Natural Remedies and Depression

Many people suffer from this condition and many still will turn to prescription or herbal antidepressants at the first sign  of feeling down.  However, feelings are important messages from your body and mind and you must be attuned to them.  It is better to notice the message and take the appropriate steps to restore balance your life before resorting to drugs, herbal or otherwise.  With that said, there are herbal remedies as well as other remedies to help with your feelings of depression and some of those are listed below.

Herbal remedies:

St. John’s Wort is an herb that can help with depression.  It is available in capsule form and can be taken in a dosage of 300mg, three times daily.  It is important to understand that it may take at least 6 weeks before you will begin seeing the changes. Caution: do not take St. John’s Wort if you are pregnant or with other medicines, without consulting with your doctor,

Aromatherapy works:

An aromatherapy bath with lavender and bergamot relaxes your body and mind and also has mood elevating properties.  RUn a warm bath and add 10 drops of lavendar essential oil and 5 drops of bergamont essential oil.  Soak for a good 20 minutes and relax.

Walking helps:

A brisk walk will actually help you tremendously.  It will produce endorphins which are natural mood-elevating chemicals.  Next time you find yourself feeling down or can tell your depression coming on, try taking a brisk walk in your neighborhood every day and you will feel the difference.

Journaling:

Writing down your thoughts will help you gain an insight into your emotions.  Sit down and write for 20 minutes each day.  Don’t worry about your grammar, punctuation or whether you are making sense.  Just write whatever comes to your mind.  You will find that putting your thoughts down on paper will help you sort through painful emotions, clarify your decisions and keep your life on track.

Until next time,

Walking - Can Lower Risk of Strokes

In a study done at Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, researchers determined that being moderately fit can reduce your risk of suffering a stroke. Moderately fit was defined as one who walks briskly at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

The ones involved in the research study were asked to take a treadmill test and answered some health surveys. Based on the results, the individuals were divided into 4 groups and tracked for 18 years to see how many actually suffered from strokes over that time period. The results showed that 692 strokes occurred in men and 171 women suffered from strokes. ( only a quarter of the study group were women)

These results concluded that men who were in the fit group, that walked at least 5 times per day, had a 40 percent lower risk of stroke than those that were not fit. The fittest women had a reduction of 43 percent in having strokes as compared to the less fit women. Even when taking into consideration other risk factors such as smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and family history, the reduced risks were still consistent.

It was proven that a mere 30 minutes a day could reduce your risk of having a stroke. If you do not have a tread mill, not to worry, put on your walking shoes and head outside for a walk. Walk your dog or walk with your kids or spouse. Enjoy some quality time with your family as you exercise. A brisk 30 minute walk can prove to be a life saver and the best decision you ever made.

Until next time,

Dr. Mommy