Natural Cures for Anxiety and Depression

So for a while I have been experimenting with different natural cures for anxiety and depression. After going on and off several antidepressants which let me feel emotionless and drained I decided to go with what I do best... Natural Remedies.  Below is a list of some of the products I have tried and had excellent results with. There were also dozens I have tried that had no impact but I like to keep it positive so I am only giving the good reviews. 

First...

Natural Calm
This is a magnesium supplement. I chose to go with the one with Vitamin-D and Calcium added. After doing a little research I found out that most of the American population lacked magnesium. Symptoms of a deficiency include head ache, anxiety, muscle spasms, insomnia and hyperactivity. This gem of a supplement is tasty and helps combat these symptoms. I felt better after my second glass. Natural calm comes in several flavors but I prefer the lemonade. 


Next....

 Bach Rescue Remedy
Just four drops of this under your tongue and you will be relaxed. I like to take this before bed or when I feel an anxiety attack coming on. This product is totally natural and homeopathic. Doctor Oz claims he uses it everyday.. I don't know about Dr. Oz but I sure do. It has a strong alcohol taste but you can mix it in with a couple ounces of water to mask it. I highly recommend this if you have social anxiety or periods where your anxiety is worse than others. Best of all there isn't a noticeable difference. Its not like a prescription medication that leaves you feeling groggy or different. With this you feel just like yourself but magically your anxiety has eased if not disappeared. 

Lastly... 
Essential oils! These are amazing. No I am not talking about the highly toxic fragrances you find all over department stores. I am talking about good old fashioned essential oils. Virtually every ailment has an essential oil that can ease it. Since we are on Depression and Anxiety I will stick with those.

Lavender- There has been a lot of debate if this oil should be used neat or diluted. I personally use two drops neat and rub it along my spine every night before I sleep. Lavender sends a signal to your brain to relax. It also helps with a peaceful nights sleep.

Palo Santo- This essential oil is known for stopping anxiety attacks in their tracks. It has a smoky wood sent and is very calming as well as grounding. I use this in a warm bath or defuse it. This should not be used around children. 

Tangerine-  Contains esters and aldehydes that are sedating and calming, helping with anxiety and nervousness.



    

                Go Green With Your Holiday Cards

  In our country alone we create 1 million tons of household waste during the holiday season alone. Yes 1 MILLION tons! After reading an article through planet green on this fun fact I got to work coming up with a truly Eco friendly way of spreading our holiday cheer. What was my solution.. well besides the not so personal ecard I came across plantable seed paper cards. These are affordable greeting cards printed on decomposable paper containing seeds of your choice. They come in fun designs or even easier on the pocket DIY cards. I'm going with the DIY option since I would like to spend my extra money on another one of my project cheer ideas. For $50 I got 90 sheets of paper, a festive holiday stamp and I am making my own ink.. yes you read that right. A small price to pay for showing my family and friends I am thinking of them and helping plant a few beautiful flowers that can be enjoyed for longer than a week.

www.bloomin.com. is where I purchased mine but there are several other sites which offer similar products.

Well its been a while.. I have missed the blogging world and struggle with keeping up. Let me give you a quick catch up. 

Over the past year my life has encountered some rocky yet enlighting moments. About a year ago I started another bout of anxiety and depression. This is something I battled with as a child but thought I had grown out of. I learned the hard way you can only run from things for so long before you come face to face with what you have worked so hard to hide from. I will just say that I am grateful  the universe always works itself out with or without your blessing.

Through all of this I have had time to reflect on life as we know it. I have always been deeply into yoga, meditation and philosophy and have used these tools to help aid in my recovery. I have hid behind my ego for a good part of my adult life and I want to be able to open up myself in hopes I can help influence someone else' life for the good. This is why I have decided to continue on with blogging. Not only about healthy truly natural skincare and haircare products but also to hopefully open your mind to new (or old) ideas and possibilities. All I ask of anyone who may stumble upon this is to read it with truly an open and humble mind. I do not have all, if any of the answers and I am always looking for new ideas and view points. 

Let me start out with a book recommendation. This is a very simple and easy read that will take less than an hour but if practiced has the potential of changing your life. Its called "The Four Agreements" by Miguel Ruiz. 

This book contains the fundamental four agreements that you must make to yourself for a happy life. The first agreement is to Be Impeccable with Your Word. I struggle with this one. Your word is all you have to convey to others your wants and wishes, your feelings and to gain understanding. Without knowing how to speak to others you will most likely end up misunderstood and frustrated. Are you speaking positive words or negative? What do you get in return?

The second is Don't take Anything Personally. I think most people struggle with this. Its mostly a chain of events. One person over sleeps and then they beep their horn at another person for delaying at a light, then that person yells at an employee and then that employee is rude to his or her spouse.. its a chain of events. I dare say through this chain at least one person feels hurt and takes is personally. To actually sit back and say "maybe its not me" is very empowering and may just help you gain a more positive self image.

 The third Don't Make Assumptions. We all try to make assumptions.. the problem with these are that we truly believe them. One minute you are feeling insecure and the next you think just because someone flashed you a look they felt a certain way about you. I personally think assumptions are the worst of all because they lead to taking things personally and worst of all gossip.

 Lastly you should Always Do Your Best. As with anything else practice makes perfect. You can never fault yourself for not being perfect all the time or slipping up every now and then but the main thing is to know you did your best and move on.  

Here is a link to amazon where it can be purchased. http://www.amazon.com/The-Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal/dp/1878424319/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354492784&sr=8-1&keywords=the+four+agreements

I will leave you tonight with a quote.

" Judge not that you be judged. For with what judgment you judge you will be judged and with the measure you use" Matthew 7:1-2

Organic Raw Brownie Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups whole walnuts
drizzle of honey
1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla
dash of nutmeg
2 ½ cups Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup raw cacao
1 cup raw unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
¼ tsp. sea salt

In a food processor or blendtec (which Is what I use) process walnuts until they get to a flour type consistency. Next add the cocao and salt pulse to combine. Add the dates one at a time then add mixture to a bowl. Process almonds and combine with the rest of the mix. Then press into your dish and refrigerate.  

These brownies are so good and they are free of gluten, refined sugar and dairy. 

Turmeric Powder

You may or may not have heard of the spice turmeric. Its usually found in Indian food and curry. What you may not know is the healing wonders of this spice as well as its usage in beauty products for centuries. This simple spice that can be found in any health food store and most grocery stores may become your new best friend.

Turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer's disease.

Here is a list of 20 reasons you should use turmeric taken from Eat This blog.

1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.

2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.

3. Prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.

4. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide.

5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.

6. Is a natural liver detoxifier.

7. May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.

8. May prevent metastases from occurring in many different forms of cancer.

9. It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.

10. Has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis in mice.

11. Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor.

12. May aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management.

13. Has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.

14. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

15. Boosts the effects of chemo drug paclitaxel and reduces its side effects.

16. Promising studies are underway on the effects of turmeric on pancreatic cancer.

17. Studies are ongoing in the positive effects of turmeric on multiple myeloma.

18. Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.

19. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.

20. May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.

I can vouch for its amazing acne benefits. I am listing a recipe below of my favorite face mask. I use it 3 times a week.

2tsp brown rice flour, 1tsp turmeric powder and a few drops of honey and milk until a paste is formed. Apply and let dry for 10-15 minutes. Great for acne prone skin, substitute oats for rice flour for anti aging.

A day living the RAW diet

I have gotten so many questions about my raw diet. Mostly I get asked "Do you eat?", "Are you hungry" and "How do you attend social gatherings". Well in today's post I am going to answer these and a more.
Do you eat? and Are you hungry?
I eat all day long! I eat anything and everything I want raw. A day of my diet looks something like this.
Breakfast- Green smoothie (kale, broccoli, bee pollen, garlic clove, apples, lemon and celery)

Early morning snack- Raw Chocolate and Raspberries

Late morning- A nut based snack

Lunch- Shiitake mushrooms sauteed in coconut oil with a whole minced garlic clove, raw peppers and squash cut to resemble pasta sprinkled with turmeric powder.

Afternoon snack- Herbal Tea and berries with honey and sunflower seeds drizzled over them

Dinner- I usually have a cooked sweet potato, salad with mushrooms and maybe a sushi roll.
Late night snack- Green juice again but this time with beet.

If you notice some of the items in my diet are cooked. To be considered raw you must consume at least 75% raw foods.

How do you attend social gatherings?
Growing up in a strong southern family this one can be tricky and very offensive. As far as family and small gatherings go I was always taught it's polite to bring a dish so why not bring an amazing raw one? Yes, you may be the only one digging in but at least you are guaranteed one item. Also there are usually salads and cooked veggies. No one has to have an empty plate.

When going out to dinner with friends I always recommend sushi or somewhere I know I can get a good salad. Its best to eat before as well so you aren't starving and tempted with the table bread;). Yes its a different lifestyle and yes you will have some people confused and opposed to the idea but you will feel so amazing that it becomes easy to live this way.

Why?
Well after felling bogged down and somewhat depressed for years I felt I had tried just about everything else. I really feel my issue was a sugar addiction, regardless my body and mind were crying out for help. If you know me personally you know just how obsessed I am with natural and homeopathic remedies. While my son is in school I mostly study. I read any and all books and articles on health I can get my hands on and I practice it everyday and try my best to relay the information with my friends and family. It truly is something I am passionate about.

So back to raw... I had been living a very healthy life for the past 7 years. I ate what I thought to be healthy but I still didn't feel as well as I would have liked. I had read many rave reviews and books on the raw diet but I just wasn't convinced it was for me. I did however start substituting my lunch with a packed green smoothie everyday and eventually I looked forward to it every single day. Realizing how badly my body craved vegetables I started substituting other meals as well and gradually I became raw.

So there you have it. A few questions answered. Please feel free to email me if you are interested. I would be more than happy to share recipes and support groups. My email is naturalbeautyguru@yahoo.com

RAW dessert recipe

Bliss Balls

1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup almonds
1/3 cup honey, agave nectar or dates (I used honey)
Raw unsweetened coconut flakes
pinch of nutmeg and/or cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

In a blendtec or vitamix (I think a food processor will work) blend sunflowers and almonds until they are the consistency of flour then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Roll into balls and then roll the balls in coconut flakes and place them in the freezer until you are ready to eat.

These are super easy to make and you can keep them in the freezer for a sweet craving.