What if there was a better, safer way to help people we love who are suffering from depression, anxiety, even insomnia? What if we could find a way to deal with addiction—from everyday food cravings to a need for alcohol and even drugs—that focused on the body as a whole rather than just the symptom? Well, guess what? When it comes to your health, everything’s connected—and nobody knows that better than Dr. Rick Sponaugle, founder of Florida Detox® and my guest on tomorrow’s Poop Scoop.

Join me and Dr. Sponaugle to learn more about the link between hormonal imbalance and how it affects the body’s brain chemistry and may contribute to a wide range of physical and emotional disorders, especially in women. A pioneer in the field of addiction treatment, Dr. Sponaugle is changing the way “brain” conditions are treated and has seen incredible breakthroughs using natural therapies to balance brain chemistry, correct nutritional deficiency, and balance the body’s hormones. If you or someone you love suffers from anxiety, depression, insomnia or addiction, don’t miss what Dr. Sponaugle has to say about the remarkable treatment techniques that can accelerate your recovery.

Log on and listen to Brenda’s Poop Scoop LIVE every Wednesday from 4-5 pm (EST) right from your computer. Missed an episode? Visit the Episode Directory on my website and listen to past shows from the archive!

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addiction, alcohol, anxiety, balance, body, brain, chemistry, cravings, deficiency, depression, detox, disorders, drugs, emotional, food, Health, hormonal, hormones, imbalance, insomnia, nutritional, physical, recovery, symptom, therapies, treatment, whole, women

No matter where you live in the U.S., you can’t turn on the TV or pick up a paper these days without hearing about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Since the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig at the end of April, roughly a million gallons of oil have been leaking into the ocean every day—putting the total number at more than 50 million gallons.

Still, while much of the focus has been on the surrounding wetlands and wildlife, little has been said about the oil spill’s effect on the human population. Like just how toxic is all that oil? And how is it going to affect not only the cleanup workers but the people living in the nearby communities? Well, it seems I’m not the only one who’s been wondering.

In a workshop arranged by the Institute of Medicine and held in New Orleans last month, medical researchers came together to discuss the toxic effects of oil spills on humans. Along with short-term effects like skin rashes, nausea, headaches and respiratory issues—common among cleanup workers exposed to crude oil—they looked at possible long-term effects such as cancer, especially with regard to children who are “less efficient at detoxifying and metabolizing chemicals” says Dr. Brenda Eskenazi at the University of California Berkeley.

Not only that, but experts looked at how oil spills like the one in the Gulf affect not just physical health but mental health, citing evidence of increased depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, all of which can contribute to serious health problems such as heart attack, high blood pressure and other related issues. Pretty scary stuff, if you ask me.

The bottom line is that the whole situation is devastating, and even though it may be easier to just not turn on the TV or read the news, the more we learn about what’s happening in the Gulf and how we can make a difference—no matter how small—the more we can begin to take steps toward a safer, healthier future for all. My prayers go out to all those who have been affected by the oil spill, and I can only hope that the recent efforts to contain it will be successful.

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What if there was a better, safer way to help people we love who are suffering from depression, anxiety, even insomnia? What if we could find a way to deal with addiction—from everyday food cravings to a need for alcohol and even drugs—that focused on the body as a whole rather than just the symptom? Well, guess what? When it comes to your health, everything’s connected—and nobody knows that better than Dr. Rick Sponaugle, founder of Florida Detox® and my guest on tomorrow’s Poop Scoop.

Join me and Dr. Sponaugle to learn more about the link between hormonal imbalance and how it affects the body’s brain chemistry and may contribute to a wide range of physical and emotional disorders, especially in women. A pioneer in the field of addiction treatment, Dr. Sponaugle is changing the way “brain” conditions are treated and has seen incredible breakthroughs using natural therapies to balance brain chemistry, correct nutritional deficiency, and balance the body’s hormones. If you or someone you love suffers from anxiety, depression, insomnia or addiction, don’t miss what Dr. Sponaugle has to say about the remarkable treatment techniques that can accelerate your recovery.

Log on and listen to Brenda’s Poop Scoop LIVE every Wednesday from 4-5 pm (EST) right from your computer. Missed an episode? Visit the Episode Directory on my website and listen to past shows from the archive!

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addiction, alcohol, anxiety, balance, body, brain, chemistry, cravings, deficiency, depression, detox, disorders, drugs, emotional, food, Health, hormonal, hormones, imbalance, insomnia, nutritional, physical, recovery, symptom, therapies, treatment, whole, women

Depression, anxiety, addiction to drugs and alcohol—they may not seem like things you’d associate with good intestinal health, but the truth may surprise you. In fact, your brain and your gut are more closely connected than you might think, and scientists are just now beginning to understand how important a healthy gut is when it comes to better brain function.

Join me and my guest, Dr. Marvin Sponaugle, the founder of Florida Detox® and a pioneer in the field of addiction treatment. Dr. Sponaugle is changing the way “brain” conditions are treated and has seen remarkable breakthroughs in his patients using natural therapies to correct hormonal/nutritional deficiencies and improve gut health. If you or someone you love suffers from addiction, anxiety or depression, don’t miss what Dr. Sponaugle has to say about the remarkable treatment techniques that can accelerate your recovery.

Log on and listen to Brenda’s Poop Scoop LIVE every Wednesday from 4-5 pm (EST) right from your computer. Missed an episode? Visit the Episode Directory on my website and listen to past shows from the archive!

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Alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, Alcoholism, anxiety, brain gut connection, depression, drug addiction, Florida Detox, healthy gut, hormones, intestinal health, Marvin Sponaugle, Poop Scoop, Sponaugle, Substance-related disorders

You’ve probably heard of Heart Awareness Month, Women’s Health Awareness Month, and Breast and Lung Cancer Awareness months. Well did you know that April is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month? I’m really glad too, because IBS is among the most common gastrointestinal disorders in America today and effects 1 in 5 people nationwide – that’s 20% of the population folks! I’m also glad because I’m passionate about helping IBS sufferers ease their discomfort and lead a normal life. It can be done! So if you have IBS, or even if you occasionally suffer from some of the common symptoms like cramping, bloating, constipation, diarrhea and indigestion, stay tuned this month for valuable information and tips on the most effective ways to mitigate your symptoms. There are things that can really help that don’t include potent prescription or over-the-counter drugs.

IBS can be triggered by several factors, including diet (for example, consuming too many high-fat or caffeinated foods and beverages), stress, illness, and even the use of certain medications. Plus, you might not even know that IBS affects not just the digestive system, but the body as a whole. In fact, IBS can be depressing, both figuratively and literally. That is because serotonin, the “feel-good hormone,” is produced not only in the brain but also in the gut. Therefore, if the digestive system is out of balance, the body may be lacking in serotonin, which can lead to depression, as well as anxiety and irritability.

Everyone should realize that reversing IBS is a slow process and one that sometimes takes up to six months before improvement is seen, but it can be done.  It just takes a commitment to making the necessary changes. Stay tuned!

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Depression, anxiety, addiction to drugs and alcohol—they may not seem like things you’d associate with good intestinal health, but the truth may surprise you. In fact, your brain and your gut are more closely connected than you might think, and scientists are just now beginning to understand how important a healthy gut is when it comes to better brain function.

Join me and my guest, Dr. Marvin Sponaugle, the founder of Florida Detox® and a pioneer in the field of addiction treatment. Dr. Sponaugle is changing the way “brain” conditions are treated and has seen remarkable breakthroughs in his patients using natural therapies to correct hormonal/nutritional deficiencies and improve gut health. If you or someone you love suffers from addiction, anxiety or depression, don’t miss what Dr. Sponaugle has to say about the remarkable treatment techniques that can accelerate your recovery.

Log on and listen to Brenda’s Poop Scoop LIVE every Wednesday from 4-5 pm (EST) right from your computer. Missed an episode? Visit the Episode Directory on my website and listen to past shows from the archive!

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Alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction, Alcoholism, anxiety, brain gut connection, depression, drug addiction, Florida Detox, healthy gut, hormones, intestinal health, Marvin Sponaugle, Poop Scoop, Sponaugle, Substance-related disorders

So what if someone told you that the foods you eat might cause depression? Would it make you think twice about what you put on your plate? If it were me it would!

In a recent study scientists looked at how different foods affected our mood and discovered that people who ate more whole foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains and fish were less like to experience symptoms of depression. Folks who ate a diet high in processed foods, however, (including sugary snack foods and refined white sugar products) were more likely to be depressed.

Coincidence? I don’t think so! The differences were even seen when other factors like smoking and too little exercise (both of which can increase depression) were taken into account. So how exactly does food affect our mood?

Well, scientists hypothesize that the high folate levels in certain vegetables and legumes might play a role, and Omega-3 fatty acids in fish have also been shown to help reduce depression. What’s more, the high antioxidant content of fruits and veggies may also be responsible for the decrease in depression symptoms, along with the combination of important nutrients that’s found in a whole-food diet. 

So next time you want to down a pint of ice cream to squash the blues, you might want to think twice!

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