As a naturopathic doctor diet is a huge factor in successful treatment. The issue is that diet change is not just as easy as a good plan. There are may factors that play into a person's ability to change or stick to a therapeutic diet. Factors like time, expense, and their relationship with food. This last factor is the one I come up against most often and it is usually the reason why most woman and men can not make or stick to the diet changes I prescribe.
This unhealthy relationship with food commonly looks like sugar addiction, emotional eating, and yo-yo dieting. The underlying cause of these issues, in my experience, is anxiety, depression, and trauma that caused there issues. While it is my experience that counseling and therapy play a huge part in healing there are supplements that can help as well. In this article I will focus on these supplements and how we can change the neurotransmitters that can lead to food addictions, anxiety and depression.
MACUNA PRURIENS
Macuna is a natural herbal supplement is an adaptogen used commonly in Ayurvedic medicine to lowers stress, improve focus, elevate mood, and *drum roll* boosts libido!
Mucuna pruriens contains high levels of naturally occurring L-dopa, which is the precursor to dopamine. Low dopamine levels are commonly seen in addiction and other pleasure seeking behaviors like sugar addiction.
HPA AXIS
This is my favorite supplement for adrenal support. The adrenals are the glands that help you manage stress and help with energy stability. If you want to take a nap around 2-3pm then this is a great supplement for you.
I always add adrenal support when I ask my patients for diet change. It is so much easier to make the right food decisions when you have energy and are not feeling depleted.
L-THEANINE
This supplement is an amino acid precursor to GABA. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter and help to calm anxiety. If you are the type of herson who feels like you are vibrating on the inside or there is a lot of constant worry, then this is a great supplement for you.
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