Hear No Evil, See No Evil – Chantix, Drug Advertising, and the FDA

In 1997, the FDA decided to relax the guidelines pertaining to televised pharmaceutical ads. In the following years, direct-to-consumer ads took off from a $12 million dollar business to a $4.1 billion dollar business by 2006. In 2011, it was estimated that 1 billion per year was being spent.

The amount of money spent is a boon to the television stations and one of the reasons mainstream news media often buries news that is unfavorable to pharmaceutical companies. They don’t want to bite the hand that feeds them.

Aside from obvious corruption, the naiveté of the American people regarding pharmaceutical companies is astounding. Although some reports of the pharmaceutical companies’ flagrant disregard for human lives are publicized and stories of them being fined billions of dollars for civil and criminal activities should concern us, somehow we don’t connect the dots. The same company that may have been fined billions for corruption regarding another drug also makes vaccines, but we are told vaccines are safe and, therefore, believe what we want to hear.

Even when whistleblowers come forward to reveal that their company falsified claims that their vaccine worked and even falsified lab work to back up their claims, and the government decides to prosecute, the majority of Americans still believes pharmaceutical companies to be benign – to be the good guys! And worse yet, Americans believe the FDA holds its citizens in a sacred trust – that the FDA looks out for us. This belief is so ingrained we can’t even read an insert or hear a frightening list of possible side effects to a drug and weigh the possible consequences. Somehow we hear only what we want to hear.

Chantix claims to be the number one best selling drug to stop smoking. This is the script to one of their television commercials.

Chantix Ad

Testimonial: My name is Louis and I quit smoking with Chantix. I tried to do it in the past and I wasn’t successful. Quitting smoking this time was different because I talked to my doctor, and I – I got a prescription for Chantix.

Narrative: Along with support, Chantix varenicline is proven to help people quit smoking.

Testimonial: It was important to me that Chantix was a non-nicotine pill. The fact that it reduced the urge to smoke helped me… get that confidence I could do it.

Narrative: Some people had changes in behavior, thinking, or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping CHANTIX. If you notice any of these, stop Chantix and call your doctor right away.

Tell your doctor about any history of mental health problems, which could get worse while taking CHANTIX.

Don’t take CHANTIX if you’ve had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. If you develop these, stop Chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening.

Tell your doctor if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems or if you develop new or worse symptoms. Get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack or stroke.

Use caution when driving or operating machinery. Common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping, and unusual dreams.

Testimonial: I’m very proud. I love myself as a non-smoker.

Narrative: Ask your doctor if Chantix is right for you.

So What Did You Hear?

Did you hear anything other than the fact that this drug may help smokers quit? Did you dismiss the warnings, thinking they only happen to the other guy?

Let’s break this down. The entire ad from start to finish is 242 words of which 58%, 141 words, are exclusively used for the warning. We were warned that this drug may cause the following:

  • Changes in behavior
  • Changes in thinking
  • Changes in mood
  • Hostility
  • Agitation
  • Depressed mood
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Suicidal actions
  • Exacerbation of mental illness

All of the above can happen when you are using the drug and after you quit using it!

It also has a vague warning related to blood vessel problems, heart attacks and stroke.

It might be dangerous to operate machinery.

Allergic reactions have occurred including skin reactions, some of which can be fatal.

And then it tells you the common side effects:

  • Nausea
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Unusual Dreams

None of these side effects or warnings would be listed if trial subjects had not experienced them. We aren’t told how many went through trials. We are not told what percentage experienced these side effects. We have no idea if this drug is safe for us. All we do know for sure is that the risk ratio of how many may sue the company compared to profits from sales is favorable enough for this drug to be on the market.

So what is a good margin? How many people can die? How many might be killed by the person taking the drug? You see, even though they took up more than half of the commercial with warnings, they still didn’t cover everything! And compared to their website warning, they also watered it down a bit.

Chantix Website Warning

On the Chantix website, the warning section, titled the “Important Safety Information and Indication,” is 474 words long. It includes more warnings: drug interactions, seizures, intensified effects of alcohol, blackout episodes (amnesia), and more. The web warning also stresses the “hostility and agitation” by mentioning it twice along with stating the words “aggression and anger.” So along with many health warnings, including death, consumers may turn hostile and aggressive.

Does this mean they may abuse their spouses, children, neighbors or strangers before killing themselves? Is this a fairly clear warning that this drug may be the catalyst for a mass shooter event?

The consumer who wants to pop a pill to quit smoking probably doesn’t hear this. On the website, the only symptoms with a percentage is nausea – 30%. This alone may cause a consumer to think twice. But other warnings, life threatening and life altering warnings with no percentages will be dismissed.

It is time we look at these drugs critically and demand full information. Most of all, it is time we opened our eyes to the truth.

Recommended Reading:
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Chiropractors Against Vaccines

“The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease. ~ ”

― Thomas A. Edison

Becoming a doctor of chiropractic is no small undertaking. In most states it requires eight years of schooling – four years of undergraduate study, mostly focusing on the sciences and four years of chiropractic school. On average, chiropractic school requires 372 more hours of classroom time than medical school. More time is spent studying anatomy, physiology, diagnostics, and orthopedics in chiropractic school than in medical school. In addition, twenty hours of continual training is required each year, but most chiropractors get more.

Chiropractors are well-educated healers who have varied opinions on vaccines and pharmaceuticals. But, trained in medicine, with a more holistic perspective, chiropractors tend to be, on average, a great deal more skeptical of vaccines than physicians.

The following chiropractors are speaking up to inform the public about the dangers of vaccines.

Dr. David Jockers, D.C.Dr. David Jockers, D.C.

Vaccines are one of medicine’s prized attempts to improve human performance.  They use artificial laboratory derived medical technology to produce an immune response within the body in hopes it will lead to a long-term positive antibody response.

The vaccine ideology is based on the belief that people are created with inferior immune systems that are unable to keep up with the demands of the environment and need modern technology in the form of man-made vaccine formulations in order to bolster immunity.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “The following substances are found in flu vaccines:  aluminum, antibiotics, formaldehyde, human aborted fetal apparatus (dead human tissue), monosodium glutamate (MSG), and thimerosal (mercury).”  Many of these same ingredients are in childhood vaccines.  They are all very toxic for human physiology and have a track record for insulting the body’s immune system. 

I would prefer to trust the innate ability of the body to overcome infectious microorganisms and I will fully support my body through healthy diet and lifestyle along with natural supplements and proper spinal alignment.  I absolutely reject the idea that injecting a group of toxic, immune insulting chemicals into my bloodstream will improve someone’s long-term immune response.

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Dr. Haroot Tovanyan, D.C.Nancy Tarlow, D.C.

When you inject chemicals into your body that are toxic, there will be an effect. It may not be obvious at first. A child might have a fever that the doctor says is “normal”, but it isn’t. A fever or screaming could be that the brain is swelling and causing damage. The real problem is that children cannot convey to us how they feel. It’s not like an adult who can tell us that they felt great prior to a vaccination but then started having health problems.

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Dr. Haroot Tovanyan, D.C.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KPtPTy2bfg

I am a doctor of Chiropractic and I primarily work with autistic children.

… Every single parent in my practice that has an autistic child has the same story. Child was born normal; child was developing normal. Child went in for their 12-month, 18-month, normal usually 24 or 36-month shots and regressed. This may be anecdotal, but when you hear it over and over and over again, there’s something to be said. These are children that have severe neurological issues. They’re not verbal; 8-10-year-old children that are still wearing diapers.

I have a quadriplegic niece in my family who received 4 shots, a total of 10 vaccines in 1 day. She was born normal. She developed normal until about a year and a half. At a year and a half she received 4 shots, 1, 2, 3, 4, and she … This was 1990 when they started doing multiple vaccines and they also quadrupled the number of shots that you’re normally receiving. She basically regressed. She’s a vegetable. I mean, she became a quadriplegic. Nowhere in nature would your child go to get exposed to let’s say 6 or 7 or 8 or 9, or in the case of my niece, 10 viruses and bacteria at the same time.

In nature that just doesn’t happen. They don’t co-exist like that. It’s not natural to put a combination of vaccines, combinations of viruses and bacteria that just don’t belong together or don’t co-exist in nature in a vial and inject it into a child and expect them to be healthy. The CDC schedule has never been tested for safety. There have never been double-blind studies. It’s never been tested for synergistic effect. They’ve refused to study un-vaccinated versus vaccinated.

This is one of the biggest problems that I have with vaccines. I have a 5-year-old beautiful daughter and I have a 3-year-old son, handsome, that are very healthy. They have been sick. They’ve had the common cold here and there. They’ve never had the flu, no ear infections.

Majority of children that are vaccinated, they have chronic ear infections. One of the ways that I know that they’re different from the majority of other children is my son is 3 years old and in daycare out of all the other 3-year-olds, he’s pretty much the only one that has a full vocabulary. It just tells you the difference between vaccinated children, which is the majority of the population, in California 97%, compared to un-vaccinated children.

We detoxify them and get these toxins out of their body that were put in there by vaccines and other environmental factors. Genetically modified foods and glyphosate have a lot to do with it as well. When we change their diet, first and foremost, we detoxify them, we see the children improve. I have several children under my care that went from non-verbal to verbal.

…They completely change. They become more focused. They develop cognitive skills again. They want to be social. It’s really rewarding to see a child and a parent; a parent that has lost all hope and usually us Chiropractors are the last resort for most parents that have autistic children. It’s really rewarding to see them … They’re like the sparkle in their eye when the children are improving, when their children are starting to talk. When their children are able to go to the bathroom on their own, and their 12-year-old son or daughter doesn’t have to wear diapers any more. For the average neuro-typical child, this may not be tremendous successes, but for a child that’s a teenager and isn’t talking, these are huge steps, leaps and bounds forward compared to what they’ve experienced. Most pediatricians meanwhile, they become doctors to help patients, to help children be healthy, but they’re also misinformed. They just don’t know. 

…I’ve asked our pediatrician, “What’s in a vaccine?” They don’t know. They just don’t know the risk that carries with them. If I were a parent and I was on the fence, I would definitely read books. “Vaccination Is Not Immunization,” “Educate Before You Vaccinate.” Also, read the vaccine insert. Just compare what your protecting against and what the possible side-effects might be. Honestly, if something in those is really good for you, Uncle Sam would not mandate it. That’s just the way I feel. If something was going to make us healthier, I don’t think they would make it mandatory.

Kare 4 Kids Chirpractic  twitter

Dr. Greg Cartmell, D.C.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbLjj6Bnb6M

…As a clinician, on a day-to-day basis, I educate my patients on health and maintaining health and preventative health and to be clear with families and be clear with the parents in making informed choices about vaccinating their children. It’s very important to me.

I’ve seen some tragedies, I’ve seen before and afters. About 6 years ago, I had a patient come in with her daughter who was just vibrant, bouncing off the walls, perhaps 2 at the time, and just very sweet and loving and accepting my adjustments, the whole family. She received her boosters. I hadn’t seen them in about 6 months, and she had developed autism, full blown autism to where she had to go to a speech therapist. She was afraid of me; whereas, before, she was very smiling and calm and bright and talkative, and she was afraid of me. It was disheartening, to say the least. It was almost as if the light switch had flipped off on her.

… Just recently, I had a little boy come in, working on his neck area, he’s clicking and popping in his neck and jaw. Again, maybe 6 years old, 6 or 7, came in, I started working on him. He was very responsive, loved the chiropractic. He came in one day with his folks because his folks were getting adjusted as well, and he seemed off. He seemed like he was staring off into space, comatose. They had to explain that he just came from the pediatrician and gotten a booster shot. It was clear that something had taken place.

It was just hard to describe other than just comatose.

…It was just very, very hard to believe the difference in these children, and it’s disheartening. If you’re a parent, I strongly urge you to please do your research. Look at both sides. I urge you to look at vaccination injury and the stats on that and look into the ingredients and look into the reasons why they think they need to do a vaccination schedule as they propose.

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Dr. David LaRocco, D.C.

Dr. David LaRocco, D.C.Apparently people just want to bully you into believing vaccines are all sunshine and rainbows.

…I’m not a vaccination expert.

I don’t care about the vaccine debate. I care about the truth. I care about the safety, I care about the effectiveness. I’m solely here to empower and educate people on how they can promote health and happiness in their life.

…Doctors are great people and they truly care but when was the last time your doctor actually showed you the insert of the chickenpox vaccine? I highly doubt they even know what it looks like.

I know what it looks like because I’ve taken the time to educate myself.

…I stand firmly against injecting aborted fetal tissue and anti-freeze into my body or my children’s body.

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Conclusion

Check out further reading below for more on this subject and other articles within the series. If you’ve been vaccinated, see How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children.

Further Reading:

 

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The Rocky Road to Menopause and How Essential Oils Can Help

Most women can agree that there was little information regarding women’s hormonal changes when our mothers transitioned through menopause. Hot flashes were commonly the only thing addressed, which gave most of us the impression that menopause is a brief hot mess and then the menstrual cycle stops for good. Though this is the case for a small percentage of women, perimenopause—the period of time before the cessation of menstruation—is a challenging reality that can last 3-15 years before actual menopause.

Today, we have access to knowledge about our bodies that our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers were without. Now we know that gastro-intestinal distress, mild to severe anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, itchy skin, depression, loss of libido, muscle pain, cold and hot flashes, fibroids, heavy monthly bleeding, tension and migraine headaches, heart palpitations, mood swings, irritable bladder and a host of other sometimes-frightening physical challenges are common symptoms of hormonal changes at midlife. Women who are unaware of the hormonal havoc their bodies are experiencing often rush to the doctor for cardiac tests when their hearts won’t stop racing or get extensive gastrointestinal tests when heartburn, indigestion, or constipation become chronic. These tests show nothing abnormal most of the time, which only adds to the frustration factor.

Perimenopausal hormonal shifts can put the female body and psyche on a roller coaster, pumping too much estrogen one moment and too little the next. Progesterone can also drop dramatically or surge, and testosterone is often low enough to give many women a profound disinterest in sex despite healthy, passionate relationships. The adrenals—the body’s stress glands—work harder during perimenopause and take over for aging ovaries. This means that even individuals with healthy adrenal function will most likely be affected, and those with genetic or acquired adrenal fatigue will feel the changes of midlife even more strongly.

Hormone tests for perimenopause are often unreliable because of erratic hormonal surges; the results usually reflect hormonal status of the time they are taken and cannot accurately portray what is happening inside the body on a daily basis. Only during the later stages of perimenopause are these tests reliable, so many conventional doctors choose not to test hormones or fail to take their female patients seriously. Perimenopause can be the most challenging time of a woman’s life, and the last thing she needs is a doctor who will not take hormonal changes into account.

Many women opt for hormonal replacement therapy (H.R.T.), but much relief can come from diet, herbal, and vitamin supplementation, and clinical aromatherapy. The latter can have profound effects on the nervous system, which in turn affects the endocrine system. Essential oils can be a great solace both physically and emotionally. Let’s look at a few essential oils that could make the difference between barely functioning and feeling a whole lot better:

Geranium: Geranium is a gentle but effective essential oil that can be a woman’s best friend during any time of life, especially perimenopause. It helps to tame wild surges of estrogen or progesterone and promotes harmony between not only these hormones but other hormones such as testosterone and stress hormones like cortisol and adrenalin. It fortifies the adrenals, reproductive organs, and nervous system in a way that can be felt almost immediately. It can be used for most symptoms including perimenopausal digestive distress, erratic mood swings, sore breasts, and weepiness. Geranium can be applied to the soles of the feet using 2 drops per sole 1-2 times a day. It can be mixed with evaporated sea salt or Epsom salts and added to a bath using up to 10 drops per bath. It is the essential oil to use daily, through ovulation right up to the onset of menstruation. Most women see less severity of symptoms, easier periods, and more stable emotions. Geranium’s pleasant green, floral scent is usually enjoyed singularly or mixed with other oils such as lavender or ylang ylang. Lavender is a good choice, for its balancing effects work synergistically with geranium.

Vetiver: Vetiver is a deep, earth-scented essential oil that promotes balance between estrogen and progesterone. It is best used 2-7 days before the menstrual period begins and can have calming, harmonizing effects on the body and psyche. It soothes the nervous system, calms panic, eases worry, and encourages feelings of safety. It is best applied daily to the soles of the feet using 2 drops per sole. A drop on the hand can be inhaled to calm the nerves or prepare the body for sleep.

Clary Sage: Clary sage is a grassy, pleasant essential oil most valuable for hot flashes and other symptoms of waning estrogen. It also lifts depressive states, melancholy, and instills confidence when the spirits are low. Clary sage can boost libido in some women. It is best applied daily to the soles of the feet using 2 drops per sole. This essential oil is a lovely addition to a hot bath and can be combined with geranium or black spruce for added adrenal support. It can also be inhaled to bring harmony and positivity to the nervous system. *Caution: women with estrogen dominance, breast cancer, or history of estrogen-dependent cancers should avoid dermal use (through the skin). Inhalation is okay.

Black Spruce: Black spruce is a wonderful evergreen oil that supports adrenal and kidney function. It is excellent to lower excessive cortisol and other stress hormones as well as restore a frazzled nervous system. It is best applied daily to the soles of the feet using 2-3 drops per sole, preferably in the morning or at bedtime. It can be mixed with evaporated sea salt or Epsom salts and added to a bath using up to 10 drops per bath.

Rose Absolute: Rose absolute, even in diluted form, is a lovely oil that brings harmony and stability to the female body. It lifts the libido, balances hormones, and soothes the emotions. It can be added to unscented lotion and applied all over the body for a balancing moisturizer. Rose may also be helpful for premenstrual food cravings.

Neroli: Neroli, even in diluted form, is a powerful but gentle oil with sedative qualities. It is invaluable for heart palpitations, trembling, panic attacks, general anxiety, excessive worry, and insomnia related to hormonal shifts. A few drops on the palm of the hand help the body to find equilibrium almost immediately. Neroli works incredibly well with ylang ylang, especially for women who are awakened by adrenalin rushes in the middle of the night.

Ylang Ylang: A heady, floral essential oil, ylang ylang helps the body to balance its output of adrenalin. It is most valuable for heart flutters, intense outbursts and changes of mood, and the effects of stress. A few drops applied to the soles of the feet will help the body through stressful times and hormonal fluctuation. It can be mixed with evaporated sea salt or Epsom salts and added to a bath using up to 5 drops per bath. 1 drop of ylang ylang and 1 drop of neroli applied to the palm of the hand can bring immediate calm when inhaled.

Spearmint: Bright and sweet, spearmint is a wonderful essential oil for overall hormonal balance for women. It can be used for PMS to ease headaches, indigestion, discomfort from water gain, low energy and achy muscles. It can be applied daily to the soles of the feet using 2-3 drops per sole once, preferably in the morning. It can also be inhaled for a quick pick-me-up.

Perimenopause is a time of transition, and like all transitions, temporary. It is easy to forget this when we are in its grip, but essential oils can help ease the passage and bring many unexpected gifts of healing. Essential oils work with our physiological processes as well as the emotional and spiritual selves. They can be our greatest allies, reminding us to be gentle with ourselves and that the best years of our lives are truly ahead of us.

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What Is Causing Your Depression?

If you have been diagnosed with depression, you’ve probably been told you have a chemical imbalance and the only way to manage your condition is through pharmaceuticals. Has anyone thought to tell you about other things that might be causing your depression or contributing to it?

Aspartame

Aspartame is nasty stuff. There is much anecdotal evidence that shows aspartame is toxic. As usual, industry trials do not confirm these reports; however, independent double-blind studies tell a different story.

A decade-long study of 264,000 American adults by the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, showed an association between soda, diet soda, sugar-free fruit drinks, and clinical depression.

  • 4 or more cans of regular soda per day = 22% increase in depression
  • 4 or more cans of diet soda per day = 31% increase in depression
  • 4 or more cans of diet fruit drinks = 51% increase in depression

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

If brain damage, behavioral disorders, endocrine disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases are not enough reason to avoid MSG, it is also linked to depression. The most likely reason is due to the fact that MSG blocks serotonin receptors. B6 deficiency appears to enhance adverse reactions.

Sugar and HFCS

Excessive sugar intake, whether from refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup, also causes a host of medical conditions in addition to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. There are more than 100 diseases caused or exacerbated by sugar. Depression is one.

Candidiasis

Gut health is essential to physical health and well-being. So is our mental health. A full 80% of our serotonin – an essential neurotransmitter – is produced in the gut by our beneficial bacteria. An overgrowth of Candida in the gut will result in a depletion of serotonin and an increase in depression along with anxiety, irritability, cognitive difficulties, headaches, autoimmune diseases, and more.

Conclusion

Our health, both physical and mental, relies on our bodies’ ability to attain nutrition to repair cells and maintain functionality while it eliminates wastes and toxic substances. To attain and maintain health, we need to actively increase nutrition while avoiding toxins and detoxifying.

To improve nutrition and gut health, eat a diet that consists of at least 80% fresh, raw, organic produce (more vegetables than fruits), healthy fats, and detoxifying foods such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, cilantro, and onions. Eliminate artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives; MSG; GMOs; trans fats; sugar, HFCS, gluten, and any other chemicals. Eat real whole foods, not processed foods. Avoid foods you know cause an allergic reaction. Always choose organic when possible, and never eat meat that is not organically raised. Eliminate or restrict alcohol and caffeine intake.

The 80% Raw Food Diet along with exercise, vitamin D, and multi B vitamins will give your body what it needs for optimal performance.

Recommended Reading:
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Natural Cures for Anxiety and Depression

Depression and anxiety can cause your life to feel like it’s caving in on you and you have nowhere to run. While these conditions often exist together and can create deep rivers of stress that flow throughout various areas of your life, there are natural remedies that can help reduce and even eliminate the negativity. Consider the following methods for reducing anxiety and depression.

Create Routines and Goals

When you’re depressed, everything feels like a struggle. It is for precisely this reason that structured routines and clearly-defined goals can help you wade through the muck. In addition, structure gives you something to fall back on when motivation lags. Finally, setting goals can help you keep your eye on something you look forward to in the future, something to work toward. Anticipation promotes optimism.

Exercise

While rigorous exercise produces endorphins, even something as simple as a short walk can calm your mood and provide a heart-healthy boost. The body craves movement, so everything from dance to weight training to yoga increases your health and well-being. Depressed individuals are less likely to feel motivated to exercise, and this is precisely why they should. Getting out and moving can often help shake off a dark mood, and the satisfaction of accomplishing something mentally and physically challenging can be a boost unto itself. Getting out and moving in nature is even better! Nature has been proven to alleviate depression simply by being in the midst of it.

Reboot Your Diet

We are what we eat, and for those with chronic depression, food becomes particularly important. Depression and anxiety can originate from poor nutrition, so making sure you are getting enough B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D are essential to balancing your mood and evening out your emotional responses. For individuals living in the Pacific Northwest, Vitamin D is particularly important, as we do not activate our natural stores as often due to reduced sun exposure during the long, rainy winter months. A naturopathic physician can help you develop self-care routines and examine your diet in more detail, aiding you in determining what best to eliminate from your diet and what to keep.

Increase Sleep

There’s a reason that cults use sleep deprivation to emotionally manipulate their members. Missed sleep can produce highly detrimental states of mind, particularly in those who are prone to depression. When you are exhausted, you’re much less likely to ignore the lure of negative thinking. In addition, you’ll have less energy to seek productive, mood-enhancing behaviors like exercise and natural healing. Aim for 8 hours per night for positive results.

Stay Involved in Your Life

Depressed individuals often fall off the wagon in terms of keeping up with friends, participating in activities they love, etc. However, these are the very uplifting exchanges that are vital for feeling supported and loved. Do your best to engage in conversation or activity with one person you care about every single day, and do your best to continue to attend to your job and your various responsibilities. The more you invest in your life, the more it will give back.

Eliminate Negative Thinking

Negative thoughts cause negative feelings. Vow to identify and reduce all negative thinking by keeping a thought journal. Each time you experience a negative feeling, identify the thought behind it. Then, create a positive, believable thought with which to replace it. By running through your mental patterns, you’ll be more likely to maintain a positive outlook and move forward with enthusiasm.

Depression and anxiety can be strong adversaries, but you are always stronger. Consider the above strategies your guide to natural health and wellbeing!

Recommended Reading:


Five Foods That Fight Depression

Let’s redefine a pick me up. Reaching for a cup of coffee or donut is fast and easy, and while the pick me up is quick, you’ll end up paying for it later. Not only do conventionally processed snacks lead to an energy crash later, they have a deleterious effect on your overall health and mood in the long run.

Your gut is the key to overall health and functions like a second nervous system due to the amount of neurotransmitters produced there. Studies are increasingly finding that what you eat plays a huge role in lowering your anxiety and boosting your mood. The more willing you are to choose a healthy, whole-food treat over a nutrient-empty, quick fix, the more you’ll reap the benefits – both now and later.

Here are a few snacks that can bring you the boost you’re looking for.

Chocolate

Let’s start with an easy one… chocolate. Chock-full of antioxidants and capable of delivering the endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin that your brain needs to regulate your mood, chocolate also provides assistance to the cardiovascular system. Not all chocolate is created equal, though! The act of processing cacao can remove or change most of its healthy compounds, and most of conventional chocolate includes detrimental additives like soy lecithin. Chocolates also contain a variety of sugars that disrupt the balance of gut microbes and can create an overgrowth of Candida. Look for raw chocolates that use sweeteners like raw coconut sugars, stevia, or raw honey. The fewer ingredients listed, the more likely you are to reap the benefits of a midday truffle.

Fermented Foods

Social anxiety can be a major downer, but according to a recently published study, people who consume fermented foods might be less likely to experience it. Looking at young adults enrolled in a psychology class, the students who consumed naturally fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles exhibited fewer symptoms of social anxiety. The students who reported the greatest benefit from the fermented foods were students who were genetically predisposed to social anxiety disorder.

In addition, traditionally fermented foods also benefit your nervous and immune systems, provide beneficial bacteria, and making several nutrients easily digestible. It’s important to choose fermented foods that have been fermented with lactic acid to get all of the benefits from these foods.

Avocado

Who doesn’t love fatty food? We are biologically engineered to want to eat fatty things, which can sometimes lead to trouble, diet-wise. Sometimes experts can’t agree on which fats to eat, but pretty much everyone is cheering on the avocado. You can join us! Filled with protein, loaded with serotonin boosting monounsaturated fats, a great natural source of B vitamins, avocados have a stacked deck when it comes to promoting a good mood. They’re also a versatile addition to any menu. Smoothies, salads, tacos, guacamole, or cut in half and served with a spoon…it’s harder to find something you can’t add avocado to.

Berries

There’s something irresistible about fresh berries. Plump and juicy, with that little burst of sweetness, the different varieties make it easy for everyone to have a favorite. They’re also a fantastic source of antioxidants. A steady supply of antioxidants has been shown to lower levels of depression in addition to repairing cell damage and helping prevent cancer. They’re also a perfect pick me up, whether tossing back a quick handful of blueberries or blending a decadent raspberry and coconut milk smoothie.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Okay, so omega-3 fatty acids are not technically a snack food. But when a nutrient provides enough dopamine and serotonin to be described as natural Prozac, it’s impossible to not mention it on a list of good mood foods. A review of more than 25 studies over the past 15 years found that people who ate the most fish were 17% less likely to suffer from depression.

Walnuts slow cognitive degeneration and promote sleep. They can triple melatonin levels. Chia, flax, and hemp, the holy trinity of the health nut’s seed shelf, provide fiber, boost brain health, and add a little extra protein to help you feel fuller longer. What gives these foods all of this positive health mojo? Omega-3 Fatty acids!

Fish can be a dicey proposition due to mercury contamination, but incorporating a low-mercury fish like salmon into your rotation can have significant brain benefits.

Sprinkle some flax, hemp, or chia seeds on salads or in smoothies. Mix a container of soaked and sprouted trail mix with extra walnuts to replace a not so happy snack at work. Munch on some smoked salmon.

Make Simple Switches for Big Benefits

Every other ad or commercial suggests that the latest depression medication is all you need to live the life you’ve always wanted. Choosing health over immediate gratification appears to be a slow process when there is always a new version of the magic mood pill. It seems like a small step to swap out conventional, processed foods for healthy, whole food choices, but every step toward better overall bodily function is a step toward elevating and stabilizing your mood. Be sure to check out How Candida Leads to Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, and Other Mental Disorders.

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Symptoms and Signs of Gluten Intolerance

If you have celiac disease, gluten will damage your body. Even a tiny crouton will set off a chain reaction causing your immune system to go into defensive mode and start damaging the small intestine. According to Holly Strawbridge of Harvard Health, this reaction can “…interfere with the absorption of nutrients from the food, cause a host of symptoms, and lead to other problems like osteoporosis, infertility, nerve damage, and seizures.”

Many people don’t know they are sensitive to gluten or that their health problems are directly related to gluten consumption. The world’s #1 tennis player, Novak Djokovic, changed his entire diet during his career. By eliminating gluten, he experienced a drastic physical and mental change. His energy and concentration skyrocketed, which influenced his abilities on the court, helping him reach the top of his game.

So what are the symptoms and signs of gluten intolerance?

  1. Depression and anxiety. Symptoms include a feeling of hopelessness, loss of appetite, anger, sleep deprivation, lack of interest and energy, inability to relax, heart racing, chest pains and other psychosomatic symptoms. Medication is sometimes required to fight off the persistent imbalances, but once gluten is removed from the diet, this mental condition may be resolved.
  2. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This disorder affects both kids and adults. When on a gluten-free diet, you’ll get your kid focused and sitting in one place much easier than before.
  3. Fatigue and brain fog. It can be quite debilitating not to be able to think straight, but not every sense of disconnection originates from the head. A 2002 study in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry found that there may be significant cross reactivity of IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies to gluten and other different antibodies that could result in mental fogginess.
  4. Autoimmune diseases. Gluten sensitivity can contribute to development of other diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, lupus, psoriasis, scleroderma or multiple sclerosis among many other.
  5. Digestive issues. Gas, bloating, diarrhea and constipation are usually the culprits. Also, constipation may occur in children after gluten consumption, an obvious indication that they cannot tolerate it.
  6. Low immunity. Our bodies have IgA, a class of antibodies that are found in our saliva, tears, and sometimes in our blood and gastrointestinal tract. These antibodies are the first line of defense against any disease, but gluten can diminish their level and consequently make you prone to other illnesses. If you want to stay healthy, stay away from gluten.
  7. Hormone imbalance. This protein can cause menstrual irregularities, weight gain or loss, low energy, hot flashes and more. Once women with gluten sensitivity reach pre-menopause, the ovarian output of sex hormones (progesterone and estrogen) drops and serious problems start to reveal themselves. The adrenal gland starts working like crazy causing unstable blood sugar, gastrointestinal tract inflammation, increase in fatigue, as well as body fat and unstable mood swings.
  8. Migraine headaches. Millions of people around the world suffer from this condition. Not all causes are linked to gluten; however, if you free yourself of this protein, you may find it was the cause of yours.
  9. Body issues. Your teeth, bones, skin, joints and muscles can also be affected by gluten sensitivity and Celiac disease. As soon as you do an elimination diet, you can determine if gluten is the main cause of such ailments. It may take some time, but once you have the diagnosis, you can immediately start treating yourself and discover other delicious dishes that help heal and restore balance to your body and mind.

If you have a gluten sensitivity, do your research. You will need to be vigilant in avoiding obvious as well as hidden sources of gluten. Although this will cut many grains and many processed foods out of your diet, gluten free foods are becoming more popular.

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