Case Study 4

Anxiety and Stress

Looking at how the body affects the mind

Case Presentation

# Female aged 34 years, married with 2 toddlers.
# Easily stressed, anxious and overwhelmed.
# Mentally fatigued.
# Complained that “I am feeling more stressed and nervous than I have in the past. Not dealing and coping well with stress, and overthinking a lot of the time.”
# Iridology examination showed the presence of nerve rings indicating stress and heightened sensitivity at the emotional level, and vulnerability to outside stressors and increased susceptibility to anxiety. Test also indicated the presence of colored lesions in the bowel area (small and large intestine) which indicated inflamed and underactive bowels.
# Mood and stress questionanaire based on the Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) showed the patient had high scores for low emotional resilience and high anxiety levels.
# Pathology tests and basal body temperature test showed Thyroid leaning towards underactivity.

Treatment strategy and rationale

I indicated there were four outcomes we were going to try achieve including:

• To feel more stable and less emotional
• To have more mental energy
• Improve gut health
• Work towards focusing weight loss

I recommended a proprietry blend of herbal forumla specifically designed to address disordered neurological and hormonal patterns in patients adversely affected by stress and to build up emotional resilience.
Also recommended was a therapeutic magnesium supplement specifically formulated with herbs and nutrients to support female hormones and reproductive health.
Probiotics were advised targeting the specific symptoms of bloating, cramps, constipation and diarrhea which also modulate gut immunity.
The patient was advised to reduce coffee intake from 5 per day to 1 per day, and an alkalizing diet was prescribed.

Clinical Outcome

By week 3 the patient advised an improvement in emotional stability. The patient noted they were less teary, her physical and mental energy had improved, she felt more relaxed and less emotional.
Bio-impedance analysis showed:
Total body fat percentage: 32.8%
Total Body weight: 75.2kg
Metabolic age: 42

By week 6 the patient advised they were not feeling overwhelmed anymore, her mood was very stable and was not over thinking.
Specific weight loss ketogenic diet was prescribed along with a herbal and nutritional formula to improve liver’s ability to detox effectively.

By week 9 the patient responded feeling much less emotional again, more relaxed, never teary, and felt in control of external stresses. The patient’s mental energy was improved.
Bio-impedance analysis showed:
Total body fat: 28.7%
Total body weight: 71kg
Metabolic age: 32

At this point the patient expressed “I feel like I have more control of my life.”

This case demonstrates 3 Important Facts:

1: A multifactorial approach to the holistic treatment of anxiety, low emotional and mental resilience to stress can be achieved by:

• Specifically targeting the nervous system with nutritional support
• Prescribing a specific class of herbs known as “adaptogens” to promote physical and mental health during stress for improved performance
• Using herbal and nutritional treatment for correcting any neurotransmitter imbalances that can profoundly affect the the person’s mood and th ability to cope with stress

2: Addressing Gut Microbiome health has a direct effect on mood swings, anxiety and low mood due to what’s referred to as the ‘gut-brain axis’
3: The above holistic approach helps the patient achieve higher mental and emotional resilience within herself for external stressors, it also reduced the hormone (Cortisol) levels in the body, which in turn helps reduce weight.

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