Do you have a need to chew? Fingernails? Ends of pencils? Gum? There may be a reason for that.
The trigeminal nerve innervates the jaw joint. When it is stimulated, it releases serotonin. So moving the jaw, whether it's while eating, grinding your teeth in your sleep, clenching your jaw during the day, eating CRUNCHY foods like popcorn, or chewing ice cubes or gum, may have mild antidepressant effects.
On another website, I mentioned chewing ice cubes and it quickly became one of the most popular search terms bringing web surfers in. It's clear, a lot of people do this to the point where they wonder why.
In balance, there is probably a good purpose for this. However, in excess, as in temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome, it can cause other problems.
You may want to do an experiment with yourself and see how you feel after a day of eliminating non-nourishing chewing. Do you feel irritable? Anxious? Out of sorts? Maybe you're dependent on your jaw in a way that may be best served by other outlets.
Remember…talking about how you feel, yawning, even singing…also move the same joint.
We've just passed the winter solstice, which means for those of us north of the equator, we're at our darkest. It's easy to want to hunker down, stay inside, and eat comfort food. But if you're prone to carbohydrate cravings and depression this time of year, a little bit of proactive choosing can help you to avoid weight gain and hormone imbalances that are common this time of year.
Even if you live in a warm climate like Los Angeles, or Phoenix, like I do, winter has profound effects on how you feel. In Los Angeles, because it sits so close to the border of the time zone, days end very early. On New Year's Day, the sun will set over LA at 4:54 PM! For those of you who like to exercise after work, this makes it hard to get out in the sun.
Every little bit of sunlight you get helps to keep your internal clock set, and helps to keep your body from converting too much serotonin to melatonin. Normally melatonin levels are high when we're supposed to be sleeping, but in the winter, especially in our modern culture, we're awake and aware that our serotonin levels are low. It's that drop in serotonin that provokes carbohydrate cravings, promotes depression, and makes us sluggish, not wanting to get out and be active.
If you can walk an errand in the middle of the day, if you can move your favorite reading chair to the window, if you can move your workout to the outdoors from the gym, all of those things can add up to help reduce the effects of melatonin.
If you're in Anchorage, where the sun is currently setting at just before 4 pm, or if you're stuck inside in LA because of the torrential rain, consider an ultraviolet light box. It's a contraption that helps to generate outdoor light indoors, that can be set up near your reading chair or desk. There are portable travel versions for anyone reading this whose sleep patterns and melatonin levels are chronically out of balance because of the demands of their job. Here is an example of a device I found on the Internet. http://www.litebook.com/light-therapy/jet-lag.asp
It's important to understand that melatonin imbalances are becoming recognized as triggers for other hormone imbalances, and can affect the severity of your PCOS.
Enjoy the video, I thought it might inspire you to get outside and let some sun shine into your life!
Last Saturday an inCYST student from California was in Phoenix and we spent the morning together. We ended our visit at Costco, and it turned out to be the day they were passing out the free annual Costco cookbook. Was that ever a lucky moment! (I made a note on my calendar to send out the 2009 alert in advance so all of you can get yours, too. I did check and saw tons of them on eBay if you can't wait another year.)
Costco cookbooks are some the most awesome cookbooks available. The recipes aren't hard, and the food photography is so beautiful it makes you want to make and eat every recipe…right now!
I distracted myself from the disappointing outcome of the Bears/Vikings game on Sunday (sorry, Vikings fans!) with my annual ritual of going through the cookbook page by page, and listing all the recipes to try in the coming year. I'll be sharing some of them with you, since they are so tasty.
Today it's Breakfast Risotto made with brown rice. I recently said I would be highlighting foods high in magnesium, and my progesterone series got me side tracked. Brown rice brings me back! In addition to being a good source of magnesium, brown rice is a decent source of tryptophan (which is needed to make serotonin).
It is also a good source of manganese, which is important for healthy nervous system function, the production of sex hormones, and antioxidant activity.
The Phoenix inCYST students all decided it was a breakfast they'd definitely eat, which is perfect, since people tend to complain about not liking breakfast. This one fits with what I always say, you don't have to eat breakfast food at breakfast time! Plus, brown rice is a carbohydrate that can be perfectly fine in your diet if eaten in moderation. Can you see by the photo what I mean about wanting to make things right away?
Breakfast Risotto 1 1/2 cups water 1 cup instant brown rice 1 8 ounce can unsweetened pineapple tidbits, drained and liquid reserved 1 12 ounce can undiluted evaporated skim milk 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut 1/4 cup sliced roasted almonds 1 medium banana, peeled and diced
Combine water, rice and pineapple liquid in a 2 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, sirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed, 7-8 minutes.
Stir in milk and increase heat to high. When the mixture boils, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the milk has been absorbed and the mixture is soft and creamy, 10-12 minutes.
Stir in pineapple, raisins, coconut, almonds, and banana.
Knowing that PCOS often goes unrecognized, and that PCOS research often overlooks some of the most important issues cysters deal with, I'm trying to bring research to this blog you may not find if you're using"PCOS" as your search term but which may be entirely pertinent. In this case, I want to talk about antidepressants, which are very commonly prescribed in PCOS, whether it's officially diagnosed or unrecognized.
This study was conducted because of the number of women who use antidepressants. That increases the possibility that a woman may, intentionally or not, become pregnant while taking antidepressant medications. The researchers wanted to know if fetal exposure to antidepressants may influence brain and nervous system development. This particular study was done with mice, but it was previously determined that mice and humans demonstrate similar mother-fetal transfer with the medications being evaluated.
Fluvoxamine (Luvox) had a lower rate of transfer than did fluoxetine (Prozac). More offspring died in the group using fluoxetine, and most of these deaths were due to heart failure related to cardiac defects. The researchers reported no deaths related to fluvoxamine.
In addition, the part of the brain that distributes serotonin to the rest of the brain, the raphe nucleus, did not function properly in the brains of rat pups whose mothers had been exposed to fluoxetine. Behaviorally, these rats exhibited more anxiety- and depression-related behaviors as adults than rats who had not been exposed.
So it seems that babies of moms who have depression may be set up to have the same problems when they become adults. Some of that may be genetic, but some of it may be perpetuated by the way the mother's biochemistry is treated by her caregivers.
Bottom line, if you're using antidepressants, even if you're NOT trying to become pregnant but you MIGHT become pregnant because you're sexually active, you may want to be sure that you discuss this with your physician and determine which treatment option is most appropriate.
Don't forget diet and fish oil--they can eliminate the need in many cases to even have to make this kind of decision!
Noorlander CW, Ververs FF, Nikkels PG, van Echteld CJ, Visser GH, Smidt MP. Modulation of serotonin transporter function during fetal development causes dilated heart cardiomyopathy and lifelong behavioral abnormalities. PLoS ONE. 2008 Jul 23;3(7):e2782.
Are you someone who has a need for"crunch" in your diet, and who goes looking for it after you've eaten all the healthy foods? There may be some reasons for that.
We all have a nerve, the trigeminal nerve, that connects to the jaw joint. When that nerve is stimulated by jaw movement, it releases serotonin. So…whenever you bite your nails, clench your jaw, chew gum, crunch, even grind your teeth at night, you give yourself a mild antidepressant effect. (One of the most common keyword combinations, interestingly, bringing people to my main website, is"why do I want to chew ice cubes?")
So if your need to move your jaw moves out and beyond wanting a little crunch, consider that you may have an imbalance worthy of addressing. I know one of my clients long ago had developed horrible migraines that were related to his tooth grinding, and it wasn't until that was addressed that he was able to focus on changing his food behaviors. It all ends up connecting itself whether or not we want to admit it.
Anyway, back to jicama. That's pronounced HICK-uh-ma.
Jicama is a great little crunchy food that is often overlooked, likely because its appearance in the grocery store is not as attractive as, let's say, blueberries or golden beets. But what a delight for those who value inner beauty! Jicama is light, crunchy, even a little bit sweet. The texture has been compared to that of a pear. In its native Mexico, it is often eaten sprinkled with lime juice or chili powder. (C'mon, be adventurous, try it that way…you might be surprised!)
If you're ever in a pinch, you can substitute jicama for water chestnuts in Chinese cooking. And if it's your turn to bring the fruit/veggie tray to a party…jicama does not turn brown when exposed to air, making it a great alternative to apples.
Nutrition-wise, an entire cup of jicama only has 45 calories. And it's a good source of vitamin C.
If you want to really get creative, here's a link to a recipe for jicama slaw: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/jicama-slaw-recipe/index.html
