Anxiety and depression are among the most common mental health problems in the US and around the world;  tens of millions of people suffer from these painful and sometimes debilitating mental conditions in the United States alone. While it is normal to have emotional highs and lows, persistent anxiety and/or depression is often related to an imbalance of natural chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters, and the resulting chronic depression and anxiety can have a devastating impact on work, relationships, and personal life.

Classic signs of low serotonin include depression including feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and persistent fatigue, but the symptoms can vary. For men especially, anxiety and depression may manifest as anger, irritability, and reckless behavior.  In children and young adults, symptoms can vary from separation anxiety and clinginess to defiant behavior and trouble in school. For older adults and seniors, depression and anxiety symptoms can include memory loss, substance abuse, and loss of interest in hobbies and activities.

I  have a lot of personal experience in this area. I suffered from debilitating depression related to low serotonin for my first 30 years, from early childhood to my thirties, and it had a devastating impact on many areas of my life. I tried antidepressant medications in my early 20’s and while they had some impact at high doses, it took a long time to find a medication and dose that worked at all, and there were lots of side effects. Then, within a few years I could not tolerate the drugs and had to stop using them.

Luckily, by my 30’s I had found the powerful natural anti-depression health methods outlined below.  Using these methods I have been able to keep my serotonin levels up to healthy levels without drugs for the last 30 years!!! This has allowed me to forge ahead with my life instead of being sidelined with depression that made it impossible to function effectively. With proper levels of serotonin my mood, motivation, creativity, and ability to rebound from setbacks dramatically increased. You need that in life! Life is full of disappointments and roadblocks; if you can’t get up and try again, you are sunk.                                                                                         

Watch:

Flixxy, the mouse that just wont quit

…  in his quest to get that cracker! 

Huge numbers of people are trying to deal with their life while clinically depressed – meaning there is an imbalance of the neurotransmitters in their brain that helps their brain function properly. Depression and low serotonin can be a crippling handicap – but the great news is, it is easily fixed!!!

I know that many times when you are sad it feels like you have a very good reason to be sad and therefore it is natural and nothing can or should be done about it. But, even when there are very legitimate reasons to be filled with grief and sadness, when this state persists, it is likely that there are unhealthy elements to the situation and a natural program to help lift you out of your grief and inertia is a valuable gift you can and should give yourself.

For example, there are numerous effective ways to naturally raise neurotransmitters levels, especially serotonin levels, one of the neurotransmitters that is critically  important in depression and anxiety. In fact, serotonin is the molecule in your brain that antidepressant drugs, as well as recreational drugs target.

Healthy levels of serotonin in the brain are essential for proper mental function and a balanced mood.  You can quickly, safely, and effectively raise the levels of serotonin – without  legal or illegal drugs!

It is actually usually not that hard! For most depressed people, especially the rampant, garden variety depression and anxiety that afflicts the vast majority of sufferers, applying these simple natural health methods will likely rapidly raise your serotonin levels, resulting in a calmer, more relaxed, optimistic, cheerful, and motivated you!  It might almost feel like it is magic it can be so quick and effective, but really it is just giving your body and mind a chance to heal – something they have an enormous ability to do.

Below are ten natural methods to raise your serotonin levels. Check them out to find the ones that most appeal to you – and commit to doing at least 7 of these things every day. Most likely you will be astounded by the results. Within a few days or weeks you will begin to brighten like the the sun bursting forth from the clouds. You will feel happier and more optimistic,  your body will work and feel better, and you will suddenly have energy and new ideas to tackle difficult problems. Your new and exciting life is just around the corner!

The first and most important is to start using Whole Body Vibration every day – because while it is waking up your brain and raising serotonin, it is also waking up every other cell in your body. So jump start your program with a little vibration every morning and you will be much more likely to succeed in the revitalization and reawakening of your life.

The beauty of natural health methods is that all of these methods will only help you. There are no bad side effects, only extra positive effects. Many of these methods also cost nothing or very little!

Natural Anti-Depression Mental Health Plan: 10 Natural Ways to Raise Your Serotonin Levels. Pick  7 of these 10 methods to do each day, whichever ones appeal to you. You can even switch some of them up day by day…. 

1. 1. Whole Body Vibration: Be sure to do this one everyday! Why is this one so important? Because it is so powerful, so quick, and it has so many other beneficial side effects as well. In just a few minutes of nothing more than standing on your machine you will wake up every cell in your body, sending a blast of energy through your body and brain, waking up every cell and triggering the release of serotonin and norepinephrine in your brain. These two neurotransmitters will give you an immediate boost in energy and mood, which will help you with the rest of your day. You don’t have to work out on your vibration machine, and you don’t have to do a lot of it. If you don’t want to workout that is ok, just sit or stand on it, gradually building up to 10 minutes a day.
   2. Nutritional supplementation: There are many nutrients that are important for healthy brain function. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables with small amounts of animal proteins and healthy fats is a good start. But it can be hard to get all the nutrients you need, especially if you are depressed, low energy, and discouraged. Sometimes eating properly is one of the first things fall by the wayside when the doldrums hit, and even when you eat well, a recovering body and brain will often do better with the extra nutrients that nutritional supplements can provide. Especially important for mental health are:
      1. B-vitamins, especially B-12 which is almost exclusively found in animal meats and seafood. Especially if you are a vegan or vegetarian, or otherwise limit meat and seafood, you are quite likely to be deficient in these essential vitamins. Order a vitamin B supplement, and liquid Vitamin B-12.
      2. Also, don’t forget to make sure you are getting plenty of Vitamin D. If you live in a sunny climate, being outdoors an hour each day should be fine, but if you live in parts of the country that have long periods of dark, cold, stormy weather, there is a good chance you are low on this critical vitamin also.
      3. Omega 3 oils: These are very important for brain health as well as lowering inflammation levels and other important health benefits. An particularly excellent source is krill oil. A good vegetarian source is flax seeds.
      4. A multi-nutrient nutritional powder made from whole foods – ideally containing antioxidants (anti-aging and anti-inflammatory substances), probiotics and fiber (for digestive system health), natural digestive enzymes, super greens (like algae and wheat grass), and plant proteins. These will all help with proper digestive system and overall health which is closely linked to mental health. Costco sells a good organic plant based product made from 50 different whole foods for only $40 per month, click here for details.
   3. Homeopathy: Homeopathy, a form of energy medicine, is the hidden jewel of natural health; powerful, safe, and effective.
      1. Serotonin 6C (4-5 sprays twice a day for as long as needed, available at Celletech: 800-888-4066, cost $22/month): This homeopathic remedy is very gentle and easy to use. Made from serotonin this remedy seems to rapidly stimulate the brain to produce more serotonin – at least many people report improved mood and sleep within a few days. There are no side effects, you cannot overdose, and there is no long trial and error period trying to find the right medication and dosage. For guidelines on how to take gentle (low potency) homeopathic remedies click here.
      2. High potency and constitutional homeopathic remedies – these are homeopathic remedies that work on a deeper level to address the root causes of why serotonin levels are low. Any type of trauma in your life, especially when you are a young child, will often lead to negative energy (negative thoughts, beliefs, and emotions) stored deep in your subconscious. These negative beliefs and emotions affect your mood, behavior, thoughts, and even your physical body. Homeopathy is a profound way of going deep into the subconscious and releasing this stuck negative energy. When the proper homeopathic remedy is used – a remedy that resonates with your energy – there are rapid changes in many areas of your health and life. It is not easy to find the right resonating remedy though, and it must be correct or nothing happens. It is kind of like when a singer hits the right resonating note for a glass and it shatters; any other note and nothing happens….  As there are hundreds of different homeopathic remedies linked to depression it takes a trained, experienced, professional homeopath to guide you on this path.  If you would like to explore this method, call Becky for a personal consultation.
   4. The Potatoes Not Prozac diet: Eating a diet rich in a molecule your body uses to make serotonin, and then carefully controlling foods that mediate this process can raise your serotonin levels and help to keep them level throughout the day and night. Your body manufacturers serotonin from the amino acid tryptophan, which is present in most proteins to varying degrees (tryptophan levels are very high in turkey which is one reason falling asleep after Thanksgiving dinner is so classic ;).  Adding carbohydrates triggers the conversion from tryptophan to serotonin and also the ability for this serotonin to cross the blood brain barrier. So, in a nutshell, by eating protein plus a small amount of complex carbs three times a day, and then three hours after your last meal eating complex carbs plus oil or fat without any protein (such as a potato with butter or potato chips) will keep your serotonin levels high and steady all day and night. More details are available in Kathleen DesMaisons’s excellent book, Potatoes Not Prozac.
   5. A Healthy Gut: The gut-brain connection is real, and critical. It is estimated that our guts are the source of 90% of the serotonin in our bodies (Microbes Help Produce Serotonin in Gut, Caltech, April 09, 2015)! An imbalance in your gut between beneficial bacteria (which are thought to produce serotonin) and other sometimes unhealthy bacteria and yeast can lead to many health issues including depression.  Typically Candida yeast is one of the biggest culprits with some estimates Candida yeast overgrowth in this country upwards of 80% of the public due to poor diet, overuse of antibiotics, little exercise, and high stress levels . Getting this opportunistic parasite under control will be a huge boon to your health.  The good news it is usually quick and easy to rebalance your  gut flora and feel enormously better. (WBV will help this issue too as it stimulates your immune system helping your body fight the toxic yeast and bacteria in your gut). Here’s a great resource for more info, The Candida Cure, by Ann Boroch.
   6. Exercise: Exercise has loads of benefits that will help you feel better. Just a short 10 minute exercise session will get your blood and body moving, and sending stimulation, oxygen and nutrients to your brain.  Make a commitment to exercising at least 10 minutes twice a day – walk, bike, yoga, aerobics, whatever type of exercise works best for you is fine.  This is in addition to your WBV program which must be started slowly (1 min/day) and slowly built up (see my books or the manual that comes with the machine). If you are able to manage more intensive exercise, this is an effective way to raise beta-endorphins in your brain – the feel good neurotransmitter  (related to opioid pain killers) that creates the “runner’s high.”
   7. Nature: Fresh air, sunshine, the stimulation of new sights and sounds, the beauty of nature, perhaps the chance to exchange a few words with a friendly face, can work wonders. There is a deep and mystical connection we all have to Mother Earth. Let the beauty and wonder of the natural world recharge your soul, lift your spirits, and inspire you with appreciation, peace, and joy.  And if you can combine your exercise with being outdoors, especially in a beautiful natural setting, you will be checking off two of your antidepressant program items off at once :)! Good work!!
   8. Meditate and love yourself: Meditation and other methods such as art, music, dance, and writing, can help you to connect with your hurting  inner child. Find your inner child, and hear her – maybe her or she is raging with anger and fear, or maybe she’s weeping and overwhelmed with grief and despair – love this little child like you would any hurting little child. You can be the very best mother there could ever be for yourself. Give yourself the love, care, and tenderness that we all need. And protect yourself fiercely, like a mother bear would – that means against others that would harm you, and you must be the mother that will not let the child hurt herself – commit to taking good care of yourself and not letting your inner child run the show when it is time to choose between healthy and unhealthy choices. Of course, as a good mother, you will also forgive yourself when you slip up. There is always a new day ;).
   9. Rapid hot and cold temperature changes:  Stimulating your body with first heat and then a brief but cold shower is a time-honored method to get your blood and nervous system charged up. The Swedish people, Native Americans, and many other cultures have long traditions of heating up in a sauna or sweat lodge, and then jumping into the icy waters of rivers or pools. While uncomfortable, this is a guaranteed to wake up a sluggish body and mind!
   10. Connect with other people: We all need connection – it is a basic element of psychological health and our purpose here on earth. But when you are depressed, and in our modern culture, we are often isolated from family, friends, and community. Find a way to connect to others. Visiting friends and family in person is wonderful; if you can’t do that, call and talk on the phone or with video chat systems such as Skype, Facebook messenger, or What’s App. Join a group interested in activities you enjoy (Meet-Up is a great online organization to find a group in your area on almost any subject). Volunteer and meet new people at the same time as helping others. There are people in need of your help everywhere – we all need help, and we all need connection.

Let’s get started! You can do it!

With love, peace, and joy,

Becky