How to Treat Depression the Natural Way

Zero zip, zest, zeal? Even mild depression takes a toll on your whole body, but it's fixable, says Margaret Durst.

Zip, zest, and zeal are signs of health. If you feel that you are lacking these on a regular basis, you may be depressed. Many people do not believe in depression; however, it is one of the most common health problems in the United States affecting an estimated 17 million Americans each year.

Depression is a whole-body condition that affects the body, nervous system, moods, thoughts and behavior. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself and the way you react to and think about the people and things around you.

Symptoms of depression include chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, headaches, backaches, digestive disorders, restlessness, irritability, quickness to anger, loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies, work or social life, and feelings of worthlessness or inadequacy. Read more

Feeling Low? Banish the Blues the Natural Way

Feeling low? Banish the blues with mood-enhancing foods that will give you a lift and keep you healthy.

It’s the season of mists, mellow fruitfulness — and comfort food. But try to resist — or, at least, don’t go for the traditional, stodgy, fat-laden offerings. Research published last week in the British Journal of Psychiatry (BJP) showed that people who ate a Mediterranean-style diet (fruit, vegetables, pulses, cereals and olive oil) were 30 per cent less likely to get depressed than those whose diet was laden with processed and high-fat foods. And since the No 1 rule for keeping your mood on an even keel is to eat regularly during the day, you can take comfort from the fact that the research doesn’t advocate starving yourself.

Just the simple task of eating the right breakfast after a night’s fast will boost not only mood, but also memory, learning power and concentration, probably by increasing production of the nerve transmitter acetylcholine. The key is to stay off fast-release carbohydrates such as croissants with jam, cereal bars, muffins, sugary cereals and sweet drinks. These are digested rapidly, giving your blood glucose an exaggerated spike, which is swiftly followed by a low.

Instead, opt for slow-release glucose found in foods such as sugar-free muesli with berries, porridge or sourdough toast with peanut butter — choices that are more likely to keep moods level by delivering a stable and steady flow of energy to the brain and by keeping you feeling full for the morning ahead. Read more

Sunflower Seeds Are Nature's Answer to Antidepressant Drugs

Which are better for anxiety and depression: antidepressant drugs or sunflower seeds? Since studies show that antidepressant drugs don't work, why not give tasty, nutritious sunflower seeds a try?

Sunflowers are the earthly representation of the sun. They have such an affinity for the life giving force that they twist on their stems so their faces can bask in sunlight all through the day. Photons from the sun are stored in the DNA of the sunflower, making its seed resonate with the photons in human cells. This resonance is good for mind as well as body, and makes sunflowers one of the top foods for fighting depression.

Key nutrients raise serotonin levels and boost nerve function naturally

If we believe that we are what we eat, it is clear that nerves depend on what they are fed. While all of the wealth of nutrients found in sunflower seeds contributes to nerve health, sunflower seeds are particularly rich in key nutrients that have a direct impact on alleviating depression. Their high levels of magnesium counterbalance calcium, helping to regulate nerve function. And the substantial content of the amino acid, tryptophan, enhances serotonin production and thus improves mood. Read more

10 Natural Ways to Beat the Blues

You don't need anti-depressant drugs - which don't work anyway - to fight depression. Mental health professional offer ten natural ways to beat the blues.

Charities are calling for a nationwide campaign to help promote mental health after a survey suggested more people are growing anxious. But what sort of advice might be offered?

Blame a long winter, blame media fixations with bad news, blame the credit crunch and the thought of looming global depression – Britons are more fearful than they were 10 years ago, the Mental Health Foundation says. And more people are suffering from anxiety, which can lead to depression.

The foundation wants a "mental health promotion campaign that shows individuals how to look after their own mental health".

But what might that involve? We asked mental health professionals for some simple suggestions. Read more

How to Keep Depression from Affecting Your Relationships

Depression doesn't just affected the depressed person. It also affects the people around them. Psychotherapist Christine Webber suggests some ways to keep depression from affecting your relationships.

What is likely to happen if your partner has depression?

Depressed people usually feel withdrawn. They don't feel they can raise enough energy to pursue their normal routine, do things with the family or even notice when their partners are being attentive.

This can quickly lead to the non-depressed partner feeling that he or she is in the way, unwanted, or unloved. It can be easy to misinterpret the low moods as hostility, or as evidence that the depressed person wants out of the relationship. Read more

Treat Depression with Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is an alternative theatment that uses the highly concentrated essential oils that are extracted from plants to treat symptoms and assist in the healing process. Green Herbal Remedies explains how aromatherapy can be particularly effective in dealing with stress, depression and stress related disorders.

To feel depression you don`t necessarily have to shut down yourself in a bed room and cut all con-tacts with social world. Depression also means condition in which you feel low with or without any reasoning. May be your day didn`t go that well. May be you have had a long and stressful week. May be you have been getting more moody than your regular self. All these symptoms point out that you are facing depression of varied degrees.

The good news is you can sit home and treat yourself out of depression with aromatherapy. Aromatherapy has showed positive results for depression. Though the root cause cannot be com-pletely treated but you will experience relaxation for mental fatigue. The aroma or the fragrance of various ingredients has a soothing effect on your mind and this will help you fall asleep. Read more

Do 5 Simple Things a Day to Stay Sane

According to a UK government report, people can do five simple things a day to stay sane.

Simple activities such as gardening or mending a bicycle can protect mental health and help people to lead more fulfilled and productive lives, a panel of scientists has found.

A “five-a-day” programme of social and personal activities can improve mental wellbeing, much as eating fruit and vegetables enhances physical health, according to Foresight, the government think-tank. Its Mental Capital and Wellbeing report, which was compiled by more than 400 scientists, proposes a campaign modelled on the nutrition initiative, to encourage behaviour that will make people feel better about themselves. Read more

Feeling down? Take a dose of Nature's Prozac

From St John's Wort to a stroll in the park, there are plenty of ways to beat the blues and remain buoyant and healthy.

... There is much that you can do to alleviate milder conditions and prevent them getting worse. Last week it was reported that the supplement St John's Wort is as effective as some antidepressants in lifting mood. “Getting outside, being active and talking are some measures that can be really beneficial,” says Farmer. Read more