Trudy Scott

Gluten and the serious effects on mental health: ADAA 2013

April 1, 2013 By Trudy Scott 14 Comments

The 2013 annual conference of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America is April 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine (La Jolla, California). It’s a wonderful conference to hear all the latest research on anxiety and depression. The focus of the conference is primarily therapy and medications with some presentations and posters on exercise, nutrients, guided imagery, yoga and one topic on gluten (mine!)

I’m doing a poster presentation Friday, April 5, 6:30 – 8pm, “Evidence-based Research On The Serious Effects Of Gluten On Mental Health, With An In-depth Look At Testing And The Gluten-free Diet.”

This poster will identify what gluten is, where it is found and if the gluten-free diet is a fad or very real concern for those with mental health disorders. The following will be explained: gluten sensitivity, celiac disease, and wheat allergies. Evidence-based research will be reviewed, showing the serious impacts of gluten on various mental health disorders: anxiety, social phobia, panic attacks, depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Here are a few examples of some the research that will be reviewed:

“gluten sensitivity remains undertreated and underrecognized as a contributing factor to psychiatric and neurologic manifestations” (Jackson, Psychiatric Quarterly 2011)
Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification (Sapone, BMC Medicine, 2012)
Celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten sensitivity: when gluten free is not a fad. (Pietzak, Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 2012)
Gluten-free diet may alleviate depressive and behavioural symptoms in adolescents with coeliac disease (Pynnönen , BMC Psychiatry 2005)
Social phobia in coeliac disease (Addolorato, Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology 2008)

There will be an in-depth discussion of the various testing options and the many associated health problems that may be associated with gluten intolerance. This session will clearly define gluten-containing versus gluten-free foods when it comes to eating a gluten-free diet.

The Role of Inflammation in Stress, Anxiety and Depression

March 8, 2013 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

NTA-Conference-2013

“Inflammation: The Fire Within” is the theme of the annual conference of the Nutritional Therapy Association. It will be held in Vancouver, WA on March 15, 16, 17. I’m thrilled to presenting on Friday from 10-11:30am and my topic is “The Role of Inflammation in Stress, Anxiety and Depression.”

This presentation will provide health and nutrition professionals with current, evidence-based information the role of inflammation in stress, and on anxiety and mood disorders. It will explain:

the negative impact of pro-inflammatory junk food, trans fats, feed-lot meat, pesticides, gluten, fructose and caffeine on stress, anxiety and depression
the recent research supporting the anti-inflammatory benefits of real whole food, the Mediterranean diet (for both reducing inflammation and reducing and preventing depression, fish and fish oils (with some exceptions), dark chocolate (with some caveats), probiotics, zinc and vitamin B6
the links between social stress and inflammation
the effects of maternal inflammation on anxiety and social behavior of offspring
the links between pyroluria (see the pyroluria questionnaire here), social anxiety and oxidative stress
how inflammation leads to low serotonin and mood issues

It’s quite incredible how much of an impact inflammation has on mood disorders and how simply taking steps to lower inflammation can have a positive impact. What is equally fascinating is that so many of the foods and nutrients that eliminate anxiety and depression also lower inflammation! The body is quite amazing in its ability to heal when provided with the correct nutrients!

I will also be exhibiting and will have delicious 100% certified Organic Tulsi Teas donated by Organic India and great for stress-relief and you guessed it… inflammation! Do come and try some yummy lemon-ginger or licorice or find some in your local grocery store. We’ll also do zinc status testing because zinc is key for alleviating anxiety, stress and depression. I’ll also have DVD sets and copies of my book The Antianxiety Food Solution for sale. And I’ll also be offering Lidtke samples of the amazing amino acids tryptophan (for low serotonin) and DPA/Endorphigen (for low endorphins and comfort eating). These amino acids also help with inflammation!

And I’m thrilled that my friend and colleague Mira Dessy will be joining me at my booth. She is a Nutrition Educator, Real Food Advocate and author of the fabulous new book The Pantry Principle: How to read the label and understand what’s really in your food (find her here and on facebook here).

The event has many great speakers and will be a content-rich educational three days. You can learn more and register here:
http://nutritionaltherapy.com/events-resources/nta-conferences

The sessions will be recorded and available for purchase from Nutritional Therapy Association if you can’t make it to the live event.

The Antianxiety Food Solution debut on Gaiam TV

January 25, 2013 By Trudy Scott 18 Comments

regina-trudy-gaiamtv

I was thrilled to have been invited by Gaiam TV to be interviewed by the lovely and visionary Regina Meredith. They flew me out to beautiful Boulder, Colorado, picked me up from the airport, put me up in the historic Boulderado hotel, took me to dinner and pretty much treated me like royalty! I was very spoiled! The interview was an hour long and will air January 30 at 5pm mountain time, as part of The Healing Matrix show.

I spoke with Regina Meredith about the very powerful food mood connection, my story with anxiety and panic attacks and why I am is so passionate about helping people overcome anxiety. We discussed why grass-fed red meat and liver are so important and how I love sardines. We had a discussion about vegetarianism and why many people with mood problems do better with animal protein. I also talked about giving up chocolate and coffee (yes! really!), the toxic effects of sugar, and why gluten may be making you anxious. A healthy digestive system is imperative for good health and good mood and we discussed leaky gut and stomach acid at length. Finally I wrapped up with an overview of the incredible and amazing amino acids that end anxiety, worry, depression, and stop sugar cravings in their tracks, so zero willpower is required! It’s all powerful stuff and backed by plenty of science-based research and clinical results!

It really is a small world – Regina actually also lives in the Sacramento area and flies into Boulder each week to do her interviews! In 2004, together with her husband, she formed Conscious Media Network which was acquired by Gaiam TV last year. Prior to that she was on various Sacramento shows: KCRA Channel 3, NBC, KTXL Channel 40 and PBS.

I think Gaiam TV is going to become a firm favorite of mine. They have thousands of conscious media titles, fitness and health titles and much more.

The details on how to watch my show will be coming shortly. I’ll also be unveiling an exciting new product to help you on your journey to feeling on top of the world, and will have some special offers so look out for this!

PS. I’m a fan of work and fun and since we used to live in Colorado, we decided to make a trip of it! We stayed to ski afterwards and met up with good friends Susan and Tim, and the Lainis family. We arrived in balmy weather…balmy for Colorado so 50F (9 or 10 C) and then the cold snap hit and wow was it COLD! We skied at Vail twice and the second time the high was 15F! The last day we skied at Keystone and the early morning temperature was minus 11F. But we had a blast. And we were, as always, impressed with how stunningly beautiful the Rocky Mountains are in winter!

tim susan brad trudy vail

NANP 2012 Golden Carrot awards for Impact, Service and Going Up: Trudy, Liz and Sara

May 19, 2012 By Trudy Scott 15 Comments

Each year the National Association of Nutrition Professionals / NANP (www.nanp.org) awards three Golden Carrot awards during the annual conference:

IMPACT: awarded to a member who has obtained visibility in the wider world during the past year. It could be a book, a TV show, testimony before a Senate Committee on Health Promotion, or other project that they executed with impact
SERVICE: awarded to a member whose efforts at mentoring and building connections that grow the holistic nutrition community deserve recognition
GOING UP: awarded to a member, in professional practice for one year or less, who has already begun to obtain visibility, success and distinction in their business.

I was honored and humbled to receive the 2012 Golden Carrot Award for IMPACT.

Nicole Hodson, NC shared this heart-felt story before making the award announcement:

“Trudy Scott is the reason I am here today, as Executive Director of NANP. Trudy became my nutritionist when I turned to her for help with weight loss a number of years ago. Although I had been reading up on nutrition and trying to make changes on my own, I didn’t see the results I wanted until I began working with Trudy. Most importantly Trudy was able to advise me on the holistic approach to some of my difficult hormonal health challenges. In fact, Trudy was such an inspiration to me that I decided to pursue an education in holistic nutrition myself. Trudy continues to inspire me as she tirelessly pursues new educational and growth opportunities.”

I’m smiling as I write this …as I have grown in my nutrition career I have been inspired by so many before me and it is truly wonderful to be able to inspire others! And to inspire someone like Nicole, whose has done so much for the organization, is truly wonderful!

Nicole continued:

“I would like to announce that Trudy Scott, CN is the 2012 NANP IMPACT winner. Trudy has done everything that fits this award’s description. Trudy obtained visibility in the wider world by being a focused leader as the past president of the NANP and organizer of the fight against CA AB575. She is the current chair of the legislative affairs committee and continues to support our members to protect their right to practice. In June 2011, she released her first book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help you Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood and End Cravings (New Harbinger) and has been presenting on food and mood at the national level and has become known as the Food Mood Expert. She demonstrates passion and commitment on all levels and has the time to help anyone who needs it. Trudy truly is a passionate leader and a supporter of others.”

trudy scott and impact award with nicole — Trudy receives the 2012 NANP IMPACT Award from Nicole

I am so honored to be in the company of the other amazing award winners, Liz Lipski, Ph D, CCN, and Sara Edison, Certified Nutrition Consultant.

Liz received the SERVICE award:

“Liz Lipski, a nationally known clinical nutritionist, author of Digestive Wellness, and speaker has been an inspiration to the nutrition community for many years. She” is the founder of Innovative Healing, “implemented a mentoring program for recent graduates and is the Director of Doctoral Studies at Hawthorn University. In 2012, Liz became an advocate for our industry as seven states attempted to pass licensure bills that would restrict or prevent holistically trained nutritionists from practicing. Liz helped connect individuals with attorneys and national organizations and recommended courses of action to those in need. She continues to contribute to NANP – most recently by sharing her knowledge of the legislative process with members in the Nourishing the Nutrition Professional teleconference.”

Sara received the GOING UP award:

“Sara Edison graduated from Bauman College in the spring of 2011 and has launched a private practice called A Stone’s Throw to Health. She also has a BS in Exercise Science from Skidmore College. In addition to starting her own practice, Sara is working with a colleague to build The Scoby Collective. This group is bringing together nutrition professionals interested in working collaboratively, i.e. peer to peer mentorships, sharing communal workspaces, and organizing informal gatherings to build nutrition knowledge and help recent graduates build confidence.

I plan to continue making an impact and sharing my food mood message! I know Liz well and I know she will continue to be a mentor and be of service! She has always inspired me! I have not met Sara and look forward to meeting her and watching her continue on her upward path leading people to optimal health!

California lobby days by NANP – follow up from CA AB575

March 5, 2012 By Trudy Scott Leave a Comment

The recent California lobby days were very successful and we feel we have made some great connections and started to build some excellent relationships. Nicole Hodson (NANP Executive Director), Julie Spero (President of NANP) and I went to the Capitol in Sacramento with lobbyist Randy Pollack. It was a whirl-wind tour of meetings over 2 days, with 16 women and men of the CA Assembly and Senate along with their staff members.

There is no new or pending legislation so it was a meet and greet. We met for about 15 minutes in each office and let them get to know what we as nutrition professionals do for our clients. Each of us talked about the health issues we work with and how we benefit our clients – demonstrating real world health issues being addressed through whole food nutrition. Nicole talked about the benefits of diet for ADHD, Julie about diabetes and diet and I spoke about the powerful impact diet has on anxiety and depression. Nicole also talked about the National Association of Nutrition Professionals / NANP and the board exam. Randy introduced the Alliance for Natural Health and other nutrition professionals, talked about AB575 (the CA bill introduced and defeated in 2011) and our concerns around the language that would prevent us from doing invaluable work for the people who need it most. We also made sure they understood that the majority of dietitians tend to work in institutional settings such as hospitals, prisons and schools, while nutritionists tend to serve the individual. We also talked about consumer choice.

Some highlights

We met with Mary Hayashi, the Assemblywoman who introduced AB575 in 2011. We believe her Republican counterparts on the committee were opposed to AB575 and that they also received negative pressure from the Nurses Association.
Assemblywoman Fiona Ma is a champion of many health causes like Hepatitis B and Diabetes. She has invited us to attend an upcoming ‘Women in Government’ event and is interested in using us as a resource for health related speakers and articles. We have invited her to our annual NANP conference, along with Assemblyman Jerry Hill, whose district includes the city of Millbrae where our conference will be held
We met with Jazmin Hicks, a senate fellow in Senator Vargus’ office who authored a paper on “Policy on preventative health rather than palliative health”
We met Assemblywoman Butler who banned BPA in bay bottles
Senator Emerson’s office is reviewing a gluten-free bill for the department of public health and we had a long discussion with staff members while waiting for our meeting
We had some healthy (no pun intended!) discussions with various well-read and informed legislators and staff members about the importance of breakfast, gluten intolerance, the effects of diet on rheumatoid arthritis, the connection between gluten and autism, diet and ADHD and horrible hospital food

We very much appreciate the support of ANH and the fact that they hired a lobbyist. All in all an excellent and informative two days!