If I were struggling with anxiety or depression today, I wouldn’t start by asking what drug I need. I’d start by asking: what is my body missing?
After all, many prescription medications come with a long list of side effects, can create dependency, and are often far more difficult to come off than most people realize (as I shared in my article, “True Confessions of a Former Drug Addict”).
I’d start by asking a much better question:
What is my body missing?
Because after more than four decades in nutrition and functional medicine, I can tell you this with confidence:
The brain does not malfunction in isolation.
When the body is depleted…
the brain feels it.
When blood sugar is unstable…
the brain feels it.
When minerals are low…
the brain feels it.
When digestion is off…
the brain feels it.
And when stress has been running the show for too long, anxiety and depression are often the body’s way of waving a white flag.
That doesn’t mean emotional pain isn’t real. It is.
But very often, there is a physical, nutritional, and biochemical reason behind it.
And if it were me?
Here’s where I’d begin.
1. Stabilize Blood Sugar First
Before I looked at neurotransmitters, I’d look at blood sugar.
Why?
Because unstable blood sugar can mimic anxiety almost perfectly.
A racing heart.
Shakiness.
Sweating.
Irritability.
Panic attacks.
Mood crashes.
Middle-of-the-night wake-ups.
Does any of that sound familiar?
When blood sugar drops too low, the body releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to bring it back up. That internal “rescue mission” can feel exactly like anxiety.
That’s why I’d anchor every meal with protein.
Not cereal.
Not toast.
Protein.
Protein gives the brain the amino acid building blocks it needs to make serotonin, dopamine, and GABA—the very chemicals that help you feel calm, focused, and emotionally steady.
And as we get older, we need approximately 100g of protein every day.
That’s one reason I often recommend Fat Flush Body Protein OR Fat Flush Whey Protein. They’re clean, easy to digest, and a simple way to steady blood sugar without the crash.
No stable blood sugar?
No stable mood.
2. Rebuild Your Calming Chemistry
One of the most common things I see in anxious people is nutrient depletion.
Stress burns through nutrients like wildfire.
And the first one to go?
Magnesium.
Magnesium is often called nature’s relaxer for good reason.
It helps calm the nervous system, relax tight muscles, support sleep, and regulate the stress response.
Low magnesium can look like:
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Insomnia
- Muscle tension
- Heart palpitations
- Irritability
That’s why I’m very particular about magnesium.
Mag-Key contains four highly absorbable forms of magnesium designed to support the nervous system from multiple angles—helping relax tight muscles, calm an overstimulated brain, support deeper sleep, and regulate the body’s stress response. Because magnesium is one of the first minerals depleted by chronic stress, replenishing it can be one of the fastest ways to help restore a sense of calm and resilience.
I’d also consider targeted calming neurotransmitter support like Thorne PharmaGABA through my Fullscript dispensary. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the brain’s primary calming neurotransmitter—the one that helps quiet an overactive mind, ease physical tension, and support more restful sleep.
When stress has been high for too long, GABA reserves can become depleted, leaving you feeling wired, tense, and unable to fully relax. Supporting GABA levels can help take the edge off and give the nervous system a chance to reset.
3. Repair the Gut-Brain Axis
Your gut and brain are in constant communication.
In fact, much of your serotonin signaling is influenced by what’s happening in the digestive tract.
If the gut is inflamed…
the brain probably is too.
If I had anxiety or depression, I’d ask:
Am I digesting well?
Am I bloated?
Am I constipated?
Am I feeding the wrong bacteria?
Because microbial imbalance can influence mood far more than most people realize.
That’s why I’d start rebuilding the microbiome.
Flora-Key is one of my favorite ways to replenish beneficial bacteria and support digestive balance. A healthy microbiome helps regulate inflammation, improve nutrient absorption, and strengthen the gut lining—all of which play a major role in emotional health. When beneficial bacteria are outnumbered by the wrong microbes, it can affect everything from serotonin signaling to stress resilience.
Restoring that balance is one of the simplest, yet most overlooked, ways to support both gut and brain health at the same time.
4. Support the Adrenals
When stress becomes chronic, cortisol gets dysregulated.
And when cortisol gets dysregulated?
Sleep suffers.
Energy crashes.
Anxiety increases.
Mood becomes unpredictable.
I’d protect my adrenal reserves by:
- Going to sleep before 11 p.m.
- Eating regularly
- Reducing stimulants
- Increasing minerals (Mineral-Key is excellent for this)
- Walking daily
- Getting morning sunlight
And I’d make sure I wasn’t running on nutritional fumes.
A strong foundational multivitamin matters here.
That’s why I often recommend Advanced Daily Multivitamin—especially for B vitamins, which are essential for nervous system resilience and neurotransmitter production.
5. Lower the Toxic Load
This one gets missed all the time.
Toxic burden affects mood.
Heavy metals.
Mold.
Pesticides.
Chemical fragrances.
EMFs.
All of these can increase inflammation, oxidative stress, and nervous system dysregulation.
If I had anxiety or depression, I would simplify my environment.
Cleaner air.
Cleaner water.
Cleaner food.
Fewer synthetic chemicals.
And I’d support detoxification through the liver.
UNI KEY’s Liver-Lovin’ Formula is excellent for this issue.
Because if detox pathways are clogged, the nervous system often pays the price.
6. Feed the Brain What It Needs
The brain cannot make calm out of emptiness.
Neurotransmitters require raw materials:
Amino acids.
B vitamins.
Magnesium.
Healthy fats.
Minerals.
And many people living with anxiety are profoundly depleted.
If I were rebuilding my brain, I’d focus on:
- Protein at every meal
- Omega fats
- Mineral-rich foods (and Mineral-Key to fill in the gaps)
My Bottom Line
If I had anxiety or depression, I wouldn’t ignore the emotional side.
But I also wouldn’t ignore the biochemical side.
Because the truth is:
You cannot think your way out of a nutrient deficiency.
You cannot meditate your way out of unstable blood sugar.
And you cannot out-discipline a depleted nervous system.
Healing starts by giving the body what it needs.
Steady blood sugar.
Calming minerals.
Gut repair.
Adrenal support.
Targeted brain nutrients.
That’s where I would begin.
And often, when the body begins to feel safe again…
the mind follows.
Looking for safe support?
Explore my favorite foundational tools from UNI KEY—including Mag-Key, Flora-Key, Advanced Daily Multivitamin, Mineral-Key and Fat Flush Body Protein—along with my trusted practitioner-grade Fullscript favorites, including Thorne PharmaGABA.
