Depression and Serotonin

I have a theory that my family has a problem with an imbalance of serotonin or some other neurotransmitter - and that's why we have such a high incidence of depression and being overweight. Here's an article that explains how that works - and some things you can do to improve how neurotransmitters work in your body:

Depression and Serotonin: What's the Connection?
http://www.integrativepsychiatry.net/depression_and_serotonin.html

By Valerie Balandra ARNP,BC

Depression is one of the most common and treatable of all mental illnesses. One in four women and one in 10 men can expect to develop it during their lifetime. Studies have shown that people suffering from depression have imbalances of neurotransmitters, natural substances that allow brain cells to communicate with one another. Two transmitters implicated in depression are serotonin and norepinephrine. Neurotransmitters are powerful chemicals that regulate numerous physical and emotional processes such as mental performance, emotional states and pain response. Virtually all functions in life are controlled by neurotransmitters.

Serotonin is a key neurotransmitter with many important functions in the brain and body Serotonin deficiency is a common contributor to mood problems. Some feel it is an epidemic in the United States. Serotonin is key to our feelings of happiness and very important for our emotions because it helps defend against both anxiety and depression. Many of the current biochemical theories of depression focus on the biogenic amines, which are a group of chemical compounds important in neurotransmission—most importantly norepinephrine, serotonin and, to a lesser extent, dopamine, acetylcholine and epinephrine.

What causes or contributes to Serotonin Deficiency?

• Prolonged periods of stress can deplete serotonin levels. Our fast paced, fast food society greatly contributes to these imbalances.
• Genetic factors, faulty metabolism, and digestive issues can impair absorption and breakdown of our food which reduces are ability to build serotonin.
• Poor Diet. Neurotransmitters are made in the body from proteins. Also required are certain vitamins and minerals called "cofactors". If your nutrition is poor and you do not take in enough protein, vitamins, or minerals to build the neurotransmitters, a neurotransmitter imbalance develops. We really do think and feel what we eat.
• Toxic substances like heavy metals, pesticides, drug use, and some prescription drugs can cause permanent damage to the nerve cells that make serotonin and other neurotransmitters.
• Certain drugs and substances such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, NutraSweet, antidepressants, and some cholesterol lowering medications deplete serotonin and other neurotransmitter levels.
• Hormone changes cause low levels of serotonin and neurotransmitter imbalances.
• Lack of sunlight contributes to low serotonin levels

Symptoms
You may have a shortage of serotonin if you have a sad depressed mood, low energy, negative thoughts, feel tense and irritable, crave sweets, and have a reduced interest in sex. Other serotonin related disorders include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic Attacks
• Insomnia
• Irritable bowel
• PMS/ Hormone dysfunction
• Fibromyalgia
• Obesity
• Eating disorders
• Obsessions and Compulsions
• Muscle pain
• Chronic Pain
• Alcohol abuse
• Migraine Headaches

How do I know if Serotonin is deficient?

Neurotransmitter testing, Questionnaires, and blood testing can help determine if you might have a serotonin deficiency. Certain test can determine if you have normal levels of the precursors and co-factor vitamins and minerals needed for the brain to produce serotonin. Additionally, hormones such as Adrenal, Thyroid, and Estrogen levels can affect serotonin levels and may explain why some women have pre-menstrual and menopausal mood problems.

How to raise serotonin levels naturally

Prescription drugs such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Lexapro are classified as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or (SSRI's). They help to keep more of the serotonin your brain is making in circulation. They are used for a wide variety of symptoms such as depression, panic attacks, anxiety, PTSD, obsessions, and compulsions. There are serotonin/norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitors (SNRI's) such as Effexor and Cymbalta that keep more serotonin and norepinephrine in circulation.

Nutrient therapies such as Targeted Amino Acid Therapy naturally increase the levels of neurotransmitters that a person has been found to be deficient in.5 hydroxytryptophan and Tryptophan are widely known for their ability to help depressive symptoms by raising serotonin levels in the brain.. Numerous clinical trials have studied the efficacy of 5-HTP for treating depression. One compared 5-HTP to the antidepressant drug fluvoxamine and found 5-HTP to be equally effective.

It can be used alone or in combination with medication to keep dosages low and to prevent the "poop out" many people experience with medication.

• tryptophan —> 5-HTP —> serotonin

Herbal Remedies such as St. Johns Wort are available to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Some work in a similar way to the SSRI antidepressants.

Things you can do to increase your serotonin levels and improve overall health.

• Exercise at least 30 minutes three times a week.
• Walking, yoga, stretching.
• Get plenty of sunlight.
• Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily
• Prayer and meditation

Eat at least three meals per day. Skipping meals promotes high stress and low energy. Eat protein with every meal. Eat Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice. Avoid sugar, junk food, white pasta, white rice, white bread, cookies and cake. No Caffeine, alcohol, or NutraSweet (aspartame). NutraSweet can be toxic to your brain. Alcohol can worsen depression, anxiety, and sleep problems.

Cancer - 5 Best / 5 Worst Foods

Cancer Prevention - 5 Natural Foods That Prevent Cancer (BEST)
http://ezinearticles.com/?Cancer-Prevention---5-Natural-Foods-That-Prevent-Cancer&id=1798898

The national cancer institute as well as world cancer research fund believes in healthy eating to prevent cancer. The five important foods to be incorporated in our daily diet for preventing cancer are as follows:

Vegetables:

Broccoli, cauliflower, onion, garlic, carrot, sweet potato, spinach, beans, avocado, lettuce, asparagus are some of the vegetables to be included in our daily meal to protect ourselves from cancer. Broccoli, cauliflower, kale contains antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin which help reduce the risk of prostate or any other form of cancer. Beans, spinach, lettuce, avocado contain folate which is a preventive food for pancreatic cancer. Tomatoes and sweet potatoes are rich source of beta carotene, a preventive vitamin. Vegetables should be preferably taken in raw form as they are richer in nutrients.

Fruits:

Another important food group to be included in our day to day life for avoiding cancer. Fresh, organically cultivated fruits eaten in raw form or extracted as juice prove healthy for an individual. Fruits like banana, grapefruit, orange, papaya, red grapes, strawberries, raspberries; blueberries are few important fruits which help reduce cancer. Papaya is believed to prevent the absorption of nitrosamines from processed food and cultivation soil, which are major cause of cancer. While banana is rich in potassium and red grapes are rich in bioflavonoid; the berries too are believed to possess anti cancerous nutrients.

Fish:

This white meat is rich in Omega 3s and essential fatty acids which act as a preventive measure against breast cancer. They are healthy for our heart and brain. The fish oil is believed to protect from prostate and colon cancer.

Liquids:

drinking lots of water, juice, green tea and chai is essential for keeping our body healthy. Drinking 5 liters of water everyday washes down all the toxins from our body. While vegetable and fruit juices provide essential nutrients and vitamins. Green tea is a rich source of antioxidant. It has been proven by the American institute of cancer research that green tea contains phytochemicals which are believed to stop the transformation of normal cells to cancerous cells.

Soy:

it is a rich source of protein. At the same time soy is also believed to be rich is phytochemicals responsible for prevention of breast cancer. Soy can be taken daily as soy milk, tofu, granules, pulse. Any form of soy proves beneficial except the processed form. We should avoid soy chips rich in salt as well as other processed soy snacks. In fact any form of processed food be it salami, chips, sausages or cool drinks is unhealthy and major cause of different kinds of cancer.

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Top 5 Cancer Causing Foods (WORST)
http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-5-Cancer-Causing-Foods&id=1780435

Have you ever wondered which foods are best to avoid when trying to prevent cancer?

The secret is to be able to identify which foods contain ingredients that are carcinogens, or cancer promoters. Once you know which ingredients will end up giving you cancer, you can read labels and avoid those foods altogether.

So, what are the ingredients to avoid?

Let's start with sugar. One of the ways cancerous tumors develop is by feeding on sugar in the bloodstream. If you are continuously overloading your body with sugar you're giving your body what it needs for cancer to flourish.

Next is sodium nitrite. This chemical is added to certain foods... mostly lunch meats and bacon...on purpose in order to make it look reddish and fresh. Once upon a time, meats were preserved with salt, but manufacturers eventually switched to this much more dangerous form of meat preservation.

Then there's hydrogenated oils. When oils are heated in the presence of hydrogen and metal catalysts, it makes them hydrogenated. this preserves the shelf life, but also creates trans fats. Aside from causing cancer, trans fats are bad for your heart and can even interrupt metabolic processes.

Finally, there's the acrylamide factor. Acrylamides are created during the frying process, when starchy foods are subject to high temperatures.

And so, taking all of the above into consideration...the top 5 cancer causing foods are:

1. Hot Dogs - Usually preserved with sodium nitrite and full of fat (among other things!)
2. Donuts - These contain hydrogenated oils, sugar, white flour and acrylamides. Talk about the perfect cancer causing food!
3. French Fries - Often made with hydrogenated oils. There would also be acrylamides present.
4. Processed meats and bacon - Lots of saturated fat and nitrites. You can find some without, but you'll have to ask.
5. Chips & crackers - Usually have white flour, sugar, and trans fats. many manufacturers also hide MSG in the form of yeast extract, and mess around with serving sizes so you actually take in a lot more bad stuff than you think.

There you have it. Avoid these foods most of the time and you're well on your way to avoiding that dreaded 'C' word altogether.

If you or someone you care about is already past the point of prevention...or if you'd just like some resources to help others...there are over 350 natural, non-toxic cancer treatments that have been proven to work and you can find them here: http://killcancernow.blogspot.com

To your health!

...so what's the story on Ezekiel Bread?

Ezekiel Bread Is Living Grains

http://www.wowyouarereallylucky.com/food-choices/ezekiel-bread-is-living-grains.htm

Ezekiel Bread Is The Best

Ezekiel brand bread is my favorite bread. It is one of the best made breads available at the grocery store. Ezekiel bread is not made with whole grain flour, but sprouted grains. It is flour-less. It is truly 100% live grain bread, and certified organic. Living grains are not ground into flour, but sprouted with warm water to allow the live vitamins and nutrients to become more intense. The sprouting process not only increases vitamins and minerals but also causes a natural change that allows the protein and carbohydrates to be more easily absorbed.

Ezekiel Has Only Good Ingredients

The ingredients list is simple and clean: organic, sprouted wheat, barley, millet, lentils, soybeans, spelt, yeast and sea salt. That is it. No flour, preservatives, or chemicals. Ezekiel bread comes in many flavors: Cinnamon Raisin, Sesame, Sprouted Wheat.

Good Choice For Vegetarians

All of the breads are low glycemic, low carb with only 15 grams of carb per slice. Each slice has 4 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Due to the variety of sprouted grains in the bread, Ezekiel bread is a complete protein and a terrific choice for everyone especially vegetarians.

Good bread is hard to find

I would prefer a fresh made bread. Unfortunately, you will not find any decent choices of breads at the grocery store other than Ezekiel. Most of the bread in the fresh bread section is a blend of whole grain and white flour. When you do find a 100% whole grain (as listed in the ingredient list), then it carries high fructose corn syrup, other sugars, chemicals, bread conditioners or hydrogenated fats in the ingredient list. If you can find a good quality bakery in your area, you may be able to find a quality bread made with whole grains and other quality ingredients. Remember it must say whole or 100% or stone ground in the ingredient list right in front of the grain type. It is hard to find true whole grain, because the grocery store choices are few and far between and the bakery frequently doesn’t have their ingredient list available. Ask to see the ingredient list. It is their responsibility to have it for you. If they don’t have it, then don’t by their bread. If you can not find a fresh whole grain flour bread at a bakery near you then try Ezekiel Bread. It is found in the freezer case of your favorite grocery store.

http://www.foodforlife.com/sprouted-grain-difference/ezekiel-4-9.html

The Superfoods

What is a “Super Food”? http://www.superfoodsrx.com/superfoods/

Well, the most important thing for everyone to know is that superfoods are easy to find in every local supermarket. They’re worth looking for!

These nutritional powerhouse foods are loaded with nutrients crucial to a healthy, long life.

If you can include a variety of them in your diet, everyday, we promise they will change your life!

These foods were chosen because they contain high concentrations of crucial nutrients, as well as the fact that many of them are low in calories. Foods containing these nutrients have been proven to help prevent and, in some cases, reverse the well-known effects of aging, including cardiovascular disease, Type II Diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers.

When you click on each superfood you’ll find information including a list of the primary nutrients that elevated them to superfood status.

Apples
Avocado
Beans
Blueberries
Broccoli
Cinnamon
Dark Chocolate
Dried SuperFruits
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic
Honey
Kiwi
Low Fat Yogurt
Oats
Onions
Oranges
Pomegranates
Pumpkin
Soy
Spinach
Tea
Tomatoes
Turkey
Walnuts
Wild Salmon

Master Tonic

This tonic is awesome!! I credit it with curing my frequent sinus/ear infections. I have been having a series of ear infections, twice a year (or maybe it's just one ear infection that lasts a really long time, twice a year) - anyway, since I started taking the tonic, I haven't had a sinus or ear problem that lasted longer than a day or two - and those were extremely mild compared to my previous experience! I was also having a problem with swelling and water retention before I started using the tonic - and that has also stopped. My son thinks it's the placebo effect - but I don't care if it is. It works!! Plus all the ingredients are extremely healthy, so I'm a believer!!
(Update: My son now thinks it's worth trying - maybe not placebo!)

You should probably watch this video first:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wQbGDmaKZc

...and then...
Here's the recipe:

Herbal Master Tonic

1 part fresh chopped garlic cloves (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitical)
1 part fresh chopped white onions, or the hottest onions available (similar properties to garlic)
1 part fresh grated ginger root (increases circulation to the extremities)
1 part fresh grated horseradish root (increases blood flow to the head)
1 part fresh chopped Cayenne peppers, Jalapenos, Serranos, Habeneros, African bird peppers....any combination of the hottest peppers available

Preparation
· Fill a one-gallon glass jar 3/4 of the way full with equal parts of the above fresh chopped and grated herbs.
. We use about one cup (chopped/grated) of each of the five vegetables/herbs, and we chop them up in the blender.
. For the peppers, we use a mix of Jalapenos, Serranos and Poblanos - but you can use whatever you want to or what's available.
. Remember that all the herbs and vegetables should be fresh (and organic if possible). We only use organic if it's readily available in the grocery store - usually it is not.
. Then fill to the top with raw unfiltered, unbleached, nondistilled apple cider vinegar. We just use "regular" apple cider vinegar.
· Close and shake vigorously and then top off the vinegar if necessary.

Let the mixture "steep" for 14 days.
. Shake the container to "stir" the ingredients at least once per day.

After 14 days, strain liquids (you're going to keep the liquids - not the solids - for the "tonic") from solids through muslin cloth, cheesecloth or strainer into a plastic or glass "jug" - it will be something less than a full gallon.
Note: the solid ingredients retain almost the same potency as the liquid ingredients; therefore, these solids can be puréed to use with other ingredients like honey and lemon to make a salad dressing or to marinate meats of all sorts. Yum! For example mixing to taste with Peanut oil makes a great sauce to roast chicken. This formula will not spoil unless mixed with new ingredients. We store ours in the freezer.

Dosage:
1/2 to 1 ounce, two or more times daily, gargle and swallow. Some people (not just me) swear it is not only the cure for the common cold but every other disease of mankind.
We take one or two swallows - which equates to about one or two ounces, once a day.

"This tonic is extremely powerful, because all the ingredients are fresh. Its power should not be underestimated. This formula is a modern day plague tonic and when added to an incurable routine I have seen it cure the most chronic conditions and stubborn diseases. It stimulates maximum blood circulation, while putting the best detoxifying herbs into the blood."

FDA Approves Stevia, Ends the Era of Oppression of this Herbal Sweetener

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued letters of non-objection for the use of a natural, zero-calorie sweetener it once sought to wipe out from the U.S. marketplace. Following political pressure from powerful consumer product corporations (Coca-Cola and Pepsi, primarily), the FDA has once again fallen in step with the interests of Big Business and legalized a food and beverage ingredient that it once aggressively oppressed.

In this case, however, the approval of this ingredient happens to be in the best interests of consumers. Why? Because it will largely replace aspartame, an artificial sweetener chemical linked to numerous neurological disorders, including headaches, eye disorders and other problems.

It will also unleash a wave of stevia-sweetened products for consumers, and that's good news for diabetics or anyone seeking healthier products sweetened with an herbal extract rather than a synthetic chemical.

http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000626_stevia_Truvia_FDA.html

Anti-Cancer Diet

This diet was developed by Dr. Johanna Budwig, and in her 40 to 50 years of treating cancer patients, she had a record of 90% recovery from cancer, heart disease and even arthritis.

Here are two websites with info on this diet.

This site is the easiest to read:
http://dailyrepublic.typepad.com/thebigc/2008/02/diet-details-on.html
...and get's straight to the how-to part.

This site has more background information, testimonials, etc. - much more comprehensive, but a little harder to navigate to find all the info:
http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/budwig_protocol.html

There is also a Yahoo support group on this diet. Info on the support group is in the second (more comprehensive) site above.

Let me know if you find this helpful.