Are you letting bad mood ruin your day?
For some people the feeling of gloominess or depression is due to neuro-chemical or hormonal imbalance and for others it's the daily stress or upsetting events that wear down one's emotional reserves. Studies show that people who are depressed or melancholic are twice as likely to develop cancer, heart disease and are a lot more susceptible to colds and flu. While psychotropic medications can be helpful for people who suffer from mood disorders, many patients are finding help from natural solutions. Here are some suggestions to lift your mood, your spirit, and your health.
- Hands-On Healing Human touch increases the production of endorphins, growth hormone and DHEA, all of which lengthen your life span and lower the negative impact of stress. Studies have found that patients who are regularly touched recover faster than those who are not touched. Perhaps give someone a foot massage, or give someone a hug and feel both of your moods improve.
- A Laughing Matter "Laugh Therapy," pioneered by Norman Cousins, has turned out to have real substance. Research has discovered that laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help defend the body from illness and cancer. Laughter also increases the release of endorphins -- compounds that give you a sense of well-being -- in your brain. Without a doubt, joyful people live longer and healthier lives. So read your favorite comics, watch your favorite comedies and laugh it up!
- Amino Acid for Restored Mindset When an imbalance or deficiency is creating a bad mood, the Europeans use supplements of a natural compound found in human cells to regulate mood and restore a healthy mindset. SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-methionine) is produced from methionine, an amino acid that plays a role in the production of uplifting neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. One study indicated that SAMe worked on patients who had unsuccessful results with conventional antidepressants. To get a boost from SAMe, take a supplement combining it with vitamins B6 and B12.
- Raise Your "Youth Hormones" You don't need pills to flood your body with a rejuvenating flood of growth hormones. Research has found that doing squats and leg presses will greatly increase your natural production of the "youth hormone." Increased growth hormone translates to an elevated mood, among other physical benefits. Keep it up with weight training, knee bends, push-ups and rowing.
- Acupuncture Boosts Brain Chemicals Many patients with depression and anxiety have benefited from acupuncture. Studies show that acupuncture increases the production of neurotransmitters endorphins, serotonin and dopamine--the happy, easygoing and calming brain chemicals that are found to be in low levels in depression and other mood disorders. Our team of doctors at Tao of Wellness has successfully helped numerous patients with mood disorders with acupuncture while collaborating with their mental health professionals. Contact Tao of Wellness for more information or go to acupuncture.com to find a doctor of acupuncture near you.
I hope these tips help the good feelings flow! May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
Follow Dr. Maoshing Ni on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/taoofwellness
I've recently started to use the Bach Sleep Remedy and although it works I've started to remember my dreams a lot more than before hand. I know you're supposed to dream every night but I never remembered them whereas now I do. Do you use the sleep remedy and do you have this reaction to it?
The science behind the squats and other exercises thought to induce longevity can be read about here, where a study found that middle-aged exercisers had the similar DNA markers (measured by telomere length) as slothful youth: http://www.garmaonhealth.com/2010/04/exercise-longevity/
The amino acid idea is spot on, particularly concerning SAMe, which -- beyond helping with mild depression -- also strengthens the liver and joints. Also helpful for joints and mood is omega-3 fatty acids. More detail on these here: http://www.garmaonhealth.com/2009/08/emotional-wellbeing-chemistry-helps/
Yep.
But if you take it, it's best to take the processed form of the herb, and not the raw herb; the processed herb is filtered re pyrrolizidine alkaloids – which are toxic to the liver. Pedolex is one brand name for one of the filtered butterburs - Source Naturals may also have a filtered butterbur.
Kim Crawford,M.D./Anti-Aging Mind,Body,Skin Care
http://kimcrawfordmd.com
http://herfab.blogspot.com
living your fabulous life (ladies)
Many people are deficient, as it is a challenge to have a great diet today. It helps sleep, (so many things-including the love life) a great thing for better mental health. I started a quality multi vitamin supplement with it in it, and I feel so much better!
Try salmon several times a week, it is a great mood enhancer, studies even showed it helped bi-polar people in a study in England. (Per Dr. Nicholas Perricone) It works.
Exercise and feel better!
Take time to smell the roses, it's free and doesn't require professional and expensive happy making intervention.
S
There are lots of different strains of weed - ranging from couch-lock to euphoria - but I would not recommend using any of them if you need to get work done, drive, operate machinery, or focus.
And as my brother used to say - when he finally quit weed, "It's not he greatest motivator in the world."
There have also been recent studies that showed chronic weed smoking was just as damaging to the lungs and gums (esp tooth loss) as cigarette smoke.
Some things to consider when you light up that bong.
And those "studies" you cite, please provide a link so I can get a good gut laugh going when I see they're non-peer reviewed ginned up by shills for Pfizer and Anheiser/Busch.
S
I fell down an entire flight of exterior crumbling stairs, winding up landing on my hands with my feet somewhere under the stairs. My feet and ankles were so obviously damaged that the emergency doctor just asked me if my back or neck were damaged.
I am no medical whiz, so as she gently piano-keyed her finders at the the top of my spine, I said, no, that feels OK.
The notes she took, which my lawyers against the landlord want me to find way to fix, say there was no injury to my neck or spine, though later MRIs proved lack of injury to be untrue. My L2 has a compression fracture which is not refutable...but the lawyers say nobody noted it, in the first days after the accident, so how are they to prove it?
My spine is fractured, which makes complete sense to me, given that I would not get out of bed for months, but nobody checked it out until I finally got to physical therapy, three months later.
Venting, but massage therapy or actual physical touch inventory in the first place would have revealed this.
Thanks for a lovely post.
Lara Jane
Founder of the Ultimate Lifestyle Project
http://ultimatelifestyleproject.com/mind-body-soul
I take one instead of caffeine in the morning, and it's great for things like going out late (take 2 at 10pm), driving late at night, or 20 mins before boring meetings. It's doesn't make you wired though - it won't keep you up if you really want to sleep.
It's also great after migraines, to avoid feeling wrung out. It's even been found to help Alzheimer's patients.
Google it - it's amazing.
You can skip the acupuncture though - it's placebo. Clinical studies found "sham" acupuncture (random needle placement) just as effective as "genuine" acupuncture.
You do need to take it with B vitamins if you take it regularly though. Otherwise it can have a side effect to your heart.
And listening to this will make you feel even better :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ4bx4r1VeQ