So you might have always thought you were really sensitive – get teary during your favourite song or even watching a moving advert on TV? I thought I was – now I realise it was false pain I was experiencing.
Depression isn’t about feeling down for a reason – it’s feeling down when everything is just fine and THAT is why it sucks. It’s fake. False. Big fat imbalance of brain chemistry messing up your emotions.
You might think you just naturally have a short fuse, or don’t feel joy as others do, or sleep as well as others can. We are all different right? Sure we are. Some of us have enough brain chemicals to manage all these things and some of us don’t – maybe we were born that way or maybe we have just stressed ourselves into chemical exhaustion.
The amazing thing is ALL of these things can potentially be addressed with some basic amino acids supplements. I know right – some basic supplements and you might sleep well, cope better, behave more rationally, stress less. There is even evidence that in some cases ADD can be assisted with a diet clean-up and some tyrosine supplementation.
Firstly I have to say I’m not a doctor – this is just some reading I’ve done and I want to share…
Second, I have to say my herb of the hour is Astragalus. I was at a seminar the other day and a naturopath described it as the herb to reduce your care factor. Brilliant! love it! So if you find you’re stressing too much about the silly little things or super sensitive to the opinions of others, get yourself some Astragalus and let me know how you go – I’d love some feedback.
To diet: we know that grains can be inflammatory. Wheat is a grass and grasses are one of the foremost allergens we know – makes sense some people shouldn’t be eating it. Dairy is a close second and sugar is a toxic nightmare. So if we can clean up our diet and look to lots of healthy proteins, fats and vegetables we are going to be getting more of the chemicals we need in our food and less of the ones that mess us up. (As I’ve said in previous post – Paleo in Moderation is my suggestion)
OK, so to the brain chemistry stuff. I’m not going to bore you with the details of biochemistry – you can look into it further if you’re interested. This is the stuff you need to know to change your life according to Julia Ross (check out her books):
Serotonin: If serotonin is low you are tending to be worried, negative, irritable and sleepless. Most people can improve their serotonin levels with a simple addition of 5-HTP or tryptophan to their diet.
Catelcholamines: These include dopamine and norepinephrine. If they are low you’ll be flat, lethargic. Try adding some tyrosine or phenylalanine to your diet. If this doesn’t work you may need to look at your thyroid.
GABA: If GABA is out of balance you’re likely to feel wired, stressed and overwhelmed. You can actually buy straight GABA supplements.
Endorphins: This is for those of us who get teary during the commercials and feel it’s really hard to let go of all the little hurts life has delivered. DLPA is your answer (D- & L- phenylalanine)
OK, so I’ve made that sound pretty simple. It is really. There are additional considerations of course – consult your physician, I’m not an expert and know nothing of you or your health issues. You need to check all the health warnings and contraindications if you are pregnant or on other medication. You need to make sure you are also supplementing yourself with some well-rounded vitamins, minerals, omega oils, etc. For this I have to say I have found an amazing product, so if you’d like to learn more about it, be sure to get in touch.
For plenty more info on balancing mood and emotions through diet I highly recommend the writings of Julia Ross. Her work is amazing and enlightening and was the basis for this post. I have simplified greatly here, so if the above doesn’t work for you, don’t despair – keep researching – you may find some additional info for your specific chemistry that doesn’t fit within the mainstream…like we said at the start, we’re all different right?
Postscript: Since supplementing myself with a combination of the above amino acid supplements and essential oils products life has changed a lot for me. My ability to cope and my general mood is significantly better. A sample of one proves nothing of course. Do your own research and consult a naturopath or physician.