We’ve all experienced it at one time or another, it is hard to rise out of some days. Most times the feelings go away, other times it lingers, or it can be situational. We all get the blues but we just have to remind ourselves it is part of the human experience. It seems like nowadays with the over-processing of our food, contaminants in the air, and the toxins all around us more and more people are developing symptoms of depression and are experiencing anxiety. Below further in the article, you will find natural remedies for anxiety and depression.
The Causes
Your Hormones may be out of balance
Women are especially affected by this issue, this is due to the large amounts of hormone disruptors found in food, especially in dairy. When our hormones are out of balance we lose the ability to form proper neural pathways that help nourish our mind and keep our mood stable. When we feel irritated, sad, and anxious the common cause for this is usually low serotonin. To find out about neural pathways and how nutrition can play a role in your anxiety check out Lisa Wimberger, a neurologist that discusses the biology of your brain and how the neural network in your brain works, it is quite fascinating!
Nutritional Deficiency
Often causes for depression and anxiety can be as easy to diagnose as a nutritional deficiency in your body. Did you know that 70% of our serotonin is made up in our gut? I was amazed to hear this as well. I was told this from my naturopath. It totally makes sense, our mind, gut, and heart are interconnected and communicate with one another. Without one or the other, we would fail to survive.
The Path to Healing
It is essential to be completely in balance with your gut, head, and heart. To do this we need to nourish each one.
Natural Remedies for Anxiety and Depression
There is no pill that cures every ill, each technique might be different than the other to you. The idea is to help you become more in tune with your body and you will be able to feel what works for you. Conventional medicine just numbs the problem and does not resolve the root cause. When you are numb you can’t heal. Trust in your body and empower it to heal naturally, unfortunately, we don’t do that enough nowadays. So below are some remedies and quick techniques you can do to help alleviate anxiety and depression.
#1 ) Try an all-natural Tincture
There is a reason why hemp extract is so popular, that is because many people have had such great success with it. As the oil in the tincture works to balance our bodies and mind. It essentially has the ability to bind to our receptors in our body and instruct the cells what to do, such as relieve stress and anxiety. Also, adding in terpenes which is a naturally occurring compound found throughout all plants will make it especially effective. Various terpenes do various things for your body and mind. Such as Linalool to cope with stress and anxiety.
#2) Nourish your Gut
Balance your gut with probiotics. Probiotics are essential to have a healthy digestive flora in your gut. Often we lack the good bacteria in our stomach due to over-prescribed antibiotics in our system. As a result, many people will suffer from leaky gut, IBS, and other digestive issues. A healthy gut will give you a healthy mind and often balance your mood.
#3) Nourish your mind
When you are stressed, depressed and/or anxious your nervous system overreacts. You may feel heart palpitations, get sweaty and can’t relax. As a result, you may get brain fog and can’t think clearly. This is due to when we are in that state our short-term memory is affected. Ever been in a stressful event than all of sudden you forget what you were talking about?
Luckily there are things you can do to help alleviate that feeling, and get you out of the state of depression and anxiety by touching the neurovascular points on your head. Below is a video by one of Donna Eden’s daughters that explain how to do the neurovascular points to help you relax and feel calm. Donna Eden is among the world’s most sought and most authoritative spokespersons for energy medicine and by following her simple techniques you can stop those feelings in its tracks. Don’t take my word for it. Give it a try yourself.
#4) Serotonin Enhancers
If you find yourself craving sugar at night, you’re having a hard time going to sleep, and you are around too much electronics chances are your serotonin is low. Did you know being around electronics emits a low frequency causing your serotonin to be disrupted and you don’t produce as much as needed? On top of that, the blue light from our screens prevents us from producing melatonin at night which inhibits our ability to sleep properly and in turn causes the low production of serotonin, and the cycle repeats itself. When your serotonin is low you feel depressed and anxious. Give it a quick boost with 5-HTTP, “a naturally occurring amino acid and chemical precursor as well as a metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter serotonin.” (Wikipedia) In other words, it creates serotonin, the feel-good hormone. A word of caution, however, do not overdose as it is dangerous and can lead to further issues known as the serotonin syndrome. Take as recommended on the bottle and do not overuse when you are out of 5-HTTP give your body a break.
#5) Nourish your heart
Practice self-love, do things that make you feel better about YOU! Whatever that maybe, go for a walk, take a relaxing bath with essential oils take care of yourself and commit to one night to yourself.
Another great way to beat depression is by listening to a self-guided meditation. I listen to Deepak Chopra a lot as he has a different spin on things. I find his meditations calming for the mind and my stress begins to melt away and my spirits become lifted.
#6) Nourish your Body
Exercise, practice yoga, stretch, walk, run, just move your body. When you are experiencing depression and anxiety it is often because our body becomes stagnant, we have this built up of excess negative energy within us that needs to be released. One great way to release excess energy is through exercise. Exercising also releases dopamine in our bodies which gives us a boost of energy and a natural high that all around makes us feel good.
