of course, have the option to upgrade and purchase digital audios or digital audios/transcripts. And now for the first time we’re offering physical CDs with audios/transcripts.

This will be over 25 hours of top-notch anxiety nutritional solutions from people I have hand-picked! Plus 3 talks I will be doing on new research, amino acid and pyroluria troubleshooting, 60+ nutritional causes of anxiety and the supplements I recommend.

If you signed up for either season 1 or season 2, or pre-registered for season 3 there is no need to sign up again – you will get the season 3 daily emails announcing speakers, gifts, fun drawings and special offers.  If you’re not sure if you are signed up, you can sign up again no problem. If you use the same email address you won’t get duplicate emails.

Register here www.theanxietysummit.com 

 

3rd Annual Scattergood Foundation Innovation Award

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scattergood-award

I’m excited to share that I’m one of the nominees for the 3rd Annual Scattergood Foundation Innovation Award sponsored by the Scattergood Foundation (a non-profit Advancing Innovative Strategies for Change in Behavioral Health) and The Kennedy Forum (a non-profit founded by Patrick Kennedy to advance mental health treatment/prevention and reduce stigma).

Here is the link to my nomination http://scattergoodfoundation.org/innovideas/anxiety-summit

I have a favor to ask you. I’d really love your comments please!

The commenting and judging period ends 3/27/2015 and I’d so appreciate comments on the above link. If you attended either of the Anxiety Summits please share what you loved about them and how they helped you. Even if you didn’t hear any of my Anxiety Summit interviews, a comment about how food and nutrients have helped your anxiety/depression or your patient’s or client’s anxiety/depression would be wonderful!

The prize is $25,000 which I’ll use for future summit scholarships and to help a non-profit run a summit. For me, the real prize is the exposure and bigger impact I can have. I see this as a wonderful opportunity to get the powerful food-mood message out in an even bigger way so more people can be helped. Thanks so much!  

PS. And do check out other nominees – there are so many people doing great work in the field of mental health!

 

MTHFR and methylation: mood, anxiety, depression, and resources

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Methylation polymorphisms (also called defects or mutations or SNPs) can impact mood. I’d like to share a few studies on some of the mood issues, other health conditions where we may see impacts and some resources for you to learn more.

If you have one of the MTHFR polymorphisms, the BH4 cycle may be affected and may impact how we make serotonin and dopamine. Here is some of the research:

There is much evidence on the methylation polymorphisms and these health conditions:

Resources for further learning

The two practitioners who I have learned the most from are Dr. Ben Lynch ND and Coleen Walsh, a nutritionist who has been dubbed the “methyl queen”.    

Just remember this great quote from Coleen Walsh during our interview on the Anxiety Summit:

Our DNA is not set in stone! Diet and lifestyle can go a long way to change our health destiny

The good news is that we can change our health, our disease outcomes and how we feel by eating real whole good quality organic food, getting chemicals and toxins out of our diets and environment, reducing stress, supporting the liver and our natural detox processes.

Certain key nutrients can also be very help for many people with polymorphisms. I’ll share more on folate and other nutrients and other SNPs in a later blog post. I’ll also share more on genetic testing.

I’d love to hear if you’ve done genetic testing and how making changes (supplement, diet, lifestyle) have helped. Be sure to post questions too.