Cope Up With Depression - Tips on Eliminating Depression in Your Life

Depression is a common problem of many people these days, and of course, it is important that you have to take action when you are feeling the signs of depression so you won't succumb on its many bad effects in your health and in your life as well. You have to keep in mind that depression can lead to thoughts of suicide, thus do not wait to reach this stage. Find ways to combat depression and live a happy, more fulfilling life.

If you want to learn how to cope up with depression, here are a few things that you can do yourself.

- Learn ways to overcome negative thoughts. Negativity leads to undesirable thoughts of inadequacy and sadness in your life. Negative thinking can also attract negative things in life, thus make sure you practice positive thinking and learn a few ways to make positive thinking prevail always. Learn positive affirmation or meditation. This will help practice your mind to think positively and defeat negative thoughts.

- Have a regular walk every morning to get sunshine. Aside from boosting your energy levels, walking early in the morning can also help you get more sunshine that helps lift up your mood. Take time to go outside and enjoy the outdoors. You can also find an outdoor activity that allows you to get more sunshine like walking your dogs or cycling with a friend.

- Do the things that you love doing. Enjoy your passion and your interests. If you have lots of time not doing something, you will most likely think about your depressive thoughts and the more you get depressed. Get yourself busy. If your attention is drawn more towards more productive things, you can eventually forget about your sad and depressive thoughts.

- Spend some times with friends. Having a fun time with friends and people you love can help drown the signs of depression and makes you forget about depressive thoughts as well. If you feel you are about to go into a depressive mood, enjoy your free time with friends. The more you are occupied, and the more you enjoy your free time, the less likely that depression can take over your life.

-Seek professional help. Although you may be tempted to cope up with depression yourself, it is wise to seek professional help if you think you cannot do it alone. Do not wait for it to worsen. There are therapies available to help you cope up with depression and fight it. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one effective way to help combat depression, so acknowledge that there are people who can help you get over with depression.

Although you can do things yourself to help fight depression, it is important to acknowledge that there are other people who can also help you with your problem. You don't have to face it all alone. Find people you can trust and allow them to help you with it.

How Brokenness Can Lead You to Your True Purpose in Life

When you consider your accomplishments you may think; my hard work produced this for me and I achieved this with my own abilities, skills and intelligence. As you reflect back it is easy to become prideful, even arrogant about your own abilities & Accomplishments. When we think we have reached the pinnacle of self control, God will choose to use that very thing in which you take pride in as an eye opener about where your good blessings came from. God will use the very gift or strength with which we place value in and use it to break us of our belief that we have complete control and live according to our own will. The bible says that God has a purpose and a plan for each of us, and while he may allow us to have free will, for those whom he wants to use for his purpose will be brought to brokenness so that they may serve to glorify him.

Proverbs 11:2

2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 19:20-22

Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

What is Gods Will?

John 12:24-26

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Philippians 2:2-4

Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Gods' purpose and will for us is twofold: first is that we seek him as the first priority in our life and second is that we let our light shine so others can see and become like disciples and glorify god. Consider the verses above as explained by leading pastor. The kernel of wheat represents the self life, when we die to ourselves only then can God begin his good work in us. When we die to ourselves and focus our life on Gods purpose for us can we truly become fruitful and experience Gods blessing. Those who seek only worldly treasures will find only worldly rewards. These rewards die when we die and will account for nothing in the spiritual life. While we certainly have to work and provide for ourselves in this life we are not to make them our only priority. Is it not amazing the time we commit and confidence with which we place in ourselves and the things that we produce. In the world we measure people by their level of worldly success, wealth knowledge, abilities, appearance, and skills. We put such great confidence in these things it is no wonder God uses them to get our attention.

ohn 15 :5-8

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Greed, Pride, Deceit, Selfishness, Fear we all may posses some of these character traits, yet God reminds us that there is no place in the life of a Christian for them. In the bible God brought several men in the bible to brokenness then used them for his purpose. These same men at one time were sinners: Peter was broken of Pride when he denied knowing the Lord at his crucifixion after stating he would never deny him, Jacob selfishly and deceitfully stole Esau's birthright and blessing, David committed adultery with Bathsheba the wife of Uriah the same David whom God said was a man after his own heart. Moses who lost all confidence in himself yet led Gods chosen people to a new land.

James 3:13-15

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil

Matthew 23:11-13

The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

So if you are feeling as thought you have been broken and everything seems a mess then you may be very well experiencing God breaking you, bringing you to the very end of yourself where you say I cannot do this anymore I give every desire to you Lord please complete your will and not my own. The bible says we are pressed but not crushed, in other words if we are resistant to the breaking then the pressure may intensify, but God will never break your spirit or give you more than you can handle with his help. This can be better described as a forced dependence on God rather than self dependence, but only if you are open to it.

Psalm 34:17-19

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Paul told the Corinthians to be pleased if they were experiencing heartache and difficulties in this world and that it meant they were being prepared for blessing.

Psalm 119:35-37

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

The Bible says that God is able to comfort others with the peace He gives to us in broken times. We cannot avoid having our plans and personal will broken through broken dreams, broken promises, and broken relationships. But when our brokenness has been completed, God can use our shattered circumstances to draw others to Him, and we can find joy in the fact that he is using us for his purpose and glory. After all, Jesus himself was broken at the cross for you and I.

Top 10 Break Up Books

Breaking up is hard to do. For days, weeks, months and even years, the pain of a failed relationship will plague you. Consciously or not, the tendency is to do a post-mortem of what-has-been as well as pining for what-could-still-be. And while the pain lingers, you need to understand that you can survive a break up. All you need is the right perspective to get over it, move on and move forward.

If you are looking for the latest relationship advice on how to get through such painful break ups, here is a (partial) list of books that might interest you. These books - written by noted psychologists and authors and the so-called 'bad boys-come celebrities - can help lighten your love burden and inspire you to take another chance at love and romance.

One of the books that can help you improve your outlook about the L word is Dr. Phil McGraw's "Love Smart: Find The One You Want - Fix The One You Got." In this book, Dr. Phil provides tips on how to keep your relationship out of a rut. True to his direct, in-your-face, style, Dr. Phil tells is as it - no mincing of words, no sugar-coated promises of better days ahead.

In the book, Dr. Phil encourages women to set the bar or a profile of what they think is the ideal guy. And once we have that in mind, he tells us to look for that quality in the persons we date and not to settle for anything else. More importantly, Dr. Phil reminds us that if we want to find the right one, we first need to know what it is we want. Easier said than done, right? Well, sure. But once we have done that, then finding the right one may not be that hard a task.

Another interesting book to read while recuperating from a break up is "The Breakup Repair Kit: How to Heal Your Broken Heart." Written by Marni Kamins and Janice MacLeod, the book can be best summed up as a breakup encyclopedia. It details eight stages of healing after the breakup and how we can survive all these stages. And because depression is a common stage after breakups, the book also provides ways on how to detect and overcome it.

One of the more famous books about breakups is the one involving Bridget Jones. In this novel by Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones - a thirty-something singe working woman living in London - writes about her career, self-image, vices, family, friends and romantic relationships. She writes about her painful breakup with her boss and how she was able to find the relationship she needs in the person of Mark Darcy.

If you are the business-minded type who prefers to talk about relationships as deals, then Deal Breakers may just be the book you need. The author, Dr. Bethany Marshall, explains that the term deal breaker is the "one non-negotiable term that, if agreed to, means the deal is off." In the world of relationships, Dr. Marshall opines that identifying your deal breaker has a lot of advantages as it holds out the promise of helping you understand why the relationship ended, where it went wrong and what you need to do to avoid making the same mistakes.

There are many more books to choose from but when reading through them, you have to understand the importance of putting all you have learned into action. It will be hard in the beginning but the rewards are promising.

Depression - Warning Signs and Symptoms

Depression is a major disorder these days, according to statistics 16% of population in the US is depressed and these numbers are steadily rising, making it one of the main causes of other disabilities that accompany depression. It is predicted that by 2020 it will be the second major disorder. Depression is not a mere phase of feeling low and unhappy, it causes serious disruption in a person's day to day life affecting those around him as well. A person suffering from this horrible disease not only has disorderly mental behavior but is also affected physically taking their life totally off-track. Here are the symptoms of depression, but it is important to remember that experiencing these for a few days doesn't mean that someone is depressed, if these are witnessed for some time then only it's a cause of concern and medication is advised immediately.

Here are the major warning signs of depression:

1) Mood: A person suffering from depression is bound to feel low and unhappy, with a sheer feeling of emptiness and loss of motivation to go ahead with the regular day to day activities.
2) Withdrawal from interests and hobbies: Loss of interest in the activities otherwise found pleasurable is also a huge sign.
3) Agitated or Retarded behavior: Depressed people often show marked change in their general behavior, they either get easily perturbed or irritated or become slow and lethargic.
4) Change in sleep pattern: Insomnia might set in; some people also tend to feel sleepier and might sleep a lot more than they usually do.
5) Feelings of Guilt and dejection: People suffering from depression often feel worthless and unwanted, as if there are just burdening the people around them
6) Fatigue: This is one of the most glaring signs; there is a loss of energy as if the patient doesn't even have enough strength to go from day to day activities.
7) Loss of concentration: Patients are not able to concentrate on any activity and are often indecisive and unable to think, like everything is absolutely out of hand.
8) Suicidal thoughts: A depressed person might repeatedly get thoughts about death and ending their life. Living might get so burdensome for them that thoughts of death would bring solace; hence a patient should always be kept under strict observation.
9) Weight Changes: There might be a fluctuation in the body weight of a patient, gain or loss of 5% or more in a month is alarming.
10) Pains and aches: A depressed person might often have aches or pains without any explainable reason.

How to Handle Depression

A friend of mine recently went through an intense breakup, and he has since spiraled into a pretty heavy state of depression. He has told me that facing the winter as a single person terrifies him, and since he feels helpless to do anything about it, he has sunk into depression. From what I can tell, he is starting to show some of the 7 symptoms of depression such as a sullen mood, lack of energy, and loss of appetite. This last one is particularly serious because he also happens to be diabetic. He started to show the signs of depression almost immediately after he and his girlfriend broke up.

This is actually a fairly common cause of depression among men and women. It has been reported that depression rates tend to be higher in the divorced and separated, while lower for people in relationships. This does not mean that folks in relationships can not get depressed; it is just that the data seems to suggest that the number of occurrences is lower. In some cases a person may not know if they are depressed or not, and may submit to a depression test to see if they have any and all of the major symptoms. If they do, then they will usually have some options as to how to treat it. Some folks take drugs, others see a therapist, while others do both.

Men and women experience depression differently. For married men symptoms of depression may begin to show if they feel like they are failing their family. Many men feel that the best way they can have fulfillment is if they can adequately provide for their family. To reverse the situation, it may be that the same man has a full time job, but he hates it. In this case, signs of depression may begin to show because he feels trapped in a place that he abhors, but feels it is his duty to remain in.

For women, there are a variety of factors as well that can lead to depression. Postpartum depression can be major event for a woman to go through. One important thing for any woman to keep in mind is that postpartum depression is not a disorder, and is actually quite natural. There are, of course, cases where the depression is overwhelming for the new mother, and they may choose to seek treatment for it. Another issue that can lead to depression in a woman is when they enter into menopause. This is another case wherein they do not have a disorder, but are going through a natural process for the female body.

In short, both men and women can experience depression, and in some cases for very different reasons. It can be from a loss of a job, to a long stretch of unemployment. Or it can be from biological processes taking place in the body. There are cases, though, where depression is actually based on a chemical imbalance in the depressed person that may require drugs and therapy to overcome.

What is Bipolar Anxiety - Is Bipolar Anxiety Dangerous?

As defined in Wikipedia: "Bipolar anxiety or disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood clinically referred to as mania or, if milder, hypomania. Individuals who experience manic episodes also commonly experience depressive episodes or symptoms, or mixed episodes in which features of both mania and depression are present at the same time. These episodes are usually separated by periods of "normal" mood, but in some individuals, depression and mania may rapidly alternate, known as rapid cycling. Extreme manic episodes can sometimes lead to psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations."

Explanation of the above paragraph in plain English:
For most people there are times when they feel anxious or stressed. This is a normal occurrence in our lives at some point in time. This type of anxiety or stress is not usually harmful. For those who let the anxiety take over their lives the situation can become serious if not properly treated and dealt with.

For some they experience depression and mood swings that become quite severe. It affects their thinking and can interfere with their personal relationships. They may have difficulty concentrating and performing their daily duties. Those people may be suffering from bipolar anxiety.

It is not uncommon for someone who suffers from severe anxiety to also be bipolar. The combination of these two disorders can be devastating to their lives. They may find that if they suffer from bipolar anxiety they will not be able to hold down a job or contribute anything to friendships they have formed with others. It is very important for those who suffer from bipolar anxiety get help to overcome the problem. Only then will they be able to live a normal and happy life.

Most people who are bipolar will also suffer from anxiety. It seems the two most often go together. It is often difficult for doctors to diagnose bipolar anxiety because either disorder can mimic the other.

If you suffer from panic attacks and experience significant fear, followed by periods of severe depression it is a good sign that you suffer from bipolar anxiety. Often symptoms will develop in children and grow worse with age.

A person who suffers from bipolar anxiety may find that it is difficult to get a good night's sleep. They may experience fear that they will not wake up or that something bad will happen to them while they are asleep. They may go to great lengths to avoid sleeping because of their fear. Often those who suffer from bipolar anxiety will pace the floor to ward off the sleep.

People who suffer from bipolar anxiety may also attempt to commit suicide because they feel this is the only way to get out of their situation. Many feel that life is hopeless and nothing is going to get any better for them. If the disorder gets this bad it is extremely important to get help.

You may need to consult your doctor to get the help you need to cope with both bipolar and anxiety. Often medication can be of considerable help. You should also find a friend or a coach that you can confide in. Talking your way through and episode may help give you the confidence you need to take control.

Try to determine what causes you to feel anxious or depressed. Often you will find that there are certain triggers that bring on an attack. Recognizing those triggers can help you to either avoid them or prepare for them. The worst thing that you can do is to try and keep everything bottled up inside.

Many people also find that certain relaxation techniques will be very helpful in combating the symptoms of a bipolar anxiety attack. Deep breathing exercises may help because it takes your mind off of what is bothering you. Taking a walk can also help. Getting outside and enjoying nature is a great way to relax and take stock of your life.

If you suffer from bipolar anxiety the worst thing you can do is nothing. Seek the help that you need to help you deal with the problem. In the end you will be glad you did.

Medical Alert Systems Allow Seniors To Preserve Their Sense Of Independence

Sadly, approximately 2 million seniors living in the United States have been diagnosed with one or multiple depressive disorders. One of the leading causes of this depression has been linked to a lack of independence. In fact, approximately half of seniors who are living in an assisted living or nursing home facility have exhibited major signs of depression. Although not all nursing homes or assisted living facilities are bad institutions, it is a well known fact that with government cut backs and the rising cost of health care, patients in many nursing homes are not given the proper care to help them flourish and try to move forward with the rest of their life. For the most part, the aim is to keep them quiet, comfortable and alive. This means that they receive nothing more, nothing less than just the required care. Outside recreation, trips to places around town and regular time to themselves are necessary activities to keep a senior feeling happy and independent, but they are typically not part of the regular package of nursing home endeavors. Not being able to go about their days with a certain level of autonomy is a definite way to lead them into a depressed state.

One way to help seniors to regain their independence is to allow them to live at home. However, with the high cost of home health care, and the rarity of being able to have a family member stay at the home full-time, sometimes leaving a senior alone in their home is just not an option. They may have limited mobility, or other health issues that require someone to look in on them regularly. However, their health issues could strike at any time, and if they are alone when this happens, it could have much more dire or even deadly consequences. This will often lead to family members reluctantly placing their loved one in a nursing home or assisted living care facility, not always realizing that there are actually some less expensive options that will allow seniors to remain at home with limited home health care and supervision.

An option to help add more peace of mind to the situation is to invest in a medical alert system. A medical alert system will allow the senior to move about their home and go about their everyday activities with a sense of pride and a lack of fear. If an accident does occur, they will be wearing a medical alert bracelet, necklace or pendant that will allow them to call for help immediately if something were to happen. By having a medical alert system in the home to help seniors regain their autonomy, they will be able to see a rise in their self-esteem and a preserved sense of independence. This is a completely priceless feeling for a senior who may have previously been depressed, stuck in a nursing home, just hoping to make it through the day.

Common Symptoms of Depression in Seniors

Identifying that a senior is depressed is the first step to find out why they are feeling that way. Although a lack of independence is one of the top reasons why seniors suffer from depression, other factors may be involved, so it is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms seniors may face, so that it may become easier to diagnose the root of their issue. Here are some of the most common signs of depression in seniors:

- An inability to sleep for a normal period of time during the night
- Constant sad mood where little-to-no change in mood ever occurs
- Complaining about their physical health constantly
- Contemplation of suicide
- Lack of appetite
- Feeling guilty over the past
- Increased forgetfulness
- Bitterness, Irritability
- Lack of energy
- Crying or tearing up without reason
- Inability to concentrate for more than a few moments at a time

Knowing the common symptoms will make it simpler to identify if a senior is in a depressed state or suffering from extreme depression and then work out that best way to help them move past it.

Lack of Independence As a Leading Cause of Senior Depression

Indeed, a lack of independence is one of the leading cause of depression in seniors. For 75% of those never returned to an independent lifestyle, end-of-life depression sets in which is not at all common in seniors, unless they are actually experiencing a terminal condition. This is a type of depression that sets in for many people when they find out they have a terminal illness and there is not much time left for them. For seniors that are not terminally ill, end-of-life depression has been linked to seniors that are living in nursing homes or assisted living facilities with little-to-no independent activities available to them.

In these cases, it is vital that the senior is moved to another location or brought home. When this is not possible, and the senior has to continue living in a place that takes so much autonomy away from them they might exhibit signs of depression, this is not a good situation. Often, end-of-life depression can lead to the end of someone's life.

The Role of a Medical Alert System in Providing Independence, Reducing Depression

A medical alert system can reduce depression by providing independence to those who use it. If a senior is experiencing depression while in a nursing home or assisted living facility, moving home and regaining their independence is a great way to combat that and help them begin to cope and possibly beat their depression. Sometimes hiring a home health nurse is out of reach financially, so a medical alert system to help provide peace of mind and a regained level of independence is a great alternative.

The Number 1 Thing To Do To Be Happier

Regardless of how much we feel we know ourselves, it is always insightful to learn something about ourselves; be it our character, our personality and our drives. Happiness begins with knowing your personality well. A good personality test provides you with details of your strengths and weaknesses, and tells you what influenced your personality and which people suit you best.

Personality tests improve your relationships and increase your happiness. Without a doubt when you have a good relationship with yourself and then with others, your happiness is bound to increase. There are things we may or may not know about ourselves or maybe we may have had an inkling about; a personality test is a fun but scientific way to get valuable information about ourselves and pointers on how to advance our lives and be happier.

As you live you go through different life phases, a personality test has the benefit of showing you which goals and values currently guide you. That is useful because at every phase in your life, you want to know your goals and guiding principles and walk in the direction in which you will live your best life with happiness.

Having a happy relationship that is healthy is one of the core elements for a happy and fulfilled life. Most of the time though we know our partner or significant other, there are still underlying needs we need to know better. A personality test helps you understand your relationship needs and the relationship needs of your partner. It provides you with expert relationship advice to enable you experience happiness and fulfilment in your life and in relationships. Essentially personality tests provide you with tools and guides to improve your relationships and increase your happiness.

You also get to understand your needs better, and which environment and lifestyle suits you best. This is especially useful so that you live all aspects of your life true to yourself. For instance if an entrepreneurial lifestyle suits you better and you get to understand this from a personality test, presented with the option, you would go with the lifestyle that suits you better.

A personality test would also give you an understanding of what makes you happy and an understanding of your primary motivations so that you could start living and making conscious choices around what makes you happy. A personality test gives you the tools you need to live a more fulfilled life.

Career-wise you would gain information about what kind of career suits your personality and which interaction style you prefer. It is also always helpful to know your challenge areas so that you could work towards leveraging them to your advancement and your advantage. You get to understand your strengths and weaknesses that are not apparent and you are able to utilize your strengths knowingly and to leverage your weakness areas and also work on them.

This has implications for how you live the rest of your life starting from this moment. It will guide changes and inform what you pursue and how you do so. Personality tests help people direct their energies to live with authenticity, living their best lives.

H Pylori - How H Pylori Causes Vitamin B12 Deficiency That May Lead to Depression and Fatigue

Scientific research suggests that H pylori can cause vitamin B12 deficiency. This may be one of the reasons why patients feel tired, depressed or anxious as a result of having chronic H pylori infection. It may also explain why some patients also struggle with headaches and migraines that disappear when H pylori bacteria are eradicated.

Unfortunately, conventionally trained medical professionals tend not to associate digestive infections with symptoms outside the gut. But anything that disrupts the proper digestion and absorption of food has the potential to cause nutritional deficiencies which, themselves can cause problems in any and every area of the body.

H pylori is known to have the ability to cause autoimmune reactions against the parietal cells of the stomach. These parietal cells are very important because they make and secrete stomach acid and intrinsic factor - a substance that is needed for vitamin B12 absorption - into the stomach.

Stomach acid helps to break down food, releasing vitamins and minerals from the food you eat so that your body can absorb them. Intrinsic factor is absolutely critical for the absorption of vitamin B12. In fact, you can take as many vitamin B12 pills as you want, but without intrinsic factor you will not be able to absorb them.

Therefore, anything that slows down or prevents the production of stomach acid and intrinsic factor can cause symptoms associated with vitamin B12 deficiency.

If you have H pylori and it is causing problems related to parietal cell function, there is a good chance that you are going to have low stomach acid levels and decreased intrinsic factor secretion.

Antacid medications such as Omeprazole, Pantoprazole and other members of the proton pump inhibitor family of drugs can also shut down stomach acid production. H2 blockers and over the counter medications can also suppress acid production.

This acid suppression is an important consideration because the antacids drugs are commonly prescribed to treat the heartburn and reflux symptoms commonly experienced with H pylori.

Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Deficiency in vitamin B12 is know to cause neurological symptoms, some of which can be serious. The brain commands the nervous system so inadequate vitamin B12 may lead to a range of symptoms:
Fatigue
Depression
Poor memory
Irritability
Behavioural and Personality Disorders

When Helicobacter pylori and other digestive infections are present, these neurological symptoms may or may not be accompanied by digestive symptoms. In other words, you can have H pylori and feel tired and depressed, but you may not have the common digestive symptoms that lead doctors to recommend testing and treatment.

Many symptoms can develop elsewhere in the body as a result of the collateral damage that is being done by stomach and intestinal infections.

Other Causes of B12 Deficiency

Whilst H pylori can certainly contribute to vitamin B12 deficiency and its associated symptoms, it is not the only cause. Other causes include:

Inadequate dietary intake of vitamin B12, especially in vegetarian and vegan diets.
Surgical removal of the small bowel due to chronic or serious disease.
Genetic polymorphisms (e.g. MTHFR)
Gluten intolerance and celiac disease.
Chronic intestinal infestation by the fish tapeworm, which competes for vitamin B12 for its own use.
Bacterial overgrowth in parts of the small bowel are thought to be able to absorb B12, making it unavailable to the body.
Some studies have shown that Giardia infestation can also lead to the malabsorption of vitamin B12. Giardia parasites can coat the small intestine and often result in fatigue in addition to classic diarrhoea symptoms.
Chronic alcohol abuse.

Treatment of B12 Deficiency

The medical approach to the treatment of B12 deficiency would typically be to prescribe B12 supplements (sprays, pills, sublingual drops) or injections. These treatment options may bring benefit and many patients will testify that B12 repletion has improved their quality of life considerably.

But when you look at the true underlying causes of the deficiency, it becomes apparent that a more holistic view to treating B12 deficiency is likely to bring better results.

Simply taking B12 supplements really does not address the underlying cause of the problem. Taking B12 on its own does not address low stomach acid or intrinsic factor levels, H pylori, parasites and other reasons why the deficiency occurred in the first place.

The Functional Medicine Approach To B12 Deficiency

I functional medicine, we look to address symptoms from the root cause. We do not simply recommend taking medications or supplements to mask the symptoms.

We have identified several possible causes of vitamin B12 deficiency and so it makes sense to address all the possible causes in addition to using B12 to top up levels. When we do use B12 supplements, we make sure they are taken under the tongue so that they absorbed better.

Testing & Assessing Vitamin B12 Levels

It is possible to check vitamin B12 levels in a blood sample and this will certainly provide useful information. A blood test is available from your doctor.

In order to perform its functions, vitamin B12 must move out of the blood and into the tissues of the body. Therefore, we also use urine testing called Organic Acid testing to evaluate B12 levels in our clients.

The advantage of this testing is that it tells us whether certain key metabolic pathways are being blocked because there is not enough vitamin B12.

Research cited in several textbooks has now informed us that Organic Acid testing is able to detect B12 deficiency at a much earlier stage than basic blood testing.

Make no mistake, H pylori and other factors that disrupt digestion can cause vitamin B12 deficiency and make you feel depressed, anxious and tired. If you know you have H pylori and you are suffering with these symptoms, be aware that simply eliminating H pylori may not be enough. You may need to have your B12 status checked and corrected, along with other nutrients such as B6 and folic acid.

If you have already been tested for B12 levels and have been told they are too low, it would be advisable for you to get checked for H pylori, gluten intolerance, celiac disease and other potential causes of the deficiency. If you do not do this it may be very hard to correct your symptoms.

Finally, if B12 capsules or tablets are not working for you, try sublingual drops or injections under the care of a qualified professional.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Causes, Symptoms, and Relief

Irritable Bowel Syndrome affects about 54 million people in the United States, or about 20% of the population. It is an intestinal disorder with no indications of disease, but which for unknown reasons causes discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, cramping, gas and mild to severe pain in the abdomen. The pain of IBS can vary from a throbbing "internal bruising" feeling to sharp cramping sensations. Patients often complain that it feels like they got punched in the stomach or stepped on by an elephant. IBS is not known to lead to any other diseases, but can be inconvenient at best.

IBS is a general term to describe general irregular bowel functions that do not show up during examinations, blood tests or x-rays according to the FDA. Yet doctors know that it exists and that it is not completely psychological as previously believed. The National Institute of Health say that people who live with IBS simply have more sensitive digestive tracts. Their colons are more likely to react to stimulus than other adults or children with normal colons. IBS "attacks" can be triggered by eating greasy or fatty foods, some kinds of dairy products, certain medications, depression, gas, stress, lack of exercise, and even by eating raisins or corn.

An FDA report quotes many IBS research subjects as saying that the disorder has affected their everyday life. One teacher in Connecticut told them that she had to give up teaching in a classroom because her condition prevented her from being able to stay with the kids all day. She even purchased a van to give her more "privacy in her time of need" and keeps a fresh pair of underwear, anti-diarrheal tablets and other emergency items in there just in case.

Constipation is also an effect of IBS. Some adults and children have reported not having a bowel movement for up to 10 days at times. When they finally go to the bathroom, it is extremely painful and rectal bleeding often occurs. In both cases of diarrhea and constipation episodes, severe pain usually occurs. This is why this disorder can, and often is, mistaken for other spastic colon disorders such as colitis. While both conditions usually cause spasms in the colon, only colitis causes inflammation. IBS does not. Dr. Marvin Shuster, a gastroenterologist from Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center states that "Irritable bowel syndrome is the most suitable and accurate term... because it emphasizes that the condition is a motor disorder manifesting irritability (that) involves many areas of the gut."

Humans' digestive system has a nervous system that is separate from the brain and does not depend on the brain in order to function properly. Instead, according to Marcelo A. Barreiro, M.D. of the FDA's gastrointestinal division, the intestines "respond to its inputs under various conditions." He also says that in patients with IBS, the central nervous system (controlled by the brain) and the gastrointestinal nervous system are "out of sync". This means that if an individual is under particularly heavy stress, then the brain may send a conflicting message to the intestines that invokes irritability within the digestive system.

Treatments

Unfortunately, because IBS affects everyone in different ways there is no "cure-all" treatment.

There used to be a medication for IBS called Lotronex. However, it was taken off the shelf just 10 months after being released due to serious side effects and sometimes deaths related to the drug. FDA reports being concerned about mild to moderate damage occurring in the intestines due to reduced blood flow and obstructions and/or ruptures in the intestinal wall.

Other antispasmodic medications are being used to treat IBS especially when other treatments don't work. IBS sufferers should always try to manage their disorder with a high-fiber diet, lots of water and regular exercise. Also, individuals with IBS should avoid certain foods like dairy, cabbage, beans, sorbitol, artificial sweeteners and fructose. But most of the time, that just isn't enough.

Probiotic supplements (a safe alternative to yogurt for individuals who are sensitive to dairy products) are an effective way to reduce gas and harmful bacteria. Although, most healthcare practitioners don't recommend even bothering with probiotic treatments unless you have done a colon cleanse first. While probiotics can promote good bacteria in the intestines, it doesn't do anything for the build up of plaque and waste along your intestinal walls.

Colon Cleansing has been praised as an all natural, safe and very effective way to deal with IBS on all ends of the spectrum from constipation to diarrhea. Using colon cleansers containing psyllium or psyllimax is the best way "reset" your colon and get it back to normal quickly. A good colon cleanser such as Dr. Floras Colon Cleanse, will only take about 14 days to work and users will start seeing improvements in their condition in about 7-10 days.

Colon cleansing will relieve the bloating, water retention and cramping associated with IBS as well as some other symptoms that you didn't even know were related like headaches, acne and fatigue. This is why many doctors and healthcare practitioners recommend that everyone use colon cleansers for good colon health; because it is a safe and effective way to clean out the waste build-up that can accumulate in the intestines. This build-up can cause health problems such as IBS, diarrhea, constipation, cancer, fatigue and even promote the attachment and growth of parasites.

IBS is a difficult disorder to live with especially since an effective treatment can be difficult to find among individuals. However, with good diet, exercise, plenty of water, and regular colon cleansing it can be managed.

A Book Review: Overcoming Arthritis - Holistic Treatments for Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and CFS

As with other books I have reviewed (Iodine and Overcoming Thyroid Disorders), Brownstein provides his readers with valuable information regarding the nature of a number of related conditions including arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and others. He explains the various symptoms and underlying causes. Based on the particular underlying causes, he uses a combination of therapies including natural hormones, vitamins and minerals, allergy elimination, detoxification, diet and water.

One unique aspect of his approach to treating arthritis is that he has observed a connection between arthritis and infection. So in addition to a number of natural therapies, he may combine with them a low dose of antibiotics. He listed a number of diseases that he suspects of having an infectious etiology (cause): Rheumatoid Arthritis, Scleroderma, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Gulf War Syndrome, Vasculitis, Reither's Syndrome, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Graves Disease, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Polymyositis, Juvenile Arthritis, Sjogren's Syndrome, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. In addition, he lists 14 different infectious causes of arthritis.

From the Greek, arthritis means inflammation of the joints. Also a chronic disorder, fibromyalgia is a condition of poor sleep, muscle pain, stiffness and tender trigger points on the body. Those with fibromyalgia often have the diagnosis of other disorders including arthritis and chronic fatigue syndrome. Chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms include: impairment of short-term memory or concentration, sore throat, tender cervical or axillary nodes, muscle pain, multi joint pain without redness or swelling, headaches of a new pattern or severity, unrefreshing sleep, and postexertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours.

Brownstein tests his patients' hormonal levels (thyroid, adrenal, ovarian and testicular), for infection, nutritional deficiencies, heavy metal toxicity and allergies. Dr. Brownstein devotes two chapters on Natural Hormones and refers the reader to his own book, The Miracles of Natural Hormones.

In his chapter on diet, he talks of the macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates and proteins) and points out how Americans have become obese from the pyramid recommendation of low fat and high carbohydrate diet. (Now replaced with http://www.ChooseMyPlate.gov). While he does not agree with Dr. Barry Sears in every point, he recommends much of what he says in Enter the Zone. Brownstein also recommends Sally Fallon's treatment of dietary fats in her book, Nourishing Traditions.

Dr. Brownstein refers to a study that lists the food allergies that can cause arthritic symptoms (listed from most frequent to less frequent): Corn, Wheat, Pork, Oranges, Milk, Oats, Rye, Egg, Beef and Coffee. Environmental allergies include animals, pollens from trees, grass, weeds etc., chemicals and others. He uses NAET (Nambudripod's Allergy Elimination Technique) to diagnosis and treat allergies. It is a combination of applied kinesiology and acupuncture. I believe that allergies may result from consuming these foods or from ingredients used in the growth/production of these foods. There may be multiple reasons why this happens.

Further, Dr. Brownstein outlines general guidelines for nutritional supplements and ways to detox heavy metals. Truly, Brownstein's approach to arthritis and related conditions is holistic, in that it is comprehensive.

In addition to his own extensive medical practice and the data he has gathered over the years, he references other esteemed medical colleagues. In his chapter on Water, he recommends and quotes: F. Batmanghelidj, M.D author of Your Body's Many Cries for Water and ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus. Further, he references Jonathan V. Wright M.D. who wrote the Foreword of this book and is author of numerous books. Throughout the book, Brownstein gives ample case studies to illustrate his approach. He also quotes Thomas Edison who said, "The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest the patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."

Books mentioned in the review can be purchased on http://www.amazon.com.

Hypoglycemia and Depression - How Can My Diet Make Me Depressed?

Hypoglycemia and depression do go hand in hand, so if you're hypoglycemic you could find yourself experiencing depression for no apparent reason. Depression is a relentless state of sadness, hopelessness or despair that is so serious it can impact on ones ability to function properly or carry out essential day to day activities. A lot people suffering from Hypoglycemia tend to go from doctor to doctor, and from psychologist to psychologist seeking the root cause of their depression, at the same time ignoring one fundamental and very probable cause of their negative feelings - their diet.

A lot of hypoglycemics that are wrongly diagnosed as being manic depressive, they are frequently given really strong and powerful anti-depressants, when all that is required is a change in their diet for them to feel better. So diet is key to managing this type of depression, and by eliminating sugars, refined carbohydrates and other foods that induce havoc in their body chemistry, virtually all hypoglycemics will feel a positive quick change in their negative mind set.

But how can my diet make me depressed?

Numerous nutritionists and researchers have reasoned that over eating of the wrong kinds of foods will cause havoc on your body chemistry and among the side effects is depression. Sugars, and refined carbohydrates can give you a high, raising your mood temporarily. Nevertheless when the effects of these foods have worn away you will find your self feeling lower than earlier. Consume excessively and you will find yourself stuck in a vicious addictive circle. Are you saying that my diet is the cause all of my negative feelings of depression?

Whilst Hypoglycemia can stimulate depression I am not suggesting that everybody who experiences depression is actually hypoglycemic. Depression is a separate condition suffered by many people, and in a lot of cases prescribed medication might be what is required. Even so prior to embarking on any course of powerful anti-depressants, it is crucial that your diet is as fresh as possible, in order to get a precise idea of how much of your depression is connected to your Hypoglycemia.

How to Spot and Treat Ongoing Depression

When it comes to depression, treating it can range from a cocktail of medications to something as simple as increasing the amount of exercise you're getting. To learn more about clinical depression and how it's treated, keep reading.

Identifying Clinical Depression

Feeling down in the dumps or a little blue is very normal. However, if these feelings of sadness or desperation continue for a period longer than two weeks or start to interfere with your day-to-day life, then it may be time to seek professional help.

Because depression can adversely affect your physical health and possibly lead to thoughts of suicide, it's considered a very dangerous and sometimes deadly condition.

To identify clinical depression, doctors look for signs of sadness, melancholy, impatience, trouble concentrating, a withdrawal from life and regular activities, weight loss or weight gain, excessive drinking or drug abuse, decreased sex drive, poor self-esteem, self-deprecating thoughts or behavior, thoughts of suicide, hopelessness, a feeling of overbearing built and problems sleeping.

Causes of Depression

Unfortunately, depression doesn't have one simple cause that can just be rooted out and done away with. This disease will vary with each individual, but can often be triggered by a stressful event like the death of a family member, a family tragedy or a financial or career crisis. Depression is also linked to certain health issues, both physical and mental.

Depression - Treating It

First, the doctor needs to diagnose clinical depression. Once a diagnosis is reached, he or she must then establish the extent of the depression and its root causes. With some cases of depression, your doctor may simply recommend a better diet and increased exercise. With other more severe forms of depression, a patient is often referred to a therapist and prescribed certain antidepressants and other drugs.

Conventional treatment of depression involves protecting the patient from self-harm, relieving the symptoms and preventing recurrence. A combination of therapy that includes psychotherapy, nutrition and lifestyle changes, plus medication as needed tends to work best.

Diet and Lifestyle Changes

If you're suffering from depression, something as simple as getting regular exercise, drinking lots of water and eating a healthy diet can do wonders for your mental health. As your body and physical health improve, so may your mental health. In addition, exercise and many healthy foods are proven to boost serotonin levels, therefore improving the mood.

Common Medications

Typically, the drugs used in depression treating are called Selective Serotoninc Re-Uptake Inhibitors (SSRI's), and there are hundreds of them on the market, both branded and generic. The common side effects of these anti-depressants include decreased sex drive, nervous system problems, gastrointestinal issues and weight gain.

The Ups And Downs Of Depression

Clinical depression is known to impact the lives of one out of every six people in their lifetime. But the sad reality is that the medical community still does not entirely understand exactly what causes depression to occur in one person and not in another.

Yes, we do know that depression is hereditary.

Depression can often be found to run throughout the generations of the same family invading the DNA molecules which make up a particular family's genes. This causes the family members to be more susceptible to depression.

However, there is another school of thought that says perhaps the real reason we see depression run in families is that it is also environmental in that it all depends on how the children are raised. If they see the affects of depression encroaching on the lives of their family and they see the results then they will learn to deal with life the very same way.

Even though we are quite clear that depression runs in families, depression is also seen in those without any family history. Stress resulting from a variety of issues, trauma, or even prescription medications or illegal drugs have all been known to cause depression.

Riding the ups and downs of depression can leave you even more exhausted that the last wave of depression you faced. Depression is known to run in cycles. You may feel completely fine one day and the next day you may be completely and utterly unable to get yourself out of the bed and out of your night clothes. The dramatic ranges of emotions are well documented in cases of depression.

Many healthcare providers and scientist alike believe that many suffering with depression manifest a chemical imbalance of Norepinephrine and Serotonin which are the feel good neurotransmitters found in the central nervous system and in the brain.

These neurotransmitters work to help control feelings of happiness and well being. The neurotransmitter Norepinephrine is thought to be a stress hormone; while Serotonin is thought to control hunger, overall moods, sleep and sexual feelings.
When these chemicals get out of whack they are thought to cause depression.

So if you think about it, when these neurotransmitters are out of balance it only makes sense that the roller coaster ride of depression would result. As these levels of these chemical rises and falls thereto go the emotions and feelings associated with them.

The real question is why do some people experience peaks and valleys with their chemical make up while others seem to be more stable. Again, it begs the question is it really the environment in which you were raised or is it truly the ebb and flow of the neurotransmitters that alter feelings causing the dramatic impact of depression.

Do you mirror your family because that is all you know how to do, it is the only way you know to respond or is it that you are genetically and chemically bound to your family and because of that simply have no choice of being impacted by depression.

We need more research and time to study this issue before there is a definitive answer. What we do know is that regardless of the reason why, we do know that depression tends to run in families and if you have a family member that has dealt with the issue then you should be aware of the possibility that you too could be fighting the same battle one day.

Be aware, seek help early and learn what you can do in order to prevent depression before it takes control of your life.

How to Deal With Depression the Easy Way

Depression is an unsound mental health condition that spares nobody. Depression can alter a persons actions and can easily be seen by the way he does the things he usually does. It can affect sleeping and eating habits, as well as how he thinks and deals with others. This mental condition is often behind a persons pessimism and sudden loss of self-assurance. A person afflicted by depression isolates himself from his social network.

Depression changes a persons social skills and makes it hard for him to relate with other people. The person will eventually develop pessimism and become short-tempered. His hopelessness will become visible by the way he interacts with other people. When this is already happening, one must know on how to deal with depression.

Many people do not know how to deal with depression. It was perceived that depression is just a normal episode in our everyday life. Knowing how to deal with depression must always begin in figuring out the signs of depression. Various perceptible indications of depression are weight loss or gain, changes in the usual appetite, insomnia or excessive sleeping, low self-esteem, feeling of insignificance and desperation, loss of interest in the activities he is fond of doing, short-tempered, loss of focus, short attention span, chronic low energy, obvious cynicism and melancholy. When these are being manifested by somebody you know, that person might be down with depression.

All of us must find out how to deal with depression. This will help in the swift recovery of the person tormented by depression whether it is you or somebody that is valuable to you. As soon as you figure out that the person in suffering from depression, you can help them get the available treatments in the market. These will also help you and educate you on how to deal with depression. Here are some ways you can help a person suffering from depression.

a. Foster compassionate relationships. Love and support from the patients social circle is important in curing depression. Seclusion is one of the most noticeable signs of depression, when seclusion takes place the link and interaction with the social network ends. Steady contact and activities are imperative in helping a person recuperate from depression. It helps deflect the persons attention and thoughts away from constructiveness.

b. Do not abandon yourself. Take care of yourself by doing the things that you take pleasure in. Help yourself and do not just depend on others in helping you pull through from depression. The will to get out of that state is very critical. This comprises not just the mental but the physical and emotional facets as well. Allot appropriate hours for sleep, watch your diet by eating the right foods and treat yourself often.

c. Engage in habitual exercise. Exercise generates endorphins. Endorphins are chemical matters that are being produced by the pituitary gland when a person needs to stop pain. These chemical substances are believed to be tied to production of hormones that makes people happy and in control with their sense of being.

d. Throw away Pessimism. The pessimism destroys all hopes left in a person and results to heavier depression. Instead of brooding in negativity, indulge yourself with positive energy. Surround yourself with people who will bring positive aura in your life. Think of beautiful thoughts by thinking only of positive things. Become more productive and not destructive. When you are depressed you also affect other people negatively.

Depression is not impossible to cure. The first step in how to deal with depression must always start with acceptance. Accept that you cannot do things by yourself and that there are things beyond your means. Do not lose hope, it is always the last thread that keeps man from succumbing to depression.

How To Deal With The Stigma Associated With A Depressive Illness

Many people who suffer with depression feel ashamed or guilty about giving in to this disorder, this is especially so for someone who experiences depression for the first time in their lives. These feelings of guilt and shame are brought about by the way society in general looks on depressive illnesses, many non sufferers feel it is all in the head and that it is easy to just " snap out of it", other people look on anyone suffering a depressive illness as being "mad" believing as the Victorians did that they should be locked away for the sake of society. This stigma will often prevent a sufferer from seeking help, believing they have to keep their feelings a secret, this will only increase the severity of the disorder and prolong their suffering.

Below is a list of alternate ways of seeing a depressive illness which will hopefully help a person suffering depression to deal with the stigma associated with the disorder and maybe help non sufferers to see the illness in a different light too.

• Depression is a real illness - just as your body can become ill so can your mind, mind and body are one entity. There is no stigma with a physical illness such as heart disease or cancer so why should we think differently about an illness of the mind


• Suffering a depressive illness doesn't mean you will have it for life - it is a treatable disease the same as any physical ailment


• Not many people will go through life without ever suffering a mental trauma - all sorts of problems occur from personal or financial stress to bereavement or marriage breakdown. All these issues will affect us mentally, depression is not unique, anyone can suffer from it at anytime in their lives


• If we suffer a broken leg we would seek help and treatment - in the same way we should seek help for our broken mind, they are both treatable ailments


• Depression is not our fault - we have not done anything wrong and suffering a mental disorder is not a punishment

Hopefully, the above statements will help someone suffering depression or other mental health issues to realise it is not their fault, it is an illness like any other and is completely treatable. There should be no feelings of guilt or shame and help and treatment should be sought at the earliest opportunity.

The more acceptance there is of mental illness the more it will be understood and it will become less and less stigmatised over time.

穢 Andrew Tudor Jones

Rejecting the Bipolar Disorder Test and Going For a Proper Conclusion Instead

Unfortunately, there's no simple, quick and easy test to diagnose people suspected of experiencing bipolar disorder. In fact, this ailment isn't even a single disorder. Rather, it's a term used to describe a number of mood disorders that are identified by mania or manic episodes, bouts of depression, and possibly psychotic episodes. One of or all the above can be present, making a simple and easy test for the disorder difficult to put together.

Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder

A psychiatrist will typically base a bipolar disorder diagnosis on the patient's own descriptions of their behavior and feelings. They may also use feedback from family and friends of the patient along with their own observations of the patient.

To be diagnosed, an individual must meet a certain list of requirements.

Tests to Determine its Presence

Though a medical professional may administer a psychological bipolar test - weighing the patient's symptoms against various criteria for diagnosing the disease - there is no single test that can nail an accurate analysis. There is also no biological test for determining whether a patient has the disorder.

The said, doctors may still administer certain physical tests to ensure that a patient's symptoms are not being caused by a possible medical problem. For example, a brain tumor or lesion can often cause a sudden change in behavior patterns that could be mistaken for bipolar disorder.

And though there are no definitive physical or biological tests for this disorder, there have been advances in the field. The Mayo Clinic is currently developing an MRSI method that seeks out and pinpoints particular patterns of metabolic activity in the brain that are common to people with bipolar mood disorder.

Misdiagnosis of Symptoms

There are several diseases that are commonly mistaken for bipolar disorder. These include schizoaffective disorder, drug abuse, drug-induced psychosis, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder.

How the Condition is Classified

Once diagnosed through various clinical and psychological tests, bipolar disorders are often classified into one of four groupings. These include:

Bipolar I: In Bipolar I, a patient must have experienced at least one manic episode. This manic episode is not required to be accompanied by or followed by an episode of depression.

Bipolar II: Bipolar II is identified by more hypomanic episodes than typical manic expressions. The patient must have also exhibited at least one major depressive incident. Hypomanic episodes are often not as extreme or debilitating as manic versions.

Cyclothymia: Cyclothymia is characterized by hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes that are not major. For example, the patient experiences hypomanic episodes alongside depressive instances, but those depressive ones aren't debilitating.

Bipolar-NOS: Bipolar NOS stands for Not Otherwise Specified. It is a blanket term that doctors use to diagnose a patient as bipolar, but without a classification. For Bipolar-NOS, a traditional bipolar test or interview may not be as effective for diagnosing the patient.

Discover Mood Boosting Foods For Depression

Before we delve into foods for depression, we would be remiss if we did not state that the causes of depression are not fully understood, but most experts agree that they are probably many and varied. Put simply, depression is a complex condition. It may be triggered by a variety of reasons, including:

* Tension

* Stress

* Traumatic life event

* Chemical imbalances in the brain

* Thyroid disorders

* Nutritional deficiencies

* Poor nutrition

* Consumption of sugar

* Lack of exercise

* Mononucleosis

* Endometriosis

* Any serious physical disorder or allergies

* Heredity

In addition, food allergies and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) are said to be a common cause of depression.

According to Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, a leading nutritional consultant for more than two decades and author of the well renowned tome "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" who states:

"Whatever the factors that trigger it, depression begins with a disturbance in the part of the brain that governs moods." (Third Edition: Page 315)

Bottom line ....

There are many types of depression, with variations in the number of symptoms, their severity, and persistence and, as such, professional medical help is needed. Immediately contact your physician or call a suicide hot line or emergency local number if you're having suicidal thoughts.

In regards to foods for depression, it's important to keep in mind that foods greatly influence the brain's behavior. Therefore, a poor diet, particularly one that includes a lot of junk foods, is a common cause of depression. More specifically, the levels of neurotransmitters, brain chemicals which regulate our behavior, are controlled by what foods we eat, and neurotransmitters are closely linked to mood. The neurotransmitters, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine are the three most commonly associated with mood.

Now, without further adieu, let's address specific foods for depression and how it may benefit you or a loved one.

Foods for Depression: Food Recommendations

The B complex vitamins play a major role in the normal functioning of the brain and the nervous system. In fact, the B vitamins are often referred to as the stress and energy vitamins. Nevertheless, irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, anxiety and depression can all be signs of a B vitamin deficiency. Most importantly, studies show that clinical depression sufferers often have low levels of one or more of the B vitamins (especially B6, B12 and folic acid) .

Best food sources of the B vitamins: whole grains, all seeds, nuts, liver, kidney, eggs, bran, wheatgerm, brewer's yeast, lentils, beans, soybeans, peas, dairy products, and leafy green vegetables.

Zinc is an essential trace mineral that every cell in the body needs and hundreds of body processes rely on it. Put simply, zinc has an arsenal of important functions, including it is essential for energy production and brain health. Zinc has been found to be deficient in depression sufferers and, as such, you may want to consider boosting food sources containing zinc.

Best food sources of zinc: meat, liver, seafood (especially oysters), wheat germ, brewer's yeast, pumpkin seeds, eggs, ground mustard, and nonfat dry milk.

Complex Carbohydrates - Eat a diet that includes lots of complex carbohydrates. Why? This is because a diet that is too low in complex carbohydrates can cause serotonin depletion and depression.

Best food sources of complex carbohydrates: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, brown rice, millet, legumes, soybeans, and soy products.

Omega-3 fatty acids -The brain requires essential fatty acids, especially DHA, to function properly. In fact, the brain is 60 percent fat. Researchers have found that the lack of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA is linked to depression.

Best food sources of omega-3 fatty acids: Cold water fish like salmon, trout or tuna.

Tryptophan - Tryptophan is an essential amino acid used by the brain produce serotonin, a chemical that is instrumental in regulating mood. However, the body needs sufficient amounts of vitamins B6 and C, folic acid, and magnesium for the formation of tryptophan, which, in turn, is required for the formation of the brain chemical serotonin. In addition, tryptophan is necessary for the production of niacin (vitamin B3).

Best food sources of tryptophan: turkey, fish, meat, cottage cheese, milk, bananas, dried dates, peanuts, all protein-rich foods.

Foods for Depression: Special Recommendations

If you wish to become relax because you are nervous, eat more complex carbohydrates. Eat protein meals containing essential fatty acids for increased alertness. Salmon and white fish are good choices for increased alertness. If you need to boost your spirits, eat foods like salmon and turkey, which are rich in protein and tryptophan.

Foods for Depression: Foods to Avoid

Wheat gluten has been linked to depressive disorders and, as such, you should consider omitting wheat products from your diet.

Avoid artificial sweetener aspartame, which can block the formation of serotonin and cause headaches, insomnia, and depression in individuals who are already serotonin-deprived. Aspartame is found in diet sodas and other products.

Avoid foods high in saturated fats; the consumption of these fats found in meat or fried foods leads to sluggishness, fatigue, and slow thinking.

Avoid all forms of sugar, including normally "good" sweeteners such as honey. The increase energy supplied by these sugars, also known as simple carbohydrates is quickly followed by fatigue and depression.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and processed foods.

Investigate the possibility that food allergies may be causing or contributing to your depression.

Foods for Depression: Final Note

While there is simply no denying that food and mood are connected, diet may be just one piece of the puzzle. Therefore, it's important that you seek professional medical help.

Self Help For Depression

The best self help for depression advice I can give you is to avoid negative and small minded people. Negative people are everywhere and you have to make sure to stay away from them at any expense. Being around negative people can take it's toll. You have to be very careful who you associate with. You have to make it your business to stay away from negative people. Right now, you are the average of the top five people you associate with most. If you hang out with negative, fruitless people, this is what your life will be like. If you hang around with downers, you'll end up a loser. Stay with positive people. Go out to spots where progressive individuals hang out. Begin changing up your daily routine.

Another good way to get out of depression is to put positive quotes in strategic places around the house. Leave them up in the bedroom and in the living room. Get very specific with your affirmations like - In one year I'll make five hundred thousand dollars. Really believe in your affirmations. Make affirmations a part of your day-to-day regimen and watch how your life changes.

Get a clear picture of what you will get if you attain your goals. Goal setting doesn't have to be a tedious process. Write down your major life goals. Write down your goals for each day and do them in order. Writing goals on paper is very key. Depression doesn't have to stop you from getting what you want in life!

3 Phases of a Broken Heart

Although common to everyone, having to deal with a break up of any sort will always be painful. Love can make you feel like you've got wings and you start to look at life through rose colored glasses but when it all comes to an end its like a terrible train wreck and it feels like you want to go jump off a bridge.

Being in love means putting yourself at risk for heart break and when that time comes the key to surviving is determined by how you will approach it. You can crawl in to bed and slip into a state of depression for a while or you can realize that you will go through 3 main stages of recovery before you're back on your feet and when you do this you'll be able to keep track of your progress and hopefully see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Phase One - Hurting
The Hurting phase is obviously the most painful one and this is the one that immediately follows the break up. There will be tears and depression and loads of self doubt and wondering how you'll be able to go on with life with out them. You'll probably do things that resemble a movie that you thought you'd never be the one to do like becoming a slightly obsessive psycho. Calling and texting way to much, driving by their house or job to see if they happen to be interacting with someone else. Ultimately you're a mess and there seems to be no hope.

Don't worry to much this is a natural process you just have to make sure to give yourself some time and try not to go completely off the deep end.

Phase Two - Get Even
As your heart begins to mend part of the process is that all of that pain that you felt will now being to turn to anger. Now you're going to feel like you want to inflict the same pain you've felt on the person that made you feel that way. You will start dating but your primary reason for doing so is not to move on yet but rather try to make your EX jealous and hope that it will hurt them. This is what is traditionally known as a rebound relationship and ultimately doesn't really benefit anyone except for helping you get through this phase.

Phase Three - Not Caring
You'll eventually come to a point where you'll begin to question what it was that you saw in your EX to begin with. And you'll convince yourself that you're glad that its over because they were holding you back and you're not even going to worry about them or what they've been up to because you're ready to move on.

The key to surviving all of this is to remember that it's a process and its not an easy one. There will always be another tomorrow and there are a lot of fish in the sea so keep your head up, track your progress as you go through these phases and chalk it up to experience.

Suicidal Tendencies That Exist In Bipolar Disorder And Ways To Treat It

First - What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is the mental disorder in which the person suffering goes in extreme mood swings. So while he or she may be feeling depression at one moment they will feel mania or extreme sense of pleasure and heightened activity the other. This is a quite dangerous situation as the suicidal rates are almost double than that of normal depression and research also suggests that people suffering from this kind of disorder face worse depression than the people who suffer only depression.

What makes this situation even more dangerous is the increased incident of suicide in this case and the risk of life it poses to the persons suffering from it.

Following are some symptoms of suicidal tendencies among the persons who are suffering from this disorder:

Talking about feeling suicidal or wanting to die at all times of depression and forgetting all about it when mania occurs

Feeling hopeless, that nothing will ever change or get better and getting depressed about the current state of affairs.

Feeling helpless, that nothing one does makes any difference and in some cases even how everyone has ganged up against you to make your life miserable

Feeling like a burden to family and friends and feeling that nothing you do is helping them or contributing to the family while you are living off their sympathy

Putting affairs in order (e.g., organizing finances (paying debts) or giving away possessions to prepare for one's death), basically doing things which one does in old age when the thought of death starts creeping in and when one thinks that their days are numbered

Putting oneself in harm's way, or in situations where there is a danger of being killed, creating circumstances which puts life at risk or at least putting you in harm's way

Abusing alcohol or drugs

If you have experienced such emotions yourself or are seeing someone witnessing similar emotions you should first of all consult a doctor and then put away all things that you can use to cause damage, like hiding knives and blades and keeping other such objects which can be used to inflict self damage away.

Treating bipolar disorder

Currently bipolar disorder cannot be treated but it can be managed to control the long term consequence of the disease. Treatment is basically done through pharmacology and psychological techniques and most people suffering from bipolar disorders are given a combination of medicines.
Since bipolar disorder involves the individuals going through mania and depression the medication prescribed is what is known as mood stabilizing and anti depressant.

What this effectively means is that doctors prescribe mood stabilizers to control the mania and then anti depressants to take care of the depression. Lithium is the oldest and the most popular mood stabilizing medicine which is the most effective and is also known to reduce suicidal tendencies. However as with all medicines there are side effects of lithium too such as high blood pressure, retaining too much water and constipation.

Anti depressants are also used among patients however there is a need to be cautious so as to not induce mania after taking such anti depressants and normally they are prescribed and had only after mood stabilizers have been taken by the patient and the chances of going into mania reduce.

Another thing to keep in mind is that different patients react differently to medicines and it might take 4 - 6 weeks for a patient to react on a medicine. In such a case patients should not give up on the medicine. On the other hand patients should also not leave the medication too soon when they see the symptoms disappearing and take proper medical advise before leaving the treatment and make sure that they have completed their medication.

A pointer for friends and family would be that as the case of bipolar disorder increases in a person they refuse to admit that they have any illness at all and therefore compliance to medicine becomes difficult which becomes the responsibility of the relatives and friends of the patient.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques and Bipolar Disorder

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is talk therapy that examines the client's thought process and relevant emotions to those thoughts. Both the client and therapist examine those thoughts in hopes to find a viable intervention that either promotes more positive thinking or eliminates negative thought.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is great for addressing current problems as it doesn't dig too deep into past issues. It is also relatively short-term when compared to other therapy methods. Measurable progress could be seen as soon as the fourth session, should the client and therapist find an intervention method that clicks.

An example intervention technique is addressing automatic negative thoughts. Imagine your boss walks up to your desk in a neutral manner and says "in 10 minutes, I need to see you in my office for a private discussion." What's the first thought that comes to mind? If it's "oh, I must be in trouble", then that would be an automatic negative thought. The problem happens when these thoughts exist without real rationale and they cause overwhelming stress and anxiety to the point where you have visible problems coping. In this example, it would be a rational thought if your boss frequently spoke to people privately when they were in trouble and used a similar approach.

However, it may not be rational if the thought extends to "he's going to fire me today. I know it. And I'm sure he hates me anyway", especially if you've never been in trouble and no other evidence shows that your boss has a dislike for you. For bipolar disorder patients experiencing paranoia or depression, this line of thinking wouldn't be uncommon. These thoughts could interfere with sleep and work in general. And interrupted sleep for bipolar disorder patients can promote negative actions and may even trigger a manic or depressive episode.

A therapist using cognitive behavioral therapy may ask the client to write down the thought and analyze it with the following questions:

1. Is it true?

2. How can I validate that this thought is true?

3. How do I react with this thought?

4. Where would I be without this thought?

The patient would bring those answers to the therapist and they would discuss to see the effects and what could be done if it turns out the automatic negative thought wasn't validated.

The additional value of cognitive behavioral therapy interventions like this is that they can help patients see the manic episode coming and learn how to react better to it. If more automatic negative thoughts are happening, the patient can start looking for the other symptoms and triggers. He can give this information to loved ones and the therapist to see if lifestyle adjustments or other treatments need to be made.

This is just one example of cognitive behavioral therapy. There are many other interventions and methods that use a similar style and require the patient to do these types of self-examination and bring the results back for analysis. As long as the bipolar patient is willing to do the work, cognitive behavioral therapy can help them manage moods more effectively.

Knowing Some of The Most Important Facts on Depression

There are many different kinds of depression, and many different facts on depression. Depression is responsible for being the most recorded form of disability in the world.

This statistic covers all kinds of depression including Bi-Polar disorder, manic depression, clinical depression, post-partum/natal depression, pregnancy based depression, S.A.D, and many more. But there is one thing that they all have in common.

What is that you might wander, many people will positively agree that the condition of depression feels like your brain is in a prison which you cannot break out of. Another way of describing depression is - many sufferers feel like they are in a very deep hole and cannot find a way to get out of it.

What are the symptoms of depression exactly?

You will notice that depression will show itself is so many different ways that it can be hard to know when it is depression and when it is not. For example, with women who have had a traumatic birth for example may feel that they are suffering from Post-Partum/natal depression, but on further examination can be discovered to be actually suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

People are not always aware what is going on because their difficulties and problem to be more of the physical nature rather than the mental nature. They will affirm to themselves that they are just under the weather or feeling a little run down. But, if you cross off four or five of the following symptoms, or even more of them then it is likely you are depressed and should visit your GP and ask for some help.

Do not be ashamed to ask for help, contrary to how some people feel, it is not a sign of a weakness, you are going made, you are losing the plot, no one is going to laugh at you and there is most definitely nothing to be ashamed of. It is a natural illness just the same as Flu, Pneumonia, toothache etc.

How does depression pills make you feel?

Many people who become depressed are a little disillusioned by the fact that they believe that depression medication is the ultimate cure for depression, but they tend to be disappointed when they find out that this is not the case. They find out that the medication does not work as well as they had hoped. So just to summarize on this point, depression tablets and pills are usually designed to work in partnership with other treatments and therapies.

Some anti-depressants have active ingredients which match the active ingredients in other drugs used for different conditions such as drugs to help patients to stop smoking. Always check the active ingredients in all your drugs, read the advice sheet included with your prescription carefully before you start to use your drugs. If you have any questions then do not hesitate to contact your doctor and make sure everything is OK and safe.

So what is the difference between minor depression and major depression?

So what exactly is the difference between minor and major depression?. Major depression is when a sad mood lasts for much, much longer than just a few days, it can be life threatening as people tend to think a lot about committing suicide, energy levels disintegrate, the feelings of guilt and it is all your fault increase dramatically. Whereas with minor depression you will find that you only really need someone to talk to and very little intervention, you might even get away without needing to take any medication. It feels more like a feeling of just being a little bit run down. This is one of the most important facts on depression one must know about.

What is the relationship between depression and eating disorders/issues?

Eating disorders with or without the added complication of depression is a very complicated issue to deal with, normally accompanied by some kind of psychological illness and anxiety of some description. The problem can begin for a whole manner of reasons from:

• Peer pressure,

• Models and celebrities being very thin leading the sufferer to attempt to build the perfect body in the same way,

• A form of control. The sufferer has a feeling that she has lost control of her life so she tries to regain control by means of how she controls her eating habits.

Depression: More Than Being Down in the Dumps

How common is depression?

So common that it is thought of as the common cold of mental illnesses. However, this is not to understate the severity of depression which is one of the leading indicators of suicide. By some estimates depression costs the country a staggering $43 billion dollars a year in costs resulting from medicine, hospitalization, lost work days and reduced productivity. One in six of us will experience a major depressive episode in our lives and 15 million Americans are suffering from depression at any given time.

What causes depression?

There are a great many possible causes for depression. Frequently, depression is caused by an organic (chemical) or physiological cause. Possible organic causes include food allergies, heavy metals, prescription drugs, illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. Depression can also be caused by preexisting physical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, chronic pain, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, and nutritional deficiencies.

How do you know if you have depression?

Depression can be broken into at least two categories major depression also called unipolar depression or mild depression, which is also referred to as dysthmia.

Major depression is determined by therapists to be present when a person has five of the following symptoms: Poor appetite accompanied by weight loss, or increased appetite accompanies by weight gain; insomnia or excessive sleep; hyperactivity; loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities or decrease in sexual drive; loss of energy including feelings of fatigue; feelings of worthlessness; reduction in one's ability to think or concentrate; recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

Some symptoms of mild depression can be similar to those of major depression. Therapists will diagnose a person as having mild depression if at least three of the following symptoms for at least two years: low self-esteem or lack of self-confidence; pessimism; hopelessness or despair; lack of interest in ordinary pleasures and activities; withdrawal from social activities; fatigue or lethargy; guilt or ruminating about the past; irritability or excessive anger; lessened productivity; difficulty concentrating or making decisions.

How does western medicine treat depression?

A number of drugs have been developed by western medicine for the purpose of treating depression. These drugs include tricyclic antidepressants (Amoxapine, Amitriptyline, Trazodone and Mirtazapine), polycyclic antidepressants (Imiparamine, Desipramine or Protriptyline), or most commonly prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Fluoxetine, Nefazodone, Sertraline or Parozetine). Other drugs such as Venlafaxine which increases serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain and Bupropion which increases catecholamine reuptake are also used for depression. Most drugs are prescribed to increase chemicals in the brain that are low in people who are depressed.

What are the natural remedies for depression?

Natural medicine practitioners frequently prescribe botanical medicines for depression. The best researched of the botanical medicine for treating depression is St. John's Wort. The studies done to date have shown that St. John's Wort is just as effective as anti-depressants for treating mild depression and that patients report greater satisfaction and fewer side effects then with anti-depressants. Ginkgo bilboa has also proven effective for treating depression in both human and animal studies. Exactly how Ginkgo bilboa works to treat depression is not known; however, the most likely reasons are that it impacts serotonin levels and that it is a powerful antioxidant.

Homeopathic medication that is frequently used for depression includes Anacardium, Arsenicum album, Aurum metallicum, Calcarea carbonica, Ignatia, Natrum muriaticum, Pulsatilla, Staphysagria, and Sulfur. The exact remedy is chosen by matching a person's individual symptoms with the remedy.

Counseling is frequently employed in the treatment of depression. Of the counseling techniques available, one of the most useful for treating depression is Cognitive therapy. In this type of counseling the counselor works with the patient to restructure the thought patterns of the individual. Important in treating depression are how the person thinks about such issues as failure, mistakes, and personal deficiencies.

Other natural therapies may treat hormonal imbalances including hypothyroidism, and adrenal functions. Treating these and other hormonal imbalances can clear up depression. More information on these conditions can be found on other pages of this site.

Can you prevent depression?

Self-care is highly important in warding off and preventing recurrence of depression. Important factors include diet, lifestyle and nutritional supplements.

Lifestyle changes may be in order.

People suffering from depression should decrease, or better yet discontinue, alcohol consumption as alcohol is a depressant drug. They should begin or increase exercise to increase levels of endorphins. And, they may want to discontinue or reduce intake of caffeine.

Diet changes should include an increase in fruits, vegetables, grains and raw nuts and seeds all of which are fiber-rich. Avoid any foods which are triggering allergies.

Some supplements to consider include folic acid and vitamin B12 (800 mg /day each) which are frequently deficient in people with depression; vitamin B6 (50 - 100 mg / day) which is essential for the brain to make serotonin, and omega-3 oils which are important in the composition of nerve cell membranes.

Natural medicine offers many ways to deal with the possible underlying organic and physiological conditions of depression. Consulting a healthcare professional is always recommended as they can assess your condition and create an individualized treatment plan.

How Is Depression Treated?

Mood Disorder

Mood Disorders (depression) are a small grouping of common conditions that affect mental health. In mood disorders, normal feelings like being blue, happy or anxious become extreme and you feel you've got little or no control of your moods.

Mood disorders include the following:

• Depression


• Bipolar disorder (manic depression)


• Panic attacks

Over 3 million Canadians deal with mood disorders and also over 50 million Americans but less than 1/3 seek help. People often hide their symptoms simply because they don't want people to know and deep inside really don't know what to do. Having a mood disorder is absolutely NOT a sign of weakness. It's a problem which can affect anyone, anywhere in any walk of life.

Can Those with Depression Problems Get Better?

Many individuals with depression improve with treatment. Without treatment, symptoms may last for months and even years, then there is the risk of depression coming on and coming on regularly. There's also a risk of suicide.

What can cause Depression-Many factors can increase the risk of developing depression:

• Genetics-depression runs in families


• Imbalance of brain chemicals


• Childhood physical and emotional abuse


• Gender-women are two times as more likely to develop depression


• Medical illness or chronic disability


• Temperament and personality (pessimism, perfectionism or lacking of social network)


• Use of certain prescription or non-prescription drugs


• Prolonged use of alcohol

In case you have a tendency to develop depression, things like high-stress times or significant loss (death of someone close), job loss, lack of a development) can trigger depressive episodes or at the least make the stress trigger seem worse.

How's Depression Diagnosed?

There isn't a simple test for depression or anxiety attacks. Your physician will request information about your feelings and behaviour. It is important that you just be honest. However there are many of treatments for depression and quite often a combination of treatments is best suited.

Treatment for Depression-There are many treatments for depression and often a combination of treatments work best.

Medication: Antidepressant or mood stabilizing medications are available to treat depression. It may take up to six weeks to feel a positive change. It is dangerous to abruptly stop your medication, so consult with your doctor if you are feeling better and want to stop taking medications.

Psychotherapy: Supportive therapy is important to depression treatment. Psychotherapy can help you understand and accept your illness, and deal with factors that may have caused you to become depressed. Therapy can also build your resilience and self-esteem.

Cognitive therapy: Cognitive therapy is a form of talk therapy that helps you understand how your thoughts affect your feelings towards behavior. It helps you retain your thought patterns to change your feelings.

Interpersonal therapy: This therapy focuses on strengthening your relationships and building your support system.

Supports Groups: Attending a self-help group can help alleviate and prevent depression.

Exercise: Research indicates that exercise can help relieve depression. Exercise increases helpful brain

chemicals that are depleted in depression. However, exercise should not replace traditional therapy.

Take care of yourself: Eating well, drinking plenty of water, sleeping properly and avoiding alcohol or recreational drugs can strengthen your ability to cope with depression.

Depression - A Simple Natural Cure For All

It was given to British children as a supplement during the war due to its high vitamin content for its overall health benefits and was a grandmothers favourite today, new research shows that it also combats and reduces depression.

The supplement is:

Cod liver oil - and it works due to high concentration of omega 3 fatty acids, which are a major component of cod liver oil.

Omega 3 has great overall health benefits anyway and is said to help in terms of improving brain power reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes and protecting against other diseases such as cancer.

Now doctors are seeing its benefits to naturally cure depression.

A recent test looked at studying the health benefits of over 20,000 patients over the age of 40 and showed that those patients that rarely or only had marginal omega 3 consumption suffered more from: Depression, stress and anxiety.

Those who consumed cod lever oil regularly, were 30% less likely to suffer from depression.

The test was carried out by Haukland University Hospital - Bergen in Norway.

The conclusion was, that it was the omega 3 component that made the difference between the subjects of the test in terms of their likelihood to suffer the blues.

Getting Sufficient Omega 3

Of course, you can get omega 3 by consuming 3 - 4 portions of oily fish per week such as:

Mackerel, sardines, trout and salmon, but the majority of people simply don't consume enough.

The recommended daily dosage is 0.5 mgs per day and if you don't consume a lot of oily fish, take an omega 3 supplement such as cod liver oil.

You Are What You Eat

You are what you eat and your mental and physical wellbeing is affected by the fuel you give your body.

There are a number of foods you can take that will make you feel better and omega 3 is just one of them, that can help combat depression ( see our other articles for more foods to fight the blues ) and also have a positive affect on overall health.

Another benefit is that a supplement such as cod liver oil can not only provide immense health benefits, but its cheap to.

Grandmothers Remedy

So if you want to feel better and be healthier, increase your intake of oily fish, to get your omega 3 levels up, or take a supplement such as cod liver oil.

My grandmother used to swear by it and in hindsight she was right - get more omega 3 in your diet and feel the difference.