Lesson 8: Spiralizing My Way Out of an Existential Crisis, or How to Beet Stress With Raw Foods
Stop freaking out. Eat some fruit. Feel better. Look gorgeous.
I still recall the moment I realized food could make me feel better. I was a typical latchkey kid, early 90s, home from school, sitting on the sofa watching yet another dumb sitcom aimed at hypnotizing the youth of America. My mom was at work and had stocked up on these frozen Michelina’s pastas with spicy Italian Sausage.
We didn’t typically do spicy in my family. Of course, we did a lot of pasta, but this was the first time I experienced crushed red pepper mixed up with that internal hug of pasta and that sweet and delightful red sauce. As soon as the spicy hit my tongue, something happened. My eyes lit up, and I felt like it was the first time I had really tasted food. I felt an instant high, which is the only way I can explain it. For a short moment, all the sadness I was so used to feeling went away.
Whatever had been said about me at school melted away.
My absent parents didn’t matter.
The loneliness stopped crushing me.
I felt good. And I wanted more of that. In that instant, I became someone who comforts myself with food.
But after a few years of medicating with food, the long-lasting effect on my moods seemed to get worse. I felt free of them when I ate, but in between meals, my body felt tired, sluggish, and my mind couldn’t focus. I was on the verge of tears often. And I didn’t know what to do.
The P.E. Epiphany: How Ditching Meat Made Me Actually Show Up to Gym Class
At 15, I decided it was time to become a vegetarian. I had felt a strong conviction against eating meat since I was a kid, but I didn’t think I could do it overnight, so I spent that first year giving up fast food and red meat. It felt good to have conviction about something and follow through.
My Story:
At 16, I gave up all the meat. Then one day in P.E., I felt this surge of energy, and for the first time, I fully participated in gym class. I felt amazing. I wanted more of that.
So I started jumping rope and rollerblading in my free time.
Unlike that momentary hit of happiness that came from food, which was followed by the same crash of enthusiasm, this time was different. This time, I was eating vegetable-centric foods and exercising, and I noticed the in-between moments were much easier. The “high” lasted. The energy in my body stayed steady. I felt so much better than before.
This is when I realized that food and mood were connected. I made it my mission to figure out how to eat in a way that would ensure my crying spells and routine feelings of despair would go away for good.
The Kale Reality Check: Why Spinach Can't Fix Your Childhood
Let’s be real here. If you have traumatic experiences that have not left you, no amount of kale will heal you. That’s why you can’t lean on nutrition alone. I have a lot of experience with several therapies, and I will recommend the following based on my own positive experiences:
Talk therapy with a therapist you actually like
Sound healing
Yoga
Breathwork
Journaling daily
Gene Keys
I also recommend the works of Gabor Mate, M.D. You can read his books and watch his lectures on YouTube. His knowledge is valuable. At the end of this, I will list books I recommend to anyone still dealing with the healing of psychological trauma.
Breaking: Local Person Discovers Their Feelings Are Connected to Their Body
So, if you are working on healing your psychological trauma, here is how nutrition can support you and help.
Let’s look at this in very simple terms for a moment. Science aside, how do you feel when you’re constipated? What is your mood like when you’re hungry? How do you feel around people when you haven’t slept well? Do you notice your temper changing when you haven’t eaten enough fresh fruit? Is there a noticeable difference in your patience when you haven’t had much water?
When you begin to pay attention, you will see what I’m referring to.
So it makes sense that paying attention to what you eat will make a difference in your mood. And when you can balance your stress levels, your face will look relaxed, which is a prerequisite of beauty. Your body will be at ease, which signals an attractive vibration out to everyone around you.
So far, all the previous weeks in the Beauty Food Series should help you achieve this state. But if you want some extra credit, read on and make an effort to do at least one thing for your mental health. Here we go!
The Mind-Gut Connection
In the 90s, SSRIs were all the rage. Let’s take apart that acronym for sec.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors.
The keywords are “serotonin” and “inhibitors.”
SSRIs don’t create more serotonin, the neurotransmitter that helps balance mood. Serotonin also plays a major role in the gut’s digestive process, but it isn’t the same thing as the serotonin produced in the brain. SSRIs act like a sink plug that prevents water from going down the drain.
With SSRI meds, the process of serotonin moving through its normal process in your body is plugged up, so to speak, so that it sticks around in your system longer, before going back to the beginning of the process (this is what the term “reuptake” means). The idea is for serotonin to build up in your brain so that you feel good for a longer period.
Your gut has its own nervous system, and the serotonin produced there is mainly focused on assisting in the digestive process. While the blood-brain barrier prevents serotonin in the gut from going up to the brain, there is a connection.
The vagus nerve starts in your brain and wanders down to your gut, connecting as well to all of your other vital organs. It’s like a trail for nerve impulses to send signals.
Serotonin in your gut helps your digestive system do its important work: nutrient absorption, detox, and elimination. And the vagus nerve allows it to send messages up to the brain.
Here is a breakdown of what serotonin does in the body:
In the brain:
Mood regulation and emotional stability
Sleep-wake cycles (it's a precursor to melatonin)
Appetite control and satiety signals
Sexual function and libido
Pain perception and processing
Memory formation and learning
Temperature regulation
Some aspects of motor control
In the gut (where most of it lives):
Digestive motility - it literally moves food through your intestines
Nausea and vomiting responses (this is why some antidepressants cause stomach upset)
Gut immune responses
Communication between gut and brain about hunger/fullness
In blood and circulation:
Platelet function and blood clotting
Constricting or dilating blood vessels
Regulating blood pressure
Other body functions:
Bone density regulation (too much serotonin can actually weaken bones)
Some aspects of heart function
Respiratory control
Kidney function
I’m not a psychiatrist, and I can’t speak in any expert manner on why SSRIs are a problem, but I can tell you that artificially stunting any natural process in the body is going to create problems. By blocking the process of serotonin moving through the body, the way nature intended it to, you will run into problems.
Side effects of SSRIs are known to be: loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, low libido, and a dull affect some describe as an indifference to life.
I was on an SSRI for a little less than a year. I can testify to all of those side effects. I understand some people swear by them and think it’s best to take a diplomatic tone when talking about them, but I can’t do that. It goes against everything I believe in. I don’t think SSRIs are helpful, and I think we have all been scammed into thinking they are a good thing.
Just getting off of them can be a nightmare. Some people report taking years to get off of them. It took me a couple of months to wean myself off, and it was very painful to do so. The headaches are known as brain zaps, and if you don’t know what that means, consider yourself lucky.
It took a long time for my passion for life to return. I regret ever taking them.
Raw Foods: The Natural Approach
If you’ve been following the Beauty Food Series and eating a high level of water-rich, high-antioxidant-containing raw fruits and vegetables, then you are already doing a fantastic job at balancing your moods!
You are essentially eating an anti-inflammatory diet. Inflammation is at the root of every health problem, and it exacerbates stress on the body, leading to a frustrated mind.
You’re eating a high level of fiber-rich foods high in water content, which means your body’s digestion process is efficient and normal. That’s important for a good mood and a clear mind.
You’re eating a high level of greens
(Chlorophyll week!) and therefore eating a high level of magnesium, which relaxes the muscles, leading to a feeling of calm in the whole body.
So what gives? Why are you still having trouble managing your moods?
Well, it could be a few things. You might need to exercise more. Maybe you have such a high level of energy that needs to be used up. Daily exercise helps a lot.
Maybe you’re not getting enough sleep. Maybe you’re coffee or tea habit needs to be cut back. And maybe that couple of drinks on the weekend really is causing your mood swings.
Don’t worry. I’m going to suggest adding a few things to your life.
Adaptogens, B12, Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Coffee Substitutes
Adaptogenic herbs are fascinating. They are roots, herbs, and mushrooms that work with your cortisol levels, doing what needs to be done to bring it into balance. That means lowering it if it’s too high and raising it if it’s too low.
So if you’re sluggish, an adaptogen will help energize you, and if you’re anxious, it will help calm you down. Fascinating!
Some adaptogens that have gained popularity are: maca, *ashwagandha, cacao, ginseng, tulsi (holy basil), lions mane, and reishi. Here are some easy ways you can incorporate these elements into your daily life:
Smoothies: Cacao, maca, ashwagandha, reishi
Tea: Tulsi, ginseng
Hot Almond Milk: Cacao, reishi, maca
Salad Dressings: Maca
Extracts and Supplements work as well
B12 Supplements
It cannot be overstated how important it is to take one. Go for the sublingual kind made from methylcobalamin. You can’t get this from any food, and it’s essential for your nervous system.
Ditch the booze
Look, I know this is an unpopular opinion, but if you have issues with stress, you should really try substituting alcohol with something else. There are great de-alcoholized wines out there. I recently tried two that I can recommend:
BOLLE Sparking Rose. Amazing!! You can have fun with all your friends and wake up feeling great about yourself.
Sea Monster White Blend. This really tastes like Savignon Blanc and yet, no alcohol! It’s amazing. If you want the experience of having wine, but none of the horrible side effects, this one works.
Drinking alcohol messes with your moods because it spikes your dopamine levels when you’re drinking it, and your brain becomes dependent on it, which means your body has a harder time making dopamine on your own. That’s why you crave it. It dehydrates you and wrecks your sleep. The next day, you have to pay the consequences which can lead to irritability.
It also disrupts serotonin systems and it spikes GABA, a calming neurotransmitter, which leads to a big crash where GABA drops to a low level, leading to a feeling of anxiety.
Seriously, guys. Alcohol is one of the main culprits here.
Cut Back on Caffeine
Again, I am basically asking people to hate me. But sorry, everyone, someone has to say it.
But caffeine is a problem. Mainly because of two things:
It spikes cortisol, which can lead to anxiety
It encourages magnesium excretion through the kidneys, thus lowering magnesium levels, an important mineral in keeping the body relaxed
Instead of giving up completely on your favorite ritual, try white tea, which has the lowest level of caffeine or replace your coffee with a substitute. I have one for you.
Jo’ey is a really good coffee substitute made with adaptogenic herbs. I’ve had it a few times with homemade coconut and oat milks, sweetened with some monk fruit. Really good!!
Research and Don’t Give up
Keep in mind, I am not a doctor. I am just a normal person on a normal health journey sharing what I have learned along the way.
The issue of mental health is complex, and even professionals with decades of experience don’t know everything. Don’t take anything I say to be medical advice. Do your research.
*Learn more about adaptogens. The science is still new, and we don’t know everything. Be careful with ashwagandha. Some psychiatrists and Ayurvedic doctors caution against using it. It’s still new to us westerners, so be smart and pay attention to how you react.
Read The Mind Gut Connection for further study
To learn more about how the body holds onto trauma, read Gabor Mate’s book When The Body Says No
Extra Credit for all you nerds out there!
Singing is a great way to calm your nervous system. Why do you think all those glee club kids are so annoyingly happy? Yeah.
Last week, my friend Kiko interviewed me on the topic of being a raw foodist and Holistic Singing coach. Check it out here:
