I met Christa Orrechio at a conference earlier this year and was thrilled to be invited to speak on The Randy and Christa show. They are doing a fabulous job getting the wellness message out into the world! I also love how they have such fun doing this show!
During my segment we talked about the following:
- Why read my book The Antianxiety Food Solution: if you’re stressed, have panic attacks, fears, phobias and even sugar cravings
- “80-90% of my clients do better off gluten”
- My client who went gluten-free: her eczema cleared up and she felt calmer
- Amino acid supplements (like GABA and tryptophan) help you break the gluten addiction/craving
- Low serotonin causes anxiety, sadness, excessive worry in the head, depression, afternoon and evening cravings, PMS, winter blues and sleep problems (see the whole questionnaire here)
- Tryptophan (500mg is the starting dose) midafternoon and evening raises serotonin so you’ll feel calmer, hopeful and optimistic
- Some people may do better on 5-HTP but it can raise cortisol levels
- Too much of the amino acids can have a reverse effect – use what you need. You may need less than the starting dose
- The amino acids are a short-term approach – you also need to be addressing diet and low blood sugar etc
- Low GABA causes physical tension and anxiety (Randy finds GABA helps him sleep)
- Caffeine is a problem for many people with anxiety – give it up! If it doesn’t make you anxious make sure it’s organic
- Zinc and vitamin B6 are important for making GABA and serotonin
- A good source of zinc and B6 is red meat. It’s also a good source of iron and omega-3s (as much omega3-s as salmon!). Of course it does need to be grass-fed!
- The starting dose for vitamin B6 is 100mg
- Magnesium is a calming mineral
- Sign up for your free report “5 Simple Steps to Reduce Anxiety Now“
Be sure to listen to Randy and Christa when I drop off as they continue the discussion (12:30 minutes).
Regarding the red meat discussion they had a bit later, I’d like to add that I find many of my clients with mood issues – both anxiety and depression – do better with more red meat than just once or twice a week. Having it every day is just fine! As Christa said, it has all the amino acids to make our neurotransmitters/brain chemicals.
Christa Orecchio is a clinical and holistic nutritionist, and founder of The Whole Journey, a nutrition practice and informational website. She is on a mission to help as many people as possible to heal by addressing the root cause (and not just the symptom) of why they don’t feel good and concurrently teaches people how to use food as their medicine to heal their bodies so they can ultimately live a thriving, vibrant life.
Christa has a TV show on FOX in San Diego called “Food as Medicine” and is the co-host of her own nationally syndicated health talk show “The Randy and Christa Show”.