Natural Cures Not Medicine: depression

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Showing posts with label depression. Show all posts
Showing posts with label depression. Show all posts

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, MS, Depression and Bipolar Disorder All Linked To Metal Toxicity

Metal toxicants entering the part of the brain that deals with stress and panic have been linked to disorders dealing with the central nervous system. Increasing evidence indicates that damage to the locus ceruleus (LC), is present in a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases including demyelinating and psychiatric disorders. 



There are a growing number of Clinicians and Scientists who are convinced that excitotoxins and heavy metals play a critical role in the development of several neurological disorders, including migraines, seizures, infections, abnormal neural development, certain endocrine disorders, specific types of obesity, and especially the neurodegenerative diseases; a group of diseases which includes: ALS, Parkinson's disease,Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and olivopontocerebellar degeneration.

The locus ceruleus (LC) is a nucleus in the pons (part of the brainstem) involved with physiological responses to stress and panic. It is the principal site for brain synthesis of the hormone and neurotransmitter norepinephrine (noradrenaline).
It has been known for many years that toxicants (i.e., poisons that are put into the environment or human body by human activity) that block the uptake of noradrenaline can damage the LC of experimental animals.

The recent finding that a metal toxicant, inorganic mercury, selectively enters the cytoplasm of human LC neuron has prompted researchers to investigate how these toxicants cause many of these CNS disorders.


The Locus Ceruleus Is Upregulated By Stress

An increased output of noradrenaline from the LC can be elicited by a wide range of acute and chronic stressors, in particular those that are physical (e.g., pain), psychological (e.g., anxiety), or social (e.g., isolation). Chronic stressors can keep noradrenergic neurons in a highly active state permanently. Stressors can increase the uptake of circulating toxicants that use neurotransmitter transporters to enter LC neurons.

Stress has been implicated in the onset or relapse of a number of neurodegenerative, demyelinating and psychiatric conditions. The increased activity of the LC during stress, with a concomitant increase in neurotransmitter release and re-uptake, encourage circulating toxicants to enter the terminal axons of LC neurons.
Studies indicating which elements of the LC-Toxicant hypothesis relate to particular CNS disorders.

CNS Regions Are Innervated By The Locus Ceruleus
About 70% of all CNS noradrenaline comes from the LC innervate in particular CNS regions that are involved in Alzheimer’s disease (hippocampus, neocortex, basal forebrain), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (brain stem and spinal motor neurons), and mood disorders (amygdala). The substantia nigra, which is damaged in Parkinson’s disease, also receives innervation from the LC.
The normal human brain contains about 32,000 LC neurons and is estimated to contain capillaries with a total length of 640 kilometres. This means that, on average, each LC neuron is responsible for innervating 20 meters of capillaries. No other neuronal system has such widespread contact with circulating blood.

Noradrenaline plays an important part in maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier and in responding to stressors by increasing cerebral blood flow. With their large exposure to the blood circulation, LC neurons could take up toxicants even if they were at low levels in the blood.
Noradrenaline also suppresses inflammation, mostly because of its affects on microglia, which have a high expression of adrenoreceptors. Inflammation would be further increased if a permeable blood-brain barrier, caused by noradrenaline depletion, allowed inflammatory cells to enter the CNS. 


The Locus Ceruleus Has Been Shown To Be Damaged In Neurodegenerative, Demyelinating, and Psychiatric Disorders
A man who injected himself intravenously with metallic mercury had mercury staining in the cytoplasm of about 70% of his LC neurons. This individual committed suicide a few months after the mercury injection, so mercury uptake by the LC may have been aided by stress-induced upregulation of the LC neurons. This is the first time that a metal toxicant has been found to be able to enter the human LC selectively.

Neuromelanin, a dark pigment produced neurons in the LC, increases during aging and may influence cell function. Neuromelanin could initially play a protective role by chelating certain circulating metal toxicants such as mercury and lead and when production is inhibited could dramatically affect uptake.

Recent reviews have highlighted the extent of LC damage in neurodegenerative, demyelinating, and psychiatric disorders.
The LC-Toxicant hypothesis can explain a number of puzzling features of neurodegenerative, demyelinating and psychiatric disorders, which are grouped below under the term “neurodegenerative disorders”.
One agent that enters neurons at an early age and cause damage later in life is a heavy metal, since metal toxicants persists within human neurons for many years.


CNS and Neurogenerative Disorders

In Parkinson’s disease, cell loss is more severe in the LC than in the substantia nigra. This fits with suggestions based on animal experiments that in Parkinson’s disease LC damage occurs first, and that the noradrenaline-deficient substantia nigra is then more susceptible to toxic insults.

The topographical distribution of cell loss in the LC varies in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and depression. he type of pathology differs as well, with LC cell loss in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, gliosis in multiple sclerosis, and neuronal shrinkage in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These topographical and pathological differences suggest that toxicants affect LC neurons in different ways.

Genetic variation is unlikely to account for the variations in incidence of neurodegenerative disorders that have been described between city and country living, or for increases or decreases of disease incidence over time. Here environmental factors are more likely. The LC would be subjected to different toxicants in the city versus the country, and would be exposed to different levels of pollutants over time. Geographic differences in toxicant exposure could interact with other environmental factors in a disorder such as multiple sclerosis, where a reduction in sunlight and vitamin D levels at increased latitudes has been implicated.

Herbicides, pesticides, vaccinations, medications and industrial exposures may be the most effective approach likely to define groups with known exposures to certain toxicants and then look for genetic variants (either single nucleotide, copy number, or epigenetic) in the biological pathways that normally protect individuals from these toxicants. An analysis could then be undertaken to see if these genetic variants are more common in people within these defined groups who have neurodegenerative disorders.

15 Things You Can Start Doing Today To Be Happier

Image: g1wallz.com
Albert Einstein once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different
results. Well, doing the same things everyday but with a slightly different approach is actually the key to happiness. Start bringing those changes in your attitude towards life and you’ll see how simple it is to be happy.

Here are 15 significant attitudes that help you become happier in life.

1. Gratitude
Appreciate what you have and value it. Try counting your positives and be grateful for all the good things and people in your life. Stop complaining and be thankful for what you already have and you’ll soon start feeling happy.

2. Stop Labeling
Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open.

3. Optimism
Treat failure as an opportunity to learn a new and better lesson from life, and that’s the trick to manufacture optimism in life. Never give up trying because that’s an indication that something better is in store. Once you start harbouring an optimistic attitude towards life, success will automatically follow.

4. Release The Past
The past you are now longing for — the past that you are now dreaming about — was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now. Work on this by practicing with simple tasks every day. For example, when you cut the grass, just think about the grass and nothing else. When you’re washing the dishing, immerse your full presence in dish washing. Eventually, your life will revolve around your day today, not yesterday.

5. Avoid comparison
Nothing is as awful as comparing yourself to someone else. If you think you’re better that the other person, you’re letting yourself regale in an unhealthy sense of superiority. If you demean yourself in front of others, it means all your hard work and progress has been in vain. While social comparisons are unhealthy, self-improvement is effective.

6. Kindness
There’s a scientific reason behind every act of kindness that you do. Helping someone selflessly releases serotonin in your brain (Serotonin is the hormone that controls your mood) and hence makes you feel good about yourself almost instantly. Try doing one act of kindness everyday to flush out the toxins of depression from your system.

7. Stop Using Excuses
Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses — excuses that most of the time are not even real. We sabotage ourselves beyond belief. If you find yourself making excuses, ask yourself why you are creating the excuse in the first place?

8. Nurture Relationships
Relationships keep us alive and kicking. In fact, according to research studies loneliness doubles people’s mortality rates. A circle of good friends, loving family members and cheerful colleagues are a reminder that you have people who care about you. There’s nothing like having someone who you can share your experiences with. So nurture these relationships and say goodbye to a lonesome existence.

9. Forgiveness
Hatred is a negative feeling and harbouring it will have nothing but negative effects on your well-being. Stop thinking about the hateful emotion/person and let it go. Forgive if needed, take things lightly and let it not affect your system.

10. Avoid Impressing Others
Success may have nothing to do with how much money you have or how many cars you have, but how you choose to live a life of abundance which comes in many forms, many of which have nothing to do with material things. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

11. Commit To Your Goals
If you have a goal, work towards it. Anything is achievable if you put your heart into it. Wholehearted dedication and diligence can bring extraordinary results and consequentially add to your happiness. It is very easy to lose vision for what we truly want in life, but it is your dedication towards your goals above and beyond all obstacles that will make the difference.

12. Care For Your body
Love yourself and love your body! Your physical condition has a direct connection with your well-being. A fit body and healthy mind is reflective of happiness. Start working towards the health of your physical, mental and emotional energy by caring for your body.

13. Believe
Connect to a higher power. You’re probably already doing this with or without knowing. Just a quick meditation or prayer is easy. If you have the time, join a local prayer group, visit a meditation center, or simply spend some time alone in nature. People who believe in a deity are generally happier than those who don’t. Sometimes all you need to be happier is a little faith!

14. Dream
Imagination fires motivation. Create a dream board and dream up something new you wish to experience. It could be finding a new lover, climbing a mountain, learning calligraphy, or going back to college. Dreams motivate, inspire and expand our sense of self. They also make us happy because they give our lives a sense of purpose. Happy people usually love what what they do, and if they don’t, they love who they are. Dreams remind us who we are.

15. Give
Cultivate a habit of sharing with others — your money, knowledge, service, wisdom, care, love. Find a person who shares a lot with others, and you will find a happy person. In giving, you always receive more. Not only do you get pleasure from giving, you give someone else pleasure. Giving has many unexpected benefits from attracting more happiness into your life, to inspiring others, and changing the lives of those you touch. In the end the whole world is made into a better place. Ask, “how can I serve?” Pay it forward. Give freely.

Source: RealFarmacy.com via Prevent Disease

Doctor: Why I want my patients off birth control pills

Dr. Kelly Brogan, MD, discusses the little known risks of oral contraceptives, particularly for those with anxiety and depression.




Study: Drinking Wine Can Naturally Prevent Depression

A new Spanish study published in BMC medicine says a little wine can go a long way. Knowing that depression is the most prominent mental disorder in the world and has been related to alcohol intake the authors set out to prospectively assess the association between alcohol intake and incident depression. Their results showed a fine line between serenity and despair.

In the same way that moderate amounts of wine may help to ward off heart disease, it can also help to ward off depression.

Image: www.democraticunderground.com
The PREDIMED Group followed 5,505 high risk men and women, ages 55-80 years old, for an extensive trial period of 7 years. Participants had to have been free of depression or a history of depression and could not have any alcohol related problems.

The results indicated that those with a moderate alcohol intake, within the range of two to seven glasses of wine per week, were significantly less likely to suffer from depression compared to non-drinkers. Their conclusion was that moderate consumption of wine may help to reduce the incidence of depression while heavy drinkers seem to show a higher risk.

As no other studies have been done other than a recent study at the University of Navarra, that examine the relationship between specific alcoholic beverages and incident depression, the results will require further analysis to assess and fortify the findings.

According to WebMD’s interview with Eva Redei, a distinguished professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, in Chicago, “Considering the increase of major depression in the age group examined in this study, the finding of protective effects of moderate alcohol consumption is intriguing,” she said.

However, it raises more questions than answers. “Is moderate wine consumption related to increased socialization, decreased cardiovascular events, or as it seems, increased activity? These questions are not answered by this study, but the findings are definitely worth noticing,” Redei said.

“Is it possible that ‘in vino veritas’ [in wine there's truth] reflects a bigger truth?” she asked.

We’d like to hear from our readers here at Natural Cures Not Medicine, how about you let us know in the comments below, if you personally find that moderate amounts of wine tend to help or hinder your personal path to enlightenment. Do you agree that it could be due to increased socialization?

Source: Matt Agorist, realfarmacy.com

Study: suicide rates falling in medical marijuana states


“We conclude that the legalization of medical marijuana leads to an improvement in the psychological well being of young adult males, an improvement that is reflected in fewer suicides.”

This story didn’t make it past the network news filters, was ignored by the mainstream media, and numerous mental health/suicide prevention organizations would not even comment about it!
Wall Street Journal – Does Medical Marijuana Reduces Suicides?

Image: www.marijuana.com
American Independent – Study: Suicide Rates Fall When States Legalize Medical Marijuana

Why would a “good news” marijuana story, like where suicides markedly declined, be ignored by the media? Now some truth and daylight as reported by three American researchers who had their findings published by the Institute for the Study of Labor in Bonn, Germany. Why wouldn't it be published in the U.S.? Is it safe for a researcher and his or her future academic funding to challenge government dogma and publish contrary evidence domestically? Apparently it may not be, because it contradicts the misinformation and the socially engineered negative propaganda campaign against marijuana by self-serving interests since 1937. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGZEMwMx2vk

 If the results of this study reported the opposite results, it would be the lead headline nationwide, I assure you. The emperor truly has no clothes!

• Marijuana improves the “psychological well being” of young adult males and saves lives!

• Marijuana’s major actions are that of an anti-depressant, anti-anxiety and anti-anger medication.

• Marijuana reduces alcohol consumption in this at risk population. ​

Can it to be used prevent suicide in a high-risk population? And what exactly is this state of “improved psychological well being?” It has been described and supported with evidence as the “cannabinoid homeostatic healing perspective” (CHHP) and the “psychology of optimal experience.” Marijuana’s therapeutic effect requires immediate further research, as the suicide study emphasizes. Do you really have to be sick to get benefit from cannabis? Isn’t relaxation itself medicinal?

 From: “High on Life? Medical Marijuana Laws and Suicide” / Jan 2012 (Anderson, Rees, Sabia)

 Abstract: Using state-level data (from Centers for Disease Control) for the period 1990 through 2007, we estimate the effect of legalizing medical marijuana on suicide rates. “There have been no previous attempts to estimate the effect of medical marijuana laws on completed suicides, the tenth leading cause of death in the United States.” (National Institute of Mental Health 2010) Data from states where medical marijuana is legal, looking back three years prior to legalization, the year of legalization (year zero) and three years’ post-legalization was compared against data on suicide rates in prohibition states.

“Our results suggest that the passage of a medical marijuana law is associated with an almost 5 percent reduction in the total suicide rate. “An 11 percent reduction in the suicide rate of 20- through 29-year-old males; and a 9 percent reduction in the suicide rate of 30- through 39-year-old males.” “We conclude that the legalization of medical marijuana leads to an improvement in the psychological well being of young adult males, an improvement that is reflected in fewer suicides.”
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In an often-cited article by Hamermesh and Soss (1974), who were the first economists to model suicidal behavior, and according to their “economic theory of suicide,” negative shocks to happiness can reduce expected lifetime utility to the point where an individual will decide to take his or her own life,” overwhelming the individual’s ability to maintain homeostasis. “Even if a shock is perceived to be temporary, an individual with ‘time inconsistent preferences’ may commit suicide at the prospect of having to cope with an acutely painful state in the present.” “Consistent with the hypothesis that marijuana can be an effective treatment for depression and other mood disorders, there appears to be a decrease in the suicide rate of 15-19 year-old males in the treatment states as compared to the prohibition states for approximately two years after legalization.”

 “A similar decrease can be seen for males 20-59 and there is a moderate decrease in males 60 years or older three years after legalization.” In addition, this downward trend in suicides in states post-legalization was especially pronounced in males as was the risk of suicide by decreasing alcohol consumption. “The total suicide rate falls smoothly during the pre-legalization period in both MML (medical marijuana law) and non-MML states. “However, beginning in year zero, the trends diverge: the suicide rate in MML states continues to fall, while the suicide rate in states that never legalized medical marijuana begins to climb gradually.” http://blog.norml.org/2012/02/21/study-passage-of-medical-marijuana-laws-correlated-with-fewer-suicides/
The negative relationship between legalization and suicides among young adult males is consistent with the argument that marijuana can be used to cope with such shocks. However, estimates provide an alternative explanation. These authors found that the passage of MMLs (medical marijuana laws) led to sharp decreases in alcohol-related traffic fatalities, self-reported alcohol use, and per capita beer sales. The strong association between alcohol consumption and suicide-related outcomes found by previous researchers raises the possibility that medical marijuana laws reduce the risk of suicide by decreasing alcohol consumption.

​And in a very sad, related story that we all need to be mindful of: “More U.S. Soldiers Killed Themselves than Died in Combat in 2010” “For the second year in a row, more American soldiers — both enlisted men and women and veterans — committed suicide than were killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Excluding accidents and illness, 462 soldiers died in combat, while 468 committed suicide. A difference of six isn’t vast by any means, but the symbolism is significant and troubling. In 2009, there were 381 suicides by military personnel, a number that also exceeded the number of combat deaths.” ​So, do you really have to be sick to benefit from cannabis? Isn’t relaxation itself medicinal?

The future is now! My last several posts have focused on evidence gathered over the last 10 years that shows marijuana can treat anxiety, depression, PTSD, and simultaneously increases subjective well being and positive states of cognitive, emotional and existential wellness. This study provides the numbers and stats to validate these claims. It provides evidence supporting marijuana’s positive psychology/happiness effects and the very topic of my recent post: marijuana and the psychology of optimal experience. When you ask people why they smoke marijuana, the most common answer is that it helps them relax and makes them feel better. That makes it medicine, and the word medical is redundant when talking about cannabis.

“Suicide is not chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain.” Medical marijuana patients are able to reduce their use of painkillers, tranquilizers, and other psychiatric medicines! Isn’t it ironic that all antidepressants advertised on T.V. have increased suicide behavior as one of the many major side effects? Perhaps another variable at work here is that when people switch to safer marijuana to treat depression the prescription side effect of suicide goes away?

​SuicideNoteMarijuana restores homeostasis to the mind, similar to a period of mindfulness meditation or yoga. Marijuana reduces hostility, depression and anxiety, and blocks traumatic memories. Marijuana increases introspection, metacognition, calmness and laughter. Marijuana is unique among illegal drugs in its political symbolism, its safety, and its wide use. Smoking marijuana will never kill you; it is the antidote to modern life, it is medicine by popular vote! In 2007, the suicide rate was 11.26 per every 100,000 people. The population of the U.S. as of March 2, 2012 was 313,113,996. Approximately 35,250 suicide deaths occurred nationwide in 2007; a 5 percent decrease in suicide rate due to marijuana legalization would theoretically save almost 1,800 lives per year. The U.S. has been shoving our failed drug policy down the throats of countries around the world and and of citizens at home for decades. All of those in favor of a serious and honest debate say “Aye!”

 Source: tokesignals.com

Study Finds Link Between Herbicide Exposure and Depression

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Image: www.sustainablebabysteps.com
Knowing that herbicides are poisoning ecosystems and degrading human health is enough to get you down. Hold on, though. Recent research has found a significant link between herbicide exposure and depression. Findings were reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

A study of more than 700 French farmers found that those who used herbicides were 2.5 times more likely to develop depression than those who did not. Further, the higher the exposure to herbicides, the greater the chance of being treated for depression.

The authors go on to say: “If true, our findings have important public health implications for agricultural workers given the tremendous public health burden of depression and the fact that herbicides are widely used in agriculture and landscape management.”

As REALfarmacy reported previously, the EPA has raised the allowable level of glyphosate  in our food. This comes on the heels of a tremendous rise in the use of glyphosate after Monsanto unleashed its RoundUp Ready crops that are engineered to be drenched in the herbicide. The hbiotech industry is working on new GMO crops that can withstand other, more toxic herbicides like 2,4-D and dicamba.

Although the mechanism behind this disturbing relationship of herbicide use and depression is not yet known, it adds to the growing scientific evidence that herbicide exposure is a health hazard. Studies are finding possible links between Parkinson’s disease, infertility, cancer, and birth defects. Now we find out that herbicides can have psychological effects too.

Herbicide use by homeowners is certainly common. And it’s no wonder, as a visit to the big box home improvement stores inundates a person with ads for manufactured poisons. The biggest herbicide use, however, exists in the agricultural sector. According to EPA reports from 2007, 80% of pesticide use (including herbicides) was in agriculture.

Herbicide use is bound to continue rising as long as industrial agriculture and GMO companies control the food system. In fact, this is a market strategy considering that herbicide-resistant crops are central to their plans for the future. Can we expect a concomitant rise in cases of depression?




by Justin Gardener

Source: http://www.realfarmacy.com/

Gardening Proven To Help Overcome Depression

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By Dr. Mercola

Every year, some 230 million prescriptions for antidepressants are filled, making them one of the most-prescribed drugs in the United States.

Despite this, the incidence of all forms of depression is now at 10 percent, according to 2012 statistics, and the number of Americans diagnosed with depression increases by about 20 percent per year.

Such statistics are a strong indication that what we’re doing is simply not working, and that instead, these drugs are contributing to other serious health problems. Fortunately, there are other, safer, more effective ways to address depression—including something as simple as spending more time outdoors.

Gardeners Are Happier than Most Others

According to a recent survey for Gardeners World magazine3, 80 percent of gardeners reported being “happy” and satisfied with their lives, compared to 67 percent of non-gardeners.

Gardening Can Help Beat Depression

And the more time spent in the garden, the higher their satisfaction scores—87 percent of those who tend to their gardens for more than six hours a week report feeling happy, compared to those spending less time in their gardens.

Monty Don4, a TV presenter and garden writer, attributes the well-being of gardeners to the “recharging” you get from sticking your hands in the soil and spending time outdoors in nature.

I can personally confirm this as over the past year I have started a major interest in high performance agriculture and biodynamic gardening, and have been busy applying it to my edible and ornamental landscape. I hope to soon teach all that I have learned.

Interestingly, fitness researchers have also found that when you exercise outdoors, you exercise harder but perceive it as being easier than when exercising indoors, which can have significant health benefits.

This feeling of well-being can have more far-reaching implications for your physical health too. According to recent research from Johns Hopkins5, having a cheerful temperament can significantly reduce your odds of suffering a heart attack or sudden cardiac death. According to lead author Lisa R. Yanek, M.P.H., an assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine6:

“If you are by nature a cheerful person and look on the bright side of things, you are more likely to be protected from cardiac events. A happier temperament has an actual effect on disease and you may be healthier as a result.”

What the Research Says About Exercise and ‘Ecotherapy’ for Depression

Three years ago, I interviewed medical journalist and Pulitzer Prize nominee Robert Whitaker about his extensive research and knowledge of psychiatric drugs and alternative treatments for depression. He mentioned an interesting study conducted by Duke University in the late 1990’s, which divided depressed patients into three treatment groups:

        Exercise only
        Exercise plus antidepressant
        Antidepressant drug only

After six weeks, the drug-only group was doing slightly better than the other two groups. However, after 10 months of follow-up, it was the exercise-only group that had the highest remission and stay-well rate. According to Whitaker, some countries are taking these types of research findings very seriously, and are starting to base their treatments on the evidence at hand.

The UK, for example, does not routinely recommend antidepressants as the first line of therapy for mild to moderate depression anymore, and doctors there can write out a prescription to see an exercise counselor instead under the “exercise on prescription programme7.”

Part of the exercise can be tending to an outdoor garden, taking nature walks, or repairing trails or clearing park areas—as discussed in the BBC video above. According to Dr. Alan Cohen, a British general practitioner with a special interest in mental health8:

“[W]hen people get depressed or anxious, they often feel they’re not in control of their lives. Exercise gives them back control of their bodies and this is often the first step to feeling in control of other events.”

Within the first few years of the introduction of this so-called “Green Gym” or “Ecotherapy9” program in 2007, the rate of British doctors prescribing exercise for depression increased from about four percent to about 25 percent.

Studies on exercise as a treatment for depression also show there’s a strong correlation between improved mood and aerobic capacity. So there’s a growing acceptance that the mind-body connection is very real, and that maintaining good physical health can significantly lower your risk of developing depression in the first place. According to a 2009 report on Ecotherapy by the British Depressionalliance.org10:

“94 percent of people taking part in a MIND survey commented that green exercise activities had benefited their mental health; and 100 percent of volunteers interviewed during an outdoor conservation project agreed that participation benefited their mental health, boosted self-esteem and improved confidence. Furthermore, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence asserts that for ‘patients with depression… structured and supervised exercise can be an effective intervention that has a clinically significant impact on depressive symptoms.’”

Ready, Set, Garden!

Aside from increasing your sense of well-being, keeping a garden can also improve your health by providing you with fresher, uncontaminated food, and cutting your grocery bill. And you don’t need vast amounts of space either. You don’t even have to have a backyard. Apartment dwellers can even create a well-stocked edible garden.

There are tons of creative solutions that will allow you to make the most of even the tiniest space, and engaging your own creativity to solve space limitations can be part of your therapy. You can also start growing sprouts which is rapidly rewarding as, unlike gardens, in about one week you will have food that you can harvest and eat.

In her book The Edible Balcony, Alex Mitchell details how to grow fresh produce in small spaces. Filled with beautiful color photographs throughout, the book helps you determine what might work best for you, depending on your space and location, and guides you through the design basics of a bountiful small-space garden. For example, those who live in a high-rise apartment will undoubtedly have to contend with more wind than those who live on the bottom floor. There are solutions for virtually every problem, and in this case, wind-tolerant plants can be used, or you could construct some sort of protective screening.

You can use virtually every square foot of your space, including your lateral space. Hanging baskets are ideal for a wide variety of foods, such as strawberries, leafy greens, runner beans, pea shoots, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs. And instead of flowers, window boxes can hold herbs, greens, radishes, scallions, bush beans, strawberries, chard, and chiles, for example. Just start small, and as you get the hang of it, add another container of something else. Before you know it, large portions of your meals could come straight from your own edible garden.

To learn more, please see my previous article on creating edible gardens in small spaces. I garden both outdoors and indoors. As I mentioned previously, sprouts are one of my favorite tight-space crops, as they provide so much nutrition, which is another critical factor for beating the blues and they give you far more immediate feedback than growing a garden.

Reposted from realfarmacy.com

Source: mercola.com

Bread Alert: Gluten could be deadly!


Know if you have gluten intolerance




All to often is gluten intolerance misdiagnosed.  Symptoms are mistaken for a different condition while the patient continues down the path that led to health problems in the first place.  Although some people are highly allergic to gluten and cannot have any in their diet at all, there are also varying degrees of sensitivity and many don't know that gluten is a problem for their health.  Aside from the fact that gluten can cause a great deal of inflammation, it also blocks the body from absorbing nutrients and has been also linked to excessive weight gain also known as "wheat belly."  There are several food and even non food products that contain gluten but it is worth the effort to eliminate it from your diet as much as possible.  There is a growing number of gluten free products and many gluten free breads taste even better than regular wheat or bleached flour breads.  Pastas, pancake mixes, and cereals are sold in major supermarkets that are gluten free and can soften the blow of removing wheat and other gluten containing foodstuff from your meal plan permanently.  Take action now!  Here are some symptoms of gluten intolerance.



-Dizziness and feeling off balance

-Gas and bloating 

-Feeling run down after eating a meal containing gluten

-Depression and anxiety

-Migraines

-Diagnosis of several different types of autoimmune disorders

-Hormone imbalances or infertility

-ADD

-Constipation

-Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia



Photo credit: 3268zauber


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5 ways vanilla heals


No, it is not just an ingredient in your favorite flan or french toast recipe.  Vanilla can heal and ease discomfort!

File:VanillaExtract.png

Here are a few positive effects on your health that you can expect from vanilla extract.


Regulates menstruation:  Adding vanilla extract to your diet could help if you have irregular menstruation cycles.

Reduces stress and anxiety:  Adding vanilla extract to a glass of water or milk can help calm you and reduce stress.  Since stress causes other health problems, reducing stress is getting at the cause.  Vanilla has even been used as a treatment for depression.

Helps with nausea:  One of the more popular applications for vanilla is as a natural stomach settler.  Again, put a few drops of vanilla extract in a glass of water and slowly drink it down when your stomach is upset.  It is also believed that vanilla extract can be used to treat fevers.

Helps with losing weight:  Some studies point to even just smelling vanilla extract as possibly helpful with losing excess weight, though nutrition is the foundation to weight loss.




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How to Grow Wheatgrass


Placenta: The Cure for Post Partum Depression?


Every living mammal instinctively eats their placenta after giving birth to replenish nutrients. The placenta is a really remarkable organ. It is this amazingly designed organ that replaces multiple other human organs for the period of time the baby is in the womb. The number of functions it does is really quite significant. For thousands of years, many cultures have revered the placenta as a powerful and invaluable part of the postpartum healing process. In the US, on the other hand, it is more common to dispose of the placenta immediately after childbirth. However, more new mothers who are prone to depression are finding that the very organ that kept their baby alive can prevent the "baby blues."

Today, approximately 80 percent of women experience some level of postpartum depression/mood disorder following childbirth. After giving birth, many new mothers experience a drop in hormones, blood loss and fatigue; all of which are thought of as key factors in the development of the "baby blues" and postpartum depression. Symptoms of the baby blues include sadness, weepiness, lack of concentration, anxiety, and a feeling of dependence. These can last for the first several weeks or even months of the baby's life; causing many new mothers to find it a challenge to take care of their newborn. Using the placenta for its medicinal properties during the postpartum period is a natural and healthier way a new mother can help avoid these symptoms and the costly treatments that usually accompany them, such as medications and counseling. With proper preparation, the majority of women can avoid the baby blues. Full of Qi, life energy, the placenta aids in postpartum wellness by replenishing the new mother's system with natural iron and protein while helping reintroduce the essential hormones back into her system.



Research published in The Journal of Nutrition: (http://jn.nutrition.org/content/135/2/267.full) shows that postpartum iron-deficiency can cause postpartum depression. During childbirth, there is a huge loss of blood that causes many women to become iron deficient. The placenta is high in iron and helps replenish the lost iron. 
The Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and  Neonatal
Nursing:(http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1177/0884217505279997/abstract) published research that explains that fatigue is one of the leading causes of postpartum depression, but mothers report that by consuming the placenta, their energy levels are restored. Few scientific studies have been spent on ingesting the placenta after childbirth also known as placentophagia. However, the combined existing research suggests that ingesting the iron-rich placenta may be a good first line of defense against postpartum mood problems. 


The placenta is the connection between the mother and baby inside the womb. When a woman gives birth, the placenta still contains the nutrients that were supplying her baby with life in the womb. The idea is that by eating the placenta and putting the life-giving nutrients back into the new mother, she will also be replenishing her body with all that she needs to heal and recover quickly so she can be the best mother for her baby. Women who ingest their placenta in some form report a faster, more pleasant postpartum recovery and report fewer emotional issues. Many new mothers are choosing to have their placenta turned into capsules that they can ingest. Placenta encapsulation seems to lessen the 'gross' factor that many women have with eating it raw. New mothers, and their families, notice a remarkable improvement in overall feelings of happiness and well-being when taking placenta capsules. Thus, often referred to as "happy pills.



Benefits of placenta pills:
    • Balance hormones
    • Increase milk supply
    • Increase energy 
    • Quicker recovery from birth Brings body back into balance
    • Prevents postpartum depression 
    • Less postpartum bleeding Helps to heal tears or cuts 
    • Assist the uterus to return to size
    •  Increase postpartum iron levels


    With Gratitude,  
     ~Alex



    Alex is a renowned speaker, (R)evolutionary teacher and world traveler, having lived and studied in the United States, South Africa and Costa Rica. She has a BA in Environmental Studies, a Masters Degree in Psychology and is a qualified Yoga instructor. She is a continuous source of inspiration to thousands of women around the world and has spent her life tirelessly researching ways to maintain a fully balanced life. 

    Surprising health benefits of black cherries


    Besides tasting amazing, there are some other reasons to eat black cherries!
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    • Anti inflammatory:  Studies suggest that eating cherries can help with inflammation.  A study out of the Journal of Nutrition suggests that compounds in black cherries inhibit inflammatory pathways.
    • Sleep:  Black cherries contain both tryptophan and melatonin which help you sleep.  Sleep problems can lead to scores of other health problems including obesity, diabetes and depression.
    • Muscle recovery:  A study suggests that black cherries may help improve muscle recovery because of their anti inflammatory, antioxidant, and lipid peroxidation capabilities.
    • Treats gout:  Some studies show that black cherry juice can be  taken to reduce gout flare ups.  




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    Huge results from juicing raw cannabis!

         
         It seems that every year there is a new expert or study coming forward with compelling evidence of the fantastic medical powers contained in the cannabis plant.  Conditions like diabetes, inflammation, cancer, infections, depression, pain, and sleep disorders can be treated naturally using various cannabis strains.  With health insurance and cost of living to consider, should we be looking to nature for our healing needs?  Even strains that have zero psychoactive effects contain compounds that battle illnesses and free radicals while delivering sweet relief to patients.  Smoking cannabis yields some pain and appetite stimulation effects for terminal patients but is not the ideal method of medicating using cannabis as fire destroys up to 80% of the beneficial compounds in the plant matter.  Rick Simpson, the legendary cannabis activist from Canada, uses essential oils from cannabis to cure not just terminal cancers but other serious and deadly health conditions.  The concentrated oil is extremely effective, but is there yet another approach to medicating with this wonder plant?

    Check out and share this video on the benefits of juicing Cannabis!

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    Before trying anything you find on the internet you should fully investigate your options and get further advice from professionals.

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