Improve Your Mood Naturally Part Deux
March 4th, 2008
Yesterday’s post made me think about how we all have good and bad days. Life is sweet, but doesn’t always feel that way. I’ve experience many days of low mood and low energy. I tried medication in the past, but was never comfortable with the idea of altering my body’s natural state. It just seems wrong to me. Once I became more organic, I began to do my own research and tried some alternative mood-enhancing therapies and treatments. Here are some things I have tried that I think are good alternatives to conventional medications:
5-HTP
This is an awesome natural supplement you can take to improve your mood. I was turned onto this treatment after reading, 5-HTP: The Natural Way To Overcome Depression, Obesity, and Insomnia by Michael Murray, N.D. (The N.D. stands for Naturopathic Doctor, whom are known for having a holistic vision of health care and work to educate their patients rather than diagnose and prescribe). This book really opened my eyes to the value of natural herbs and supplements in treating mood problems. 5-htp, which stands for 5-hydroxytryptophan, is an amino acid and the precursor to serotonin. This means that it gets broken down into serotonin in your brain. So essentially, it’s like taking serotonin pills!
If you are considering trying conventional medications, I really encourage you to read The Anti-depressant Fact Book: What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You About Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, and Luvox by Peter Breggin, M.D. After going through a rough time last year, and debating about whether or not I should try anti-depressants, I came across some information about this book. After reading it, I will never touch those drugs again. The author of the book, Peter Breggin, M.D., was able to gain access to top-secret files from certain pharmaceutical companies due to his involvement in a lawsuit against the companies. What he found in those files is disturbing, and he shares it all in his book. This is a must read for anyone on those drugs, or thinking of starting them.
Ok, moving on to…
Light Therapy
This is probably my favorite mood enhancing treatment I have used so far. It’s natural, non-invasive, and even feels kinda good. Light therapy is used for treating those who have Seasonal Affective Disorder, but can be used year round as well for mild depression. The theory behind light therapy is that people need light to be happy. Heck yes they do!
Light therapy works by giving our bodies the daylight that it is lacking during the winter months. When we don’t get enough sunlight, our circadian rhythm gets out of whack and disrupts our mood and sleeping patterns. Light therapy works to restore the circadian balance. All you need to do is sit in front of a box that emits light for 15-45 minutes a day. You can use it while you are watching t.v., on the computer, whatever. It’s about the laziest form of therapy I have ever encountered and I love it! Just don’t stare directly into the light box.. you might start to see spots.
I purchased this light therapy box from Apollo Health several months ago. It took a few days to work for me, but I have noticed positive effects and higher energy levels. Let some light into your life!
Acupuncture
I never thought I would be one to stick needles in my body voluntarily, until I moved to the west coast, where alternative medicine thrives. The concept, though once foreign to me, makes perfect sense to me now. It is the belief in traditional Chinese medicine that illness and disease is caused by a blockage of energy in the body. Those who practice Chinese medicine believe that good health occurs when energy is flowing smoothly throughout all of the meridians, or points of energy. Acupuncture can be very beneficial for your mood and has been proven to treat mild cases of depression, as well as dozens of other conditions. I would recommend it to anyone with an open mind–once you get past the whole “needle” thing, it becomes a very relaxing experience.
The only downside to acupuncture is that it can get very expensive. The effects are cumulative, and you may end up spending a few hundred dollars to notice a difference, and then you will need to maintain that effect with sessions every few weeks. If the sky’s the limit for you, go for it. In fact, I’d say go for it at least once or twice just to have the experience. Find an acupuncture school that offers discounted rates. You may be able to get your treatments for half price if you are a student, or if you are willing to be seen by a student.
Hopefully one of the above options sounds appealing to you. They are all very cool treatments, and some may fit into your lifestyle more than others. In an upcoming post I will add some more options for ya..
March 7th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Yes, these are all wonderful suggestions on how to cure our depressions and frequent mood swings. There are other methods which may be just as effective. These are meditations, yoga, prayer and quiet time, Zen Buddhism, nature trips, etc. We all need a ready cure for our bouts of depressions and frequent mood swings. Thanks for the informative and practical tips. God bless you and your loved ones always. I have already linked you with my blog. I hope you do the same with mine.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
[…] mentioned in my last post, (and I am a woman of my word) here are a few more ways that have helped improve my mood. […]
April 11th, 2008 at 5:22 am
What an interesting discussion you have here.
Thanks for the info