WRITTEN BY: Jenni Dean – Jellybean Nutrition ~ Nutritionist, HNC, MBC, RP, NNCP, Eng Lit
We all feel down sometimes. That is completely normal. It keeps us in check with what needs to be looked at regarding supporting ourselves to feel better. What if it doesn’t go away? What if it is longstanding? Then what?
Did you know?
Many feelings of sadness are masked in guilt, anger, grief, or frustration towards oneself. It’s about unresolved emotions of what isn’t working in your life & the sadness needs to be addressed to ask yourself, “What is really going on?”
- Blood sugar imbalances
- Lack of minerals and vitamins.
- Allergies & food sensitivities.
- Lack of sleep & low iron too.
- Too much on your mind with unresolved trauma.
- Too many stressors in your life (depletes serotonin & floods the body with cortisol stress hormones)
- Not enough Light exposure (this stimulates oestrogen & testosterone – SAD seasonal affective disorder)
- Lack of exercise (supports serotonin production)
- Lack of hormones i.e., low oestrogen (women) or testosterone (men) inhibits serotonin production in the body
- Low amounts of adrenalin & noradrenalin come from dopamine (amino acid tyrosine) Adrenal exhaustion (sits on top of your kidneys) from too much stress over time overworks the adrenals and dysregulates hormones = Adrenal Exhaustion i.e., loss of enjoyment in life, lose your ‘get up & go attitude’, anxiety, on edge, depressed (DHEA supplementation helps + diet whole foods + B Vitamins + Minerals etc.)
- Lack of whole foods, refined sugars, and processed foods all can cause depression – they regulate the neurotransmitters melatonin is a molecule and serotonin come from the amino acid from tryptophan forms into a molecule, dopamine is a molecule, & they all balance the body to send the right messages to the rest of the body with balance and ease
Vitamins & Minerals to Consider
- B6
- B12
- Folic Acid
- Zinc (stress and chemicals depletes this – this is important for getting heavy metals in the body and balancing hormones)
- Magnesium & Chromium (very helpful for those sleeping all of the time, craving carbs, gaining weight, moods up and downs)
- EFA (essential fatty acid oils)
- SAMe & TMG (they methylate the amino acids so that the brain and nervous system work better)
- Vitamin C (has so many purposes for the whole body supports)
- Tryptophan (comes from protein makes serotonin & melatonin i.e., fish, turkey, cheese, oats, soya milk, eggs, potato, cottage cheese, tuna, chicken breast, green beans, salmon, quinoa, lentil, yogurt, wholewheat spaghetti, meat sauce – eaten with carbs raises tryptophan too – people that crave sugar are usually low in serotonin and proteins – best to combine tryptophan foods with a carbohydrate)
- 5-HTP (comes from an African plant called grifonin – it can be found in turkey, milk, chicken, potato’s, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, turnip, collard greens, seaweed, & is best taken in combination with a carbohydrate)
- Fish Oils (they are essential healthy fats especially the need for Omega 3 that balance hormonal health & depression)
Pre-Menstrual Syndrome / Andropause (in men)
PMS is an imbalance of the hormones of oestrogen and progesterone and a deficiency of vitamins, healthy fats, and insulin imbalance (Di glycemia sugar levels are too low or too high). A person wants to avoid high sugar and stimulants throughout the month and grazing instead on slow releasing carbs with some lean proteins – tryptophan type foods & 5-HTP also help to support menses. Also, take stress management tools like breathing, walking in nature, & going to bed a bit earlier – eating foods like Phyto estrogens really help support the body too i.e., organic soya or beans or lentils)
The body needs more at this time of the month:
- B6
- Zinc
- Magnesium
- Essential Fats
- Evening Primrose Oil
- Low GI Diet
Supports for Anxiety
Gaba is a neurotransmitter i.e., alcohol, cannabis, & tranquillisers raises those levels, but also when wears off cause’s dehydration, depletion of minerals and vitamins, and irritability with liver congestion & withdrawal symptoms of toxicity & addiction symptoms to the brain, liver, nervous system, & the bloodstream (and weight gain) Gaba calms the brain & neurotransmitters (it is an amino acid) and supports too much adrenalin going through the body & to feel happier again (opposite from low levels of GABA are anxiety, tension, depression, insomnia)
Taurine relaxing amino acid that works with GABA, taurine it is not a stimulant (even though it’s seen in some products) it is a relaxant. It helps with insomnia & depression I.e., fish, eggs, & meats
Kava Kava reduces anxiety – it relaxes muscles and emotions working on the limbic system which is the emotional center in the brain
Valerian (sedative) acts on the brain’s GABA receptors enhancing that activity and causing a stronger sedative effect on the body and brain. It is much stronger & cannot be mixed with anything else
Hops calming to the nervous system & can be taken in combination with Passionflower because it is more gentle and not as strong
Passionflower to make relaxing drinks & has a mild sedative effect promoting sleep like hops – it can also calm adhd in children when given in much lesser quantities
Magnesium very relaxing to the nervous system, restless leg syndrome, & inflammation in the body with pains. As well it reduces anxiety and acts as a sleep aid.
St John’s Wort very helpful in depression by acting on the neurotransmitters in the brain to regulate depression and moods.
Did you know?
Blood sugar imbalances can cause a whole plethora of mental health issues including (because it coats the red blood cells causing an imbalance of highs and lows):
- Lack of focus or concentration
- Heart palpitations
- Dizziness & fainting
- Night sweats
- Thirsty all of the time
- Tired all of the time
- Moody
- Forgetful
- Get confused
- Anxiety
- Irritable
- Feelings of weakness
- Aggressive tantrums or outburst or crying
- Cravings for sugars and treats or stimulants
- Very tired after mealtime
*** Both men & women need hormonal supports – at various stages of life & ages & circumstances we can use this knowledge to add some extra supports to feel better everyday! Start with balancing your insulin levels and blood sugar and build up a foundation from there – no you know better you can choose better too!
| In Health & Wellness, Jenni ~ Nutritionist, HNC, MBC, RP, NNCP, Eng Lit Jellybean Health & Wellness Corp Jellybean Nutrition (905) 995-6705 www.jellybeannutrition.com  “Anyone Can Change Their Life – Even You!” |