Natures Alternative to Illness

Several years ago when I was diagnosed with a mild case of depression, the doctor I trusted put me on a prescription medication that kept my head in a daze for most of the day. I didn’t like that feeling and decided to check into a drug free treatment of depression and found the answer for this and many other illnesses that I had always treated with modern medicine.

I had no idea there was a natural treatment of health conditions for just about every kind of illness and disease known. I wondered why I had never been shown this type of treatment before by my doctor because these treatments are less expensive and much better for your body than modern medical treatments that are manmade.

Once I found these alternative health products I started doing a lot of research. I found treatments for arthritis, in which both of my parents suffer from. I purchased the supplements and took them to my parents to try. After a month of using the natural treatment supplements, both my parents felt better and had more pain free use of their knees, shoulders, and hands. It really was amazing to see how well the natural treatment worked compared to the manmade treatment.

After doing extensive research I have found a natural treatment for almost every known disease or illness that humans suffer from. I don’t know why more people aren’t informed about these treatments but it almost seems like modern medicine is trying to keep this a secret from us all. I am happy to say that the mild depression I was diagnosed with is being treated successfully with a drug free treatment of depression that doesn’t give me a dazed feeling and allows me to continue my everyday routine. I am very thankful for finding these natural alternatives and have been spreading the news to everybody I know.

5 Things You Should Know About Depression in Men

Depression is often thought of as a women's disease … when men get frustrated they punch things, and when it happens to women they cry and get depressed. As most of us have found throughout our lives, the truth goes far beyond any set of narrow stereotypes. Depression is actually quite common in men … and it seems that our modern lifestyle is making it even more so. Today we look at five things you should know about depression in men and natural treatment of depression and low moods.

1. It happens … and it is nothing to be ashamed of
   Being depressed doesn’t make any man less masculine. On the contrary, it is often said that true bravery can be seen in the person that is scared, but faces their fear. Simply feeling no fear (or simply not suffering from depression) does not a true man make. It just does not factor into the equation - oftentimes depression is purely nutritional, biochemical or hormonal.
2. The following factors can contribute to depression in men
   Using drugs and alcohol, and the subsequent ups and downs in his body's chemistry; physical health problems; relationship problems; social isolation; and changes in living arrangement can all trigger depression.
3. Men are less likely to seek help for depression
   Because of our society's biases mentioned in point 1, men are less likely to seek help for depression. He will be much more dependent on the help of those close to him to pull him back up, from down. There are plenty of natural treatments for depression and low moods that can help make a good start.
4. Men are more likely to self-medicate, or to take medication improperly
   If a male loved one has been diagnosed with depression, they are much more likely to try to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, or to take more or less of their prescribed antidepressants than they should. It is best to supplement antidepressants with natural means of lifting depression, to help him get off that medication sooner.

Men are more likely to deny that they are depressed
This means that their loved ones often have a harder time getting them to seek help, and a non-threatening avenue such as nutritional, hormone and amino acid supplements

Focus on Amino Acids: Leucine

We are starting to see a new breed of alternative health products appearing more on the net and in stores. Rather than the simple vitamins and minerals which we used to take, you can now buy a range of tissue and glandular supports that help you achieve natural treatment of depression and low moods, and general health much better. Amino acids are a common ingredient in these, and today we shine the spotlight on one of the essential amino acids, leucine.

What is Leucine?

Leucine is an essential amino acid, which means that we must obtain it through our diet -- our body cannot synthesize it from other chemicals as it can with the range of non-essential amino acids. On the technical side, leucine is a component of buffer proteins like ferritin and astacin.

What organs use leucine?

Leucine is essential for functioning of the liver, adipose tissue and muscle tissue. Therefore, leucine has a role in:

• Removing toxins from the body, through the liver
• Helping us move and feel energized (through our muscles)

Leucine foods

You can get leucine from foods such as meat, poultry, cottage cheese, roasted peanuts, sesame seeds and lentils.

Leucine alternative health products

Look for amino acid supplement comlexes in your alternative health product store, if you think you might not get enough leucine from your diet. These complexes are often rice-based, and can be mixed in with milkshakes, soups, smoothies and so on. Take a small amount several times daily, rather than a large amount all at once.

Alternative Health Supplements and … Your Hypothalamus

As far as biological science has progressed, much of the way the brain works remains a mystery to us! Along the way we have learned a few things about how the brain works, and alterntive health products as well as common sense mainstream methods for treating various conditions. If you are just discovering the enormous range of alternative health products and wondering about the regions of the brain they refer to, today we are investigating the hypothalamus, its functions, pathologies and how its function can be improved in some cases of deficiency.

What does the hypothalamus look like, and where is it?

The hypothalamus is located just above the brain stem, and directly below another region known as the thalamus (from which it derives its name). It is one of the older parts of the brain, speaking in evolutionary terms. It is also very, very small -- roughly the size of an almond in humans.

What does the hypothalamus do?

This little gland has various functions related to maintenance of normal body processes. Its jobs include:

• Communicating with the pituitary gland to link the nervous system (sensory inputs) to the endocrine system (your glands and the hormones they produce)
• Controlling body temperature
• Controlling hunger and thirst
• Helping regulate fatigue, sleep and waking cycles.

It is one or an assortment of these functions which alternative health products that focus on the hypothalamus generally aim to correct.

How does this little almond know what it is doing?!

We mentioned that this region of the brain links the sensory inputs from the nervous system to the hormonal outputs of the endocrine system. It does this using information from:

• Light inputs
• Pheromones and other odors
• Information that the brain relays to it from the activity of the heart, lungs, stomach and reproductive system including the gonads
• Stress
• Blood-borne stimuli, such as insulin, leptin and ghrelin (which change in response to the food you eat)

Alternative health products for the hypothalamus

Support for your hypothalamus from the alternative health products industry often comes along with thalamic and pituitary-support factors. These include substances like medulla concentrate, anterior lobe, ascorbic acid, pineal extract, papaine, and support for the limbic lobe, anterior lobe and posterior lobe.

Possible Side Effects of Mood Disorder Drugs: Alternative Health Products for Mood Support

With the recent release of findings that mood-disorder drugs could cause psychiatric disorders later in life, people are again turning to natural mood support methods to help. Drug free treatment of depression with alternative health products is becoming more and more popular, as people have more and more concern about standard medical treatments and their possible long term effects. We look at the recent finding, and your alternatives for mood support if you are concerned.

The Research

The study was done on animals, by researchers at the Georgetown University Medical Center. The results were released in October of 2009. The research builds upon an earlier finding that there are some neurons in the brain which die when these drugs are given to immature animals. We do have to temper the results with the realization that animals aren’t humans; however, when behavioral tests that determine autism and schizophrenia were given to the animals later in life, abnormalities were detected. This finding wasn't limited to the drugs that are known to cause neuronal death, either.

The study also named drugs which have little or no effect -- as understood currently. If you are concerned about the effects of traditional mood drugs on your brain, what can you do?

1. Exercise

Almost every person in the Western world currently gets less exercise than our bodies require for optimal functioning. The way our economy is set up, there is now little physical activity required to meet everyday demands, whether you are working in paid employment or cleaning the house. Exercise is also vital for proper brain function, and plays a critical role in maintaining good mood, even more than alternative health products. In most cases, being able to get more exercise involves a rethink of your priorities, and the realization that you may need it to actually enjoy life!

2. Drug free treatment of depression and other mood disorders

For those who have started to feel low already, it can be difficult to drag yourself out of the cycle of television and bad food to build yourself back up from down. You can get a great kick-start with some of the many alternative health products on offer, including:

• Sublingual adrenal cortex extract, for help with stress-induced fatigue and exhaustion, withdrawals from alcohol or other drugs, general fatigue, and low everyday moods.
• Sublingual melatonin, which improves mood naturally by improving the quality of sleep. It is rapidly absorbed, and some formulations are made to avoid the traditional hangover effect the next day.
• 5-hydroxytryotphan is part of the conversion process of L-trytophan, another popular alternative health product, and eventually becomes serotonin.

Focus on Amino Acids: Glutamine

There are dozens of different amino acids in the world, and around twenty that are used in the human body. They are vital in many bodily functions, and are sometimes prescribed in the hope that they will help patients lose weight, find increased energy, improve mental fatigue and better tolerate stress. Today we are looking at a common non-essential amino acid supplement in depth: glutamine.

The Basics

The scientific name for L-glutamine amino acid is (2S)-2,5-Diamino-5-oxopentanoic acid. Its molecular formula is C5H10N2O3, which translates to 5 atoms of carbon, 10 of hydrogen, 2 of nitrogen and 3 of oxygen. All those common substances put together play an important role in our body! It is the most abundant free amino acid in our body, and is founding healthy blood samples in concentrations of 500-900 micromol per liter.

Functions

Amino acids are all involved in the synthesis of different proteins within the body. The body makes its own glutamine -- the major source of this is the muscles. Around 90% of all the glutamine in the body comes from a person's muscle mass, which leads some to believe that if you have lower muscle mass, you may also be deficient in L-glutamine and require amino acid supplements. In addition to protein synthesis, L-glutamine:

• Is a source of cellular energy, as glucose is
• Produces ammonium in the kidneys to help regulate your body's acid-base balance
• Provides nitrogen in anabolic processes

When are glutamine amino acid supplements necessary?

If you suffer from a catabolic illness or injury, you may need to derive l-glutamine from your food or supplements -- your body may not be able to make enough on its own. 10-15 years of study have been performed on glutamine, and it is considered useful for treating burns, injuries, and helping with the side effects of cancer treatment.

Supplements and food sources

Supplements are one of the richest sources of L-glutamine, and unlike with some supplements, higher dosages do not seem to result in reduced effects. You can also supplement your L-glutamine intake by eating foods like:

• Beef, chicken and fish
• Milk and other dairy products
• Cabbage
• Beets
• Spinach
• Parsley
• Beans

Depression: Helping Yourself Through

Depression is a cruel disease. Other illnesses simply don’t rob you of your very motivation to get better the same way that depression does. You feel that nothing will ever change, so there is no point trying. One of the key things to understand is that depression can be caused by simple imbalances in your hormones and the nutrients within your body … while it makes life at large seem idiotic and pointless, your life isn’t usually the cause of your depression. If drugs only make you feel worse (as they do for many depression patients) and you're undergoing natural treatment of depression, today we are looking at some strategies to help make this period of your life nothing but a memory.

Early treatment

This is critical … while we hear this about many illnesses, it is especially true in depression. When you think or feel a certain way, neuronal pathways in the brain are activated. The longer they stay activated, or the more repetitively they are activated, the easier it becomes for signalling to work on that pathway in future. If you fail to get help early, you are literally teaching yourself to be depressed. If you know what the doctor is going to say and you don’t like it, there are plenty of natural treatments for depression that you can try.

Nutritional Supplements

When you are depressed, you don’t necessarily eat right -- and this only contributes to the cycle. Break it with effective nutritional support for depression.

Do something you love

Depression takes all the color out of activities, I know… I've been there too! But it is essential when you are feeling depressed to do things that you like doing, that once inspired you and energized you. This is a key step in the natural treatment of depression.

Set realistic goals

Understand that you are ill -- although it might not have been caused by a virus, the way your body reacts is not completely under your control when you are depressed. If you can’t do the ironing AND make dinner, don't stress. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it -- that's what loved ones are there for.

Avoid alcohol and drugs

The term "self-medicating" is very much a misnomer with depression. Alcohol frequently makes the problem worse -- when you are hung over the next day, it often triggers a massive bout.

Exercise

Exercise is one of the most potent natural treatments of depression -- it is both preventive and cure. Make sure it is an activity you like -- take an mp3 player walking, go swimming and enjoy the calm and quiet underwater, or find a nice outdoor spot for some individual yoga.