Depression: SAMe

If you have problems accessing emotions, try SAMe. If you have no problems accessing emotions, in particular is you have bi-polar tendencies, don't touch the stuff.

A dear friend was taking SAMe to raise her immune function. She became very sad, and had suicidal thoughts. For all the years I had known her, about 15, I knew her to go through extreme difficulties, but never, never did she say life just didn't seem worth living. When I immediately checked her supplements, and realized she was taking SAMe, I said, 'girlfriend, you gotta stop this stuff. This is great for people who can't access emotions, but that has never been a problem for you." She immediately quit taking the SAMe and within 48 hours, she was back to her happy go lucky self, same problems, entirely different attitude.

On the flip side of the coin, if you can't access emotions, as my husband Curtis has trouble doing, SAMe can be a savior for personal happiness and marriages. SAMe is a part of the equation that got Curtis and me back together after a year of separation and divorce. In addition, he now laughs, jokes, and has compassion. As well, since a lot of memory is attached to emotion, he now can remember a lot more stuff.

In other words, SAMe is great for some people, those who can't access emotions, and horrible for others, those who have no trouble laughing, joking, or crying and having compassion. It's important that you as a consumer know that. I don't want anyone winding up like my friend did, sad, with suicidal tendencies, and not even knowing the reason.

If you ever have any question about any herbal or supplement, please contact the folks at Peoples Pharmacy in Austin. Call any location. They are all wonderful. http://www.peoplesrx.com/

These are the folks at Peoples, South Lamar location. look at those smiling faces. Seriously, don't you want to give them a call?

Depressed? Arctic cod Liver oil !!!

Let me emphasize here the main sentence that popped out at me in Dr. Sears email. He said 60% of your brain is FAT!!!

But we aren't getting the right kind of fat, like margarine, and those in highly processed foods. We need good fat. and the best form of the best fat is arctic cod liver oil.

DHA: essential fatty acids

Since we were just talking about arctic cod liver oil yesterday, I thought it appropriate to include this email I got from http://www.askdrsears.com/ Dr. Sears is America's pediatrician. You have probably seen him on numerous talk shows. Artic cod liver oil is high in DHA, the right kind of esstial fatty acid that your body needs. You can hit this website and subscribe to his emails.

The average American brain is getting enough fat, but it's not getting the right kind of fat. Your brain is 60% fat. What growing brains need are ‘smart fats’ such as Omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA, found abundantly in seafood, which may help with everything from good vision to better performance in school. DHA is the primary structural component of brain tissue, so it stands to reason that a deficiency of DHA in the diet could translate into a deficiency in brain function.
The DHA levels in the breast milk of American women is significantly lower than it was 50 years ago. So it’s important for pregnant women and nursing moms to get an adequate supply of DHA. Plus it isn’t always easy to get your children to eat enough seafood to get adequate levels of DHA. In these cases you can try a supplement that will help children get their daily recommended amount of Omega-3 DHA.

Joke

This is for all my young and single friends. Enjoy ;-)

Depressed? Arctic Cod Liver Oil

So far the blogs on depression have included getting a dog, simply spelled God, in reverse and it can save your sanity; how maintaining a correct sugar level throughout the day through eating in the Zone and cure mild depression and how arctic cod liver oil can help ADD and bipolar symptoms. Today, I am here to tell you to, once again, use Arctic cod liver oil, and for depression.

This does not mean that you don't try other things, including acupuncture or phramaceuticals, or talk therapy, whatever. Arctic cod liver oil may work alone to alleviate your depression or it may not. But for sure, it will work synergistically with everything else. Your neurons need the right kind of fatty acids (arctic cod liver oil) to fire right. This is a direct quote from Dr. Daniel Amen, page 262, third paragraph, second sentence, HEALING ADD, "Without high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, the nerve cell membranes are less fluid, possibly causing nerve cells to react sluggishly or misfire."

Can we say brain fog (sluggishly)? And not get yourself to do what you want to do when you want to do it, from controlling anger to controlling unhappiness (misfire)?

He continues, in the same paragraph, sentences three and four, and this is very important so pay attention, because for years I didn't: "Population based studies in various countries (including the US) have indicated that decreased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids correlates with increased rates of depression. Well-intentioned advice to lower cholesterol levels tends to harm the balance of fatty acids (especially the essential omega-3, DHA) in the body."

In short: as we eat less fish and other good fats, we have become more depressed.

For years I went with virtually NO fat thinking it was the best thing for myself. I fed my children virtually no fat as well, both in utero and as children. I know countless women who have done exactly this. And then we wonder why we have such a high rate of ADD and depression amongst our youth now. We can't do the guilt trip for something we didn't know. We can simply correct our lives now, and let the rest of the world know how important fatty acids are and that the best form to get them in quickly, to build up the amount you need to have, is in arctic cod liver oil.

Dr. Amen continues, on page 263, "Recent studies have suggested that lowering levels of plasma cholesterol too much increases the risk of suicide, homicide and depression."

Folks, I know depression. I was raised by a alcoholic, probably bi-polar, perhaps multi personality mother who every morning, as she stood in front of the mirror putting on her make up to go to work, letting me sit on the bed and listen and talk to her, tell me that "life isn't worth living, and the only thing that makes it worth living is you." (meaning me).

Yes, of course this did a serious number on my own depression in life. And yes, it made me waaay to responsible for not only my mother, but others' depression as well.

But it also made me incredibly alert, throughout all of my life to what works well, across the board for depression. And the answer again, is arctic cod liver oil.

I know Dr. Amen recommends flax seed oil (linseed oil), probably because kids will like the taste better. But I have to tell you, after years of watching the results in my friends, and acquaintances, use arctic cod liver oil FIRST. People, young and old, get the best results from arctic cod liver oil.

Again, the load dose that seems to get the best results the fastest is one teaspoon, morning and evening, for children, and one tablespoon, morning and evening for adults.

As well, start cutting out all margarine, shortening and most processed foods. These contain bad fatty acids, that are going to clog up no only your heart but your brain as well. That is not the technical answer on how it happens, but it is the pragmatic answer on what the results are.

Remember, butter is better than margarine. And olive oil is better than shortening.

Start keeping around carrot sticks, nuts, fresh fruit and dried fruit to munch on, for yourself, and for your children. Keep cheese sticks around. Keep Zone bars around. My grandchildren love them.

If you dare start telling me about the high cost of these items versus processed foods, I am going to come right out of this computer Internet and bop you one. Which do you want for your life and the life of your children, husband, family, loved ones--a life of depression and obesity--or the exact opposite? What you eat does too matter and is an important part of an overall integral package of health, including body weight and brain function.

Now, I am going to give you some links. If you are depressed, I sure don't want you doing this by your self. This is why I keep on telling you to make sure you have a holistic chiropractor, holistic medical doctor, holistic pharmacist and holistic acupuncturist, ALL in your health care lineup. If you are using pharmaceuticals as well as supplements or herbals for depression, this is where you absolutely have to have a holistic pharmacist and medical doctor because only they know and understand the way each interacts with the others both for good as well as bad.

http://www.peoplesrx.com/

http://www.amenclinic.com/

http://www.drmanso.com/

And if you are within a fifty mile radius of the Bryan/College Station area, contact Dr. Mahesh Dave, a psychiatrist who gets great results with acupuncture for depression and will completely understand the value of arctic cod liver oil as well as be able to any prescribe necessary pharmaceuticals. http://www.brazosdoctors.com/ Remember, what we want is a happy you, in any way we can get it. And quite often, natural and synthetic pharmacueticals work synergistically to create an incredibly happy you. Find the right doctor to help you find the best mix.

Good Luck! I believe in you!

Joke of the Day

This is for all my friends in school.

Robert Frost
"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence."

I have told you that I want you to find (and use) four different holistic health care practitioners: chiropractor, acupuncturist, pharmacist, medical doctor. If you are sick and if you want to get really well, each one of these guys has something special to get you there. If you want to stay well, and not get sick, use all four as well. Traditional medicine has absolutely nothing to improve your immune system, and each of these does.

To get you to remember it, 4 health practitioners for great health, I told you I would everyday have four things in my blog: a joke, an inspiration, a recipe, and news you can use. Well, I am changing that to health news you can use each day...and the other three every now and then.

Depression: Cured by Zone Diet

This story is told by a busy woman in her early thirties.

The Zone diet, by Dr. Barry Sears, cured my depression. http://www.drsears.com/ I think I was mildly depressed for all of my life. Not that I thought much of it. I was just sad a lot, and thought everyone was this way. Then I tried the Zone diet to lose a little bit of weight. I needed to fit into a dress for a big occasion. I am such a woman, dieting for a occasion and a dress.

Within a few weeks of being totally on the zone diet, I realized my depression had disappeared! It simply went away! It was then I realized I didn't have to be sad a lot and that everyone wasn't just like me. I realized there was a better way of life. And somehow I made the obvious connection to the zone diet, and have been eating Zone ever since.

The reason the Zone diet works is that it maintains a consistent sugar level in your body. By eating fats, complex carbohydrates and protein in regular intervals, you can stabilize your blood sugar. And stabilized blood sugar allows your entire body to function better, including your brain.

To measure out Zone meals, you can use your hand. I do. The palm of your hand represents the protein you should have at one meal. Your fist represents the complex carbohydrates you should have. And the tip of your thumb is the amount of fat. And you should eat about every three hours.

I am always on the go. I travel a lot, eat out at fancy restaurants several times a week, and I work 60-80 hours a week. As well, I am a vegetarian. Yet, I always find a way to incorporate the Zone diet into my life. I keep zone bars with me at all times, and occasionally cheese sticks. These tide me over when waiting for planes, etc. At restaurants I order off menu, appetizers or salads. Think about it like this: you can still meet friends for drinks, have a piece of cheese with your glass of wine and you are still in the Zone!

And of course, there are perks to the Zone diet. Besides no longer having that mild depression drain my life, my energy level is always consistent, and I never have to diet. NEVER! All my girlfriends are always dieting, and me, I never am. I am simply eating right, all the time.

I highly recommend the Zone diet for everyone. If you are like me and you try it for just a couple of months, you will never want to go back to your old way of eating, ever!