(Listen to the full episode here.)
Did you know that anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders? (R, R) It affects 30% of adults and 15-30% of children at some point in their life. Having an anxiety disorder also increases the risk of being diagnosed with another cooccurring psychiatric disorder.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth edition (DSM-5) uses specific criteria to diagnose an anxiety disorder. One must have excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation), occurring more days than not for at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities. The common symptoms include restlessness or feeling keyed up, being easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disorders.
Chronic stress has been associated with, and is a risk for, anxiety. Yet, there is a distinction between them, and treatments often differ. Anxiety is a brain health disorder. The brains of those with anxiety “neurologically fire” on an ongoing basis. They don’t let up when the stressful event ends. (R, R, R, R)
Anxiety is not a willpower issue, passing phase, or a core personality disorder. It has genetic links and is influenced by a number of factors that impact brain health.
This makes getting to the root cause of anxiety and other mental health disorders complex. Thankfully, we have a brilliant, compassionate, and passionate naturopathic and functional medicine doctor to guide us to a solution.
On today’s episode of the Essential Oil Revolution, Dr. Kate Kresge, a leading expert in integrative mental health and naturopathic and functional medicine, shares her expertise with us.
Dr. Kresge is the founding functional medicine director of a successful 13-location multidisciplinary integrative healthcare practice. She is also a sought-after speaker, a national expert on natural and functional medicine approaches to mental health, and the head of medical education for Rupa Health.
Dr. Kresge, known as “Dr. Kate”, offers an incredibly insightful, grass-roots approach to applying functional and naturopathic medicine. She can effortlessly apply her knowledge about complicated biochemical and psychological imbalances with treatments that are based on the foundations of health from a wholistic perspective. Her ability to synthesize research studies, nutritional data, and clinical experience is genius.
I can’t wait for you to listen to this episode so you can benefit from her knowledge. Below is an overview of what we covered, but make sure you tune in to the full episode to get all the inspiring information.
What You Will Learn in this Episode of the Essential Oils Revolution:
- What anxiety is and how it differs from stress.
- What made Dr. Kate interested in naturopathic and functional medicine and how it set the trajectory to her empowering others who struggle with mental health disorders.
- Why nutrition is a foundation for brain health and why it should be personalized.
- How the concept of “food as medicine” can be used to address the four underlying causes of anxiety including oxidative stress, nutrient deficiencies, hormonal issues, and immune imbalances.
- How oxidative stress harms cell membranes and how this interferes with brain functioning and mood.
- How to use lab tests and nutrient intake to determine oxidative stress.
- How antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids can mitigate oxidative stress and benefit those with a psychiatric diagnosis.
- How the thyroid is connected to anxiety disorders and how to determine through labs if it is dysregulated.
- How low DHEA and androgen levels are linked to mood disorders.
- How cortisol influences hormonal pathways.
- The role of adrenal health on mood, especially in menopause, and how essential oils and supplementation can help support it.
- What essential oil is as effective as benzodiazepines for anxiety, according to a 2010 study.
- How the immune system is linked to anxiety and psychiatric disorders.
- Dr. Kate’s favorite essential oil blend to treat gut dysbiosis, which addresses the gut-brain-immune axis.
- How essential oils support the microbiome.
- The closing questions: (1) What Dr. Kate does every day for self-care and how it relates to relieving anxiety. (2) What she feels we should ditch and replace with instead for a healthier and more nourishing life.
Find Dr. Kate at https://www.doctorkatehenry.com/ and at https://www.rupahealth.com/author/dr-kate-Kresge.
Click here to hear the interview and access the show notes.
Click here to get an overview of the show and additional resources.
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Disclaimer: This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin. The studies are not based solely on a specific brand of an essential oil, unless stated. Please read the full study for more information.
