Fish Oil Essential to Combat Depression

Fish Oil Essential for Depression and Mental Health

Patty Butts, Ph.D, LPC

 

    Omega-3s are a safe, simple, natural treatment for depression, mental health, and enhancing mood without side effects. Andrew Stoll, a psychiatrist and director of the Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory at McClean Hospital, is author of the book The Omega-3 Connection. The book is designed to educate about benefits of fish oil and help readers restore their natural balance of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in high concentrations in the brain.

    Over the past century, people in the United States have largely eliminated omega-3 fatty acids from their diet, due to the huge consumption of processed foods and a low-fat diet craze.

      However, there is reason to be concerned about bad fats. Sixty-eight percent of people die from three degenerative diseases that involve fatty degeneration. They include cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. Some fats are absolutely required for good health, while others detrimental. The most dangerous fats are those found in margarines, shortenings, heated oils, cheese, and some meats, but we need the healing fatty acids. Omega-3s are essential for optimal function of every cell in our bodies and we cannot manufacture them internally. They can be obtained only through our diet.

      As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I have seen amazing positive results with depressed persons who are taking fish oil supplements.

      Stoll, on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, was interested in alternatives for bipolar patients. He conducted extensive searches on medical research papers to find substances with properties similar to standard mood stabilizers, lithium and valproate. After he and his colleague, Dr. Emauel Severus, reviewed hundreds of papers, they pulled up one match time and again—common fish oil.

      Fish oils are already known for their roll in preventing heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn’s disease. They may also be responsible for protecting against arthritis, diabetes, and some psychiatric disorders. The brain requires more omega-3 and fatty acids than any other system in the body. According to Dr. Stoll, without omega-3s, the brain cannot function normally, so even the most powerful antidepressants will be unable to improve mood. For optimum health, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids should be eaten in nearly equal proportions. Omega-6 fatty acids are contained in vegetable and seed oils, including olive oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oils. Omega-3s are more difficult to obtain, and are most often from fish oil. Flax oil and seed contains some Omega-3s.

      In addition, omega-3s are safe and effective supplements for pregnancy, nursing mothers, and postpartum depression. Blood levels of omega-3s decrease during the later stages of pregnancy and stay low, because the fetus receives these essential lipids preferentially (especially if there is a shortage). Lack of omega-3s can damage a mothers health after birth and cause major postpartum depression. These fatty acids are so important in cell-signaling pathways, and are vital to the function of many brain systems, including those neural systems regulating mood and emotions. Research indicates that a lack of omega-3s during pregnancy may impair development of the visual system of a fetus, and may also compromise future intelligence.

     Evening Primrose is another Omega 3 that is particularly helpful for PMS (premenstrual syndrome), irritability, mood swings, and cramps.

     There is some evidence that attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might be rooted in a deficiency of the omega-3 fatty acids. Researchers noticed that in two groups of children it was found that those who had omega-3 deficiency and ADHD had similarities. Both had excess thirst, greater frequency of dry hair and skin, and an increased need to urinate. When they tested the blood levels of the ADHD subjects they found that 40 percent had low levels of omega-3s.

    Dr. Stoll recommends 1 to 2 grams (1000-to 2000 milligrams) of fish oil daily for health, mood, or cognitive improvement.    

 

 

 

Seven Steps to Eliminate Pain and Stress

      Seven Steps to Eliminate Pain and Stress

By Dr. Patty Butts

     While attending a convention of workshop presentations for therapists, psychologists, and marriage counselors, I watched in amazement as about 75 professionals learned the following technique.

     Some displayed symptoms of being stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, or other negative emotions or feelings. All lowered their stress level tremendously by doing this. Some overcame anxiety. Repeating this exercise over and over as needed, changes the negative neural patterns in the brain. It leads to more effective communication, lowers blood pressure, improves decision making, helps students do improve in school and develops better problem solving skills, helps panic and obsessive compulsive tendencies, and helps in solving problems. It helps get rid of negative thought patterns and replaces them with positive feelings.

    Take a short emotional vacation by using the Freeze Frame Technique explained  below. Positive emotions can help you replace negative, stressful thought patterns and feelings with more positive perceptions and emotions in the moment you need them most. It is so easy to do.

Steps:

1. When you are feeling stressed, have anxiety or panic, or are facing a problem, describe your feeling in one word. Examples could be anxious, fearful, afraid,

confused, angry, frustrated, sad, disgusted, enraged, overwhelmed, lonely, victimized or depressed.

2. Now, shift your attention to the area around your heart. Imagine yourself   breathing in through your heart—breathe in to the count of five, breathe out to the count of five. Continue doing this for several minutes.

3. Think of a positive feeling—the love you have for a child or grandchild. Try to

          experience that positive feeling and send that positive feeling or love out to        

          someone else. You may want to think of a positive experience or place where

          you have felt serenity, peace or laughter. Work on recapturing that

          feeling right now.

        4. Go back to step number two and again breathe in through your heart to the count 

             of five and then breathe out to the count of five through your solar plexus while

             still experiencing the positive feelings. 

         5. Ask yourself what would be good answer to your problem or a helpful attitude to

             balance and de-stress your mind and body.  If possible, write it down. Heart                       perceptions and intuitions are often subtle. They gently suggest effective

              solutions for you and all concerned with the problem.  

          6. Sense any change to your original stress as noted in step number one. Write it

              down and sustain the positive feeling as long as you can.

          7. Repeat these steps as often as needed.

                       ……………

 

One tablespoon of sugar causes five hours of inflammation.

Elder Holland, Apostle, Speaks about depression

Video on depression...Hold on to hope.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865656534/LDS-Church-releases-new-video-of-Elder-Holland-addressing-depression.html?pg=all

New Hope for Autism

A single species of gut bacteria can reverse autism-related social behavior in mice
June 16, 2016 | by Editor
While the number of oxytocinergic cells (green) are reduced in the brains of maternal high-fat diet offspring, treatment with Lactobacillus reuteri increases their number. Credit: Baylor College of Medicine
http://www.neuroscientistnews.com/…/single-species-gut-bact…

Rebalancing Brain Chemistry with Dr. Walsh’s Nutrients

Dr Judy Tsafrir wrote. I first attended one of Dr. Walsh’s Training for Physician’s in Mastering Brain Chemistry in Chicago in October of 2014. Fifteen months later, I am now participating in a second training in California after having regularly applied his method in my practice. These days I rarely see a patient without recommending simple laboratory testing of blood and urine, and prescribing a protocol of nutrients to treat the conditions that I have learned about from Dr. Walsh, including pyroluria, methylation disorders mediated by histamine, and copper overload.
In my office, I now have had several experiences with patients in tears, because of the relief they feel after years of feeling lousy. In almost 30 years of practicing as a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, I have never had a treatment modality to offer that is so regularly helpful. These tearful patients have had numerous dispiriting trials of psychiatric medications which caused them to feel tired and blunted, cognitively dulled, with weight gain and sexual dysfunction. Many have also had years of competent psychological treatment. The patients who experience the most profound shifts are those who not only take the nutrients, but who also make dietary and life style changes, including exercising, minimizing alcohol consumption and attending to their emotional and spiritual lives.

I am developing expertise in weaning patients from psychiatric medications. My current approach is to do the Walsh testing and to develop an individualized nutrient protocol based upon the results to normalize blood chemistry, as well as to recommend dietary and life style changes, including psychospiritual considerations. After a patient has been on the protocols for several months, we begin to wean their medications very conservatively, typically 10 % a month to avoid withdrawal effects. This holistic procedure typically allows for either a complete discontinuation of medication or a significantly reduced dosage.

Conventional psychiatrists are completely unaware of this safe powerful treatment modality, based on Dr. Walsh’s research with 1000’s of patients. They only know about recommending pharmaceuticals or procedures. Some commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals cause irreversible damage, like the widely prescribed atypical anti-psychotics, which have been proven to cause cortical shrinkage. This is not only heart breaking but enraging, given that psychosis is often very responsive to treatment with nutrients, which frequently permits at least a significant reduction in dosage.
These days it is common for patients to have genetic testing and to learn that they have the MTHFR gene. Well meaning but poorly informed practitioners automatically prescribe folate to them. This is a misguided and dangerous practice, without knowing an individual’s biochemistry. Just because you are homozygous for the MTHFR gene, does not mean that you need folate. In fact, in the small group of people who also have low serotonin, it can literally cause harm by inhibiting methylation, worsening psychiatric symptoms and even increasing vulnerability to cancer. Before prescribing folate, histamine levels need to be measured, in order to determine methylation status. There is an inverse relationship between methylation and histamine. If histamine is high, a person will be under methylated, but if they also have low serotonin,  they should avoid folate supplements. In cases of overmethylation, folate would be helpful. It is not possible to infer the methylation status from the mere presence of the MTHFR gene. This can only be determined by measuring histamine level and then correlating with psychiatric symptoms.
Similar principles apply to the recommendation for multivitamins. A person who is under methylated and has low serotonin, should not have folate, and a person who is copper overloaded, should not supplement with additional copper, both common ingredients in multivitamins. A multivitamin is an indiscriminate shot gun approach which can be harmful.
So many health recommendations, particularly dietary, could be refined by knowing an individual’s biochemistry. If a low serotonin person is undermethylated, they feel better with a high protein diet which supplies methionine, a key amino acid in the methylation pathway. I had one severely undermethylated patient whose psychosis seems to have been precipitated by a vegetarian diet, which according to Dr. Walsh, is not uncommon. This patient feels so much better with adequate animal protein. Those low serotonin persons who are undermethylated would also be advised to eschew green drinks, which are high in folate, and which can aggravate undermethylation. Conversely, those who are overmethylated should eat lots of leafy greens because of their high folate content. Patients who have copper overload should only eat shellfish very infrequently, as it is extremely high in copper. Other high copper foods include, raw kale, mushrooms, seeds and nuts, beans, dried fruit, avocados, goat cheese and fermented soy.
The testing that Dr. Walsh recommends measures oxidative stress in the body, which is correlated with auto-immune conditions and inflammation. These nutrient protocols often improve an individual’s immune status by providing needed nutrients. Many report improved gut health. Low zinc levels are associated with yeast overgrowth. More psychiatric symptoms result from an overabundance of nutrients, such as too much histamine or copper, rather than a deficiency. The nutrient protocols, rebalance and normalize blood chemistry, which often is an essential key to well being. I am so grateful for this knowledge and believe that psychiatrists need to know about it. We are in desperate need of a revolution in medicine. Nothing short of it will do.
To find a Walsh trained practitioner in your area, here is a link to the Practitioners Page

Nutrient Power:  Heal Your Biochemistry and Heal Your Brain

by William J. Walsh, PhD, FACN

http://www.judytsafrirmd.com/the-psychiatric-efficacy-of-dr-walshs-nutrients/

Best Home genetic Testing

What is the best at home genetic testing you have found? So far I'm only finding 23&me.
Ans. 23andme. It's still the most complete test around and the best bang for your buck.. They may only report on a limited number of things, but that's why people upload their genetic data to one of the many interpretation sites like Livewello, so they can get better info off the raw data..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/230824260340671/?multi_permalinks=973413146081775&notif_t=group_highlights

The Gut Brain Connection

The Gut-Brain Connection
From a proactive perspective, it's important to realize that you have the potential to take control over your health, including your mental or psychiatric health.
Psychiatric conditions such as OCD are primarily believed to be the result of chemical dysfunction in your brain, or in some cases hereditary and therefore out of your control. Many fail to realize that a) your lifestyle can override genetic predispositions, and b) your lifestyle can be a m...ajor underlying cause of that chemical imbalance or dysfunction.
So, there's plenty of reason to take a closer look at lifestyle factors such as diet and toxic exposures—whether you want to prevent a health condition, or treat it.
Some may object and say that a child hasn't had enough time to develop bad lifestyle habits, but when it comes to health problems related to the brain, the GUT is typically involved, and children are now increasingly BORN with damaged gut flora—courtesy of less than ideal lifestyle choices by the child's mother...
In a very real sense, you have two brains: one inside your skull and one in your gut.
While they may seem very different, these two organs are actually created out of the same type of tissue. During fetal development, one part turns into your central nervous system while the other develops into your enteric nervous system.
Your vagus nerve—the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem down to your abdomen—connects these two organs together. Your gut actually produces more of the neurotransmitter serotonin—thought to play an important role in OCD, in addition to having a beneficial influence on your mood in general—than your brain does, so optimizing your gut flora may indeed have tremendous benefit for your psychological health. And there's plenty of evidence to suggest that this needs to begin from birth, or even, ideally, before birth.
Dr. Mercola recommends probiotics to help the gut.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride has successfully demonstrated the power and effectiveness of this theory. In her Cambridge, England clinic, she treats children and adults with a range of conditions, including autism, neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, immune disorders, and digestive problems using the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Nutritional Program, which she developed.

The health of the gut determines the health of the body, including depression.

The health of the gut determines the health of the body.  This is a well-known fact.  There are roughly 100 trillion cells inside our bodies, yet the there about 10x as many cells of bacteria living on our bodies.  This mass of bacteria lives in harmony with us (most of the time) and helps make sure our immune system is functioning and we are able to digest our food.   Without these bacteria in our gut and on our skin, we wouldn’t survive long.
That is all good news but what happens when these bacteria become imbalanced?  What are the implications to our health when we have an overgrowth of bacteria in the gut?  As we will see, when the small intestine is overwhelmed with bacteria (diagnosed as Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth – SIBO) it can have major impacts on our methylation cycle…it can make methylation problems much worse!
As a quick reminder, those of us with MTHFR, PEMT, MTR, MTRR, etc. have defects in how well we recycle homocysteine and how well we convert folic acid into folate.  Many of you are aware of Dr. Lynch and his concept that folic acid is a toxin for those with MTHFR.  While there is still some debate about this issue, Dr. Lynch is right on when he points out that having too much folic acid can impair the methylation cycle.  Here is how it works:

1) Folic acid comes from fortified food AND from gut bacteria.  Yes, you heard that right…folic acid is a NATURAL by product of the metabolism of bacteria that live in our intestines, mainly the colon.  Every person on earth gets some folic acid into their bodies from the action of our gut bacteria.

We get in trouble when the bacteria in our colon grows and moves into the small intestine.  Normally only a small amount of bacteria is found in the small intestine, but when the digestive system becomes imbalanced the population of bacteria in the small intestine can increase, creating a condition of SIBO.

2) Folic acid and folate both enter the cell through the same receptor.  If there is an excess of folic acid, it is harder for the folate to get into the cell.  The more folic acid you have inside your blood stream, the less often folate will get to the receptor.  In other words, there is competition between folic acid and folate, and when folic acid is elevated, it wins the competition to enter the cell.

3) In a person WITHOUT MTHFR issues, this poses zero problems since folic acid is rapidly converted to folate in their methylation cycle.  For the rest of us however excess folic acid makes it harder for us to create methyl donors.  Since MTHFR is often slowed down along with MTR, MTRR, BHMT and other SNPs, having high doses of folic acid may slow down the methylation cycle.  This is why folic acid in high amounts can be a problem.

There is new research that shows that the bacteria involved with SIBO actually poop out large amounts of folic acid (yes the dreaded folic acid!) and we absorb that folic acid into our bodies.  Many individuals with MTHFR C677T/A1298C, MTR, BHMT, etc. may have symptoms of under- or overmethylation due solely to the excess folic acid from improper gut bacteria and digestion.  An imbalance of the gut bacteria, namely in the small intestine, is a major reason WHY an individual has elevated unmetatoblized folic acid.  If we are going to balance methylation pathways, we need to control how much folic acid gets into the system. – we have to control the gut!
In other words, until the gut infection is properly taken care of, the methylation cycle is at the mercy of what is happening in the gut.  The same is true of important vitamins like choline, B12, vitamin D, protein, etc…the gut imbalance makes it very difficult to absorb these vitamins.  Side effects from vitamins are most commonly due to an untreated gut problem.
When someone has SIBO, or an overgrowth of “non-pathogenic” (aka normal species of gut flora) bacteria in the small intestine, the bacterial infection can produce EXCESS AMOUNTS OF FOLIC ACID!  Too many bacteria in your gut, can lead to way too much folic acid being released and absorbed.  This can lead to high blood levels of folic acid, which as Dr. Lynch and other researchers have shown, can impair the methylation cycle in people with MTHFR and other genes.  What I have just discovered is that one important and often-overlooked source of this increased, UNMETABOLIZED Folic Acid is a raging Gut Infection!
This gut infection, aka SIBO, is an infection made up of non-infectious bacteria.  Meaning, its not an infection the traditional sense, its an overgrowth of something that should normally be there, only exists in way too high of a quantity.  This is a problem since the bacteria down there can produce folic acid while at the same time causing all kinds of other digestive issues.  more at
http://www.beyondmthfr.com/mthfr-and-sibo/

Are you drinking enough water.

Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue. . A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memorey, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen. Filtered or distilled water is better than tap
Even mild dehydration will slow down a person's metabolism as much as three percent. Drink your water. One glass of water shuts down might hunges for 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study

Natural Healing of “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)”

Natural Healing of “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)”
The following are natural treatments for OCD which are practiced by various specialists.
Charles Gant, N.M.D., Ph.D., M.D.,
Author of End your Addiction Now and ADD and ADHD Complementary Medicine Solutions
My protocol:
Theanine 500 mg. (green tea amino acid-inhibits glutamic acid) – 3000 mg/day
GABA 500 mg – 3000 mg a day
Phosadyllic (purified soy lecithin) – 3000 mg a day
Magnesium taurate 3000 mg a day
P5P (activated B6) 50 mg twice a day
Seromel (5HTP) 300 mg a day
These are maximum doses unless amino acid/mineral testing suggests that higher doses are needed, and should be divided and can be taken at bedtime for sleep. I send patients to Nutrenergy 888-887-7747 to get these as they
only have assayed top quality supplements, but if you may know of other good sources. When mixed with anti-anxiety herbals (see http://www.naturallyhigh.co.uk/relax.asp), and possibly some homeopathics and Bach Flower Remedies, OCD should not happen.
William Walsh, senior research scientist, Walsh Research Institute www.walshinstitute. org)
My clinic has used inositol with thousands of patients & learned the following:
A. Inositol is usually very helpful for UNDERMETHYLATED, HIGH HISTAMINE patients. This includes nearly every OCD patient we have seen. Inositol usually provides calming throughout the day and ability to settle down to sleep at night, for these patients.
B. On the other hand, OVERMETHYLATED patients usually derive little or no benefit from Inositol, and may experience very nasty side effects from it.
C. Although a couple thousand milligrams may be needed to do the job and the tablets are often quite large, Inositol has the great advantage of being palatable… Many of our patients chew it before swallowing, and report it “doesn’t taste bad at all.”
I’m quite surprised that Inositol isn’t more popular due to its effectiveness and its role as a major “second messenger” in neurotransmission.
With respect to a child with the rituals, a more direct approach would be to use methionine, calcium, magnesium, trimethylglycine, and possibly SAMe… along with avoidance of folic acid supplements. Methylation therapy is a direct and effective way to treat OCD tendencies, and we regard Inositol as a valuable adjunct therapy. Note that use of folic acid and B-12 is NOT indicated since the methyl-trapping effect greatly exceeds the benefits of enhanced conversion of homocystine to methionine.
500 to 1000 mg/day of Inositol will probably be needed to provide the benefit for a child.
Most OCD patients (both obsessive thoughts AND compulsive actions) exhibit undermethylation and associated low levels of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Choline is anti-dopaminergic and often makes OCD patients worse.
Generally, OCD patients respond nicely to methonine, SAMe, calcium, magnesium, B-6, Inositol, TMG, and zinc. Most OCD patients get worse if given supplements of DMAE, choline, copper, or folic acid.
Julia Ross, Therapist and author of The Mood Cure
This syndrome has already been identified as a symptom of serotonin
insufficiency. It responds well to tryptophan and 5HTP therapy in our
clinical experience (which rarely includes psychosis).
Mary Reed, Herbalist
http://www.marysherbs.com/
[Editor’s Note: Another natural remedy for “OCD” is included after the end of this article]
Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD) is defined as a condition characterized by persistent, unwanted thoughts and/or repeated, ritualistic behavior.
Not too long ago OCD was thought to be solely a psychological condition in which a person who experienced too aggressive or premature potty training adapted to the lack of bowel control by overcompensating control over his environment and daily activities, which ironically ended up controlling the person.
There are many reasons why I, along with a growing number of scientists, disagree with that theory.
Although I will be the first to admit that the emotional and physical self cannot be separated, I would lean toward this being a physical condition which provokes emotional and mental responses.
Here are some facts which support my belief:
Research indicates that some people are born with a predisposition to OCD. For instance, a child of a parent who suffers with Trichotillomania (compulsive pulling out of ones hair) has a 75% chance or higher of developing OCD.
Someone suffering with Tourette’s syndrome (involuntary motor and vocal tics) has a 50% chance of having OCD. It has been proven conclusively that Tourette’s is totally a physical condition.
OCD sufferers seem to notice a greater improvement with their condition when chemicals in their brain are brought back to normal balance than by behavioral or psychological treatment.
All drug protocols passed by the FDA for the treatment of OCD are serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Anafranil, Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft and Paxil.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter. A neurotransmitter is a substance that chemically connects a nerve impulse from one nerve to another. A sufficient amount of serotonin produces a soothing, calming effect to brain activity.
The serotonin reuptake inhibitor function prevents serotonin from being absorbed (the reuptake) and so increases the amount of available serotonin.
Another way is to increase the digestion of or the body’s production of serotonin.
Other conditions possibly linked with insufficient serotonin are: Anorexia Nervosa, Self- mutilation, Tourette’s Syndrome, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (abnormal dislike for ones looks), Trichotillomania (pulling out your hair) and Hypochondria.
OCD symptoms are not short-term or fleeting, but rather they are PERSISTENT thoughts, rituals or impulses that seem senseless even to the sufferer but are irresistible or uncontrollable.
To find someone in the natural healing field who has a history of working with OCD is virtually impossible.
I had some alternative health practitioners offer advice that ranged from “leaky gut syndrome” (yeast mutation and migration) to “repatterning colackles” (establishing energy movement between the top half of the body and the lower half).
There was only one whom I contacted who worked with OCD. Her mother had developed severe symptoms of OCD about 7 years earlier. They treated her by upping her HCL (hydrochloric acid – stomach acid), minerals, B-6 and worked on her adrenal glands. Her mother was then symptom-free.
I myself had OCD until 8 or 9 years ago and know how hard it is to live with. I am now symptom-free.
Many people have opened up to me about having OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder sufferers are usually intelligent, highly ethical and dependable people. They usually are very alone in their condition. Fearing ridicule by those who will not understand their condition, OCD-ers learn to hide their symptoms.
I have now personally treated or consulted more than 1000 cases of it. Of those who have done my program, 85-90% become symptom-free or experience a dramatic reduction in symptoms.
Since serotonin is a chemical that travels across the nerve synapse and the thicker the myelin sheathing on the nervous system, the more potential for the releasing of serotonin, it make sense to nourish the nervous system.
The program I recommend for my clients does just that. It is:
•Quit caffeine drinks completely. If one is a regular tea or coffee drinker he may need to do this gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms
•If your cholesterol is below 170, get it up. Lower than 170 the body can not repair the myelin.
•Ensure you are getting the daily minimum requirement of vitamin B-complex.
•1 tbs. Flax seed oil daily (fatty acids help nourish the nerve sheathing
•Spirulina capsules, 8-10 capsules per day
•A nervine compound like Re-X. Re-X is available Dr. Mary’s Wholesale Herb Shop
(A nervine is an herbal blend that treats nerves – for this purpose it should contain Valerian. Other common ingredients include skullcap, hops, and passionflower. Valerian alone is not recommended. Note: The Oriental herb mix STRC can be used if the person is having visual or auditory hallucinations.) Take the recommended bottle dose for a week and then increase the dose one pill every few days until you start to dream consistently. Maintain this dose. Once you are dreaming consistently, drop back a pill a day to get to a minimum dose. If you stop dreaming, increase the dose again until dreaming.
Results normally begin to appear 2 to 3 months after consistent dreaming has begun. People are usually symptom-free by 9 months, after three additional months, after which the nutrition and herbal remedies can be stopped.
If you suffer from this condition please take heart. You are not crazy or psychotic. You are lacking the nutrients that your body needs to get over this. There is much hope.
Although I do sell herbs, my goal is to help and educate people. If I can be of any assistance, please feel free to contact me.
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/natural-healing-of-…/

Histamine, Allergies, Brain & Gut Health

Histamine: Allergies, Brain & Gut Health
If you think that high histamine is only an issue during allergy season, think again. Most people are completely unaware that histamine facilitates a central role in:
•Brain & neurotransmitter function
...

•Digestion
•Food allergies & intolerances
•Mental & behavioral disorders such as schizophrenia, bi-polar, OCD and ADHD
Histamine is released by basophil immune cells during allergy season. Histamine release causes those nasty symptoms of nasal drainage, sinus congestion, sneezing and itchy, watery eyes.
FACT: Histamine is a neurotransmiter, and directly influences brain function and behavior.
Back in the 1970’s, Dr. Carl C. Pfeiffer found a direct correlation between high and low histamine and certain mental illnesses. He postulated that problems in a biochemical process known as methylation was a major factor in mental illness. This is because the process of methylation directly affects the formation and breakdown of several of the brain’s key neurotransmitters: serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and histamine. Because methylation reactions break down our histamine, Dr. Pfeiffer realized he could identify a person’s methylation activity by monitoring the histamine in their blood. Dr. Pfeiffer’s successful treatment of mental health patients was based largely on this. Dr. William Walsh has trained physicians on the use of whole blood histamine as a way to understand methylation activity among mental health patients.
According to Dr’s Pfeiffer and Walsh’s research:
“High histamine types” are typically those suffering from:
•Depression
•OCD
•Suicidal tendencies
•Phobias
“Low histamine types” are typically those suffering from:
•Anxiety disorders
•Panic tendencies
•Paranoia
•Paranoid schizophrenia
FACT: Histamine is essential for digestion, through the control of stomach acid secretion. Histamine can also be produced in response to certain food allergies and intolerances.
http://metabolichealing.com/histamine-allergies-brain-gut-…/

High Histamine and Addiction

Most Addicts have High Histamine.
Blood tests can determine high histamine, but most individuals with high histamine have a tendency to have a second toe that ...is longer than the big toe. They may have tendencies to be addicted to sugar, alcohol,,drugs or pornography.

Common symptoms of histamine intolerance include:
•Headaches/migraines
•Difficulty falling asleep, easily arousal
•Hypertension
•Vertigo or dizziness
•Arrhythmia, or accelerated heart rate
•Difficulty regulating body temperature
•Anxiety
•Nausea, vomiting
•Abdominal cramps
•Flushing
•Nasal congestion, sneezing, difficulty breathing
•Abnormal menstrual cycle
•Hives
•Fatigue
•Tissue swelling
What Causes High Histamine Levels?
•Allergies (IgE reactions)
•Bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
•Leaky gut
Foods high in histamine include
•Fermented alcoholic beverages, especially wine, champagne and beer
•Fermented foods: sauerkraut, vinegar, soy sauce, kefir, yogurt, kombucha, etc
•Vinegar-containing foods: pickles, mayonnaise, olives
•Cured meats: bacon, salami, pepperoni, luncheon meats and hot dogs
•Soured foods: sour cream, sour milk, buttermilk, soured bread, etc
•Dried fruit: apricots, prunes, dates, figs, raisins
•Most citrus fruits
•Aged cheese including goat cheese
•Nuts: walnuts, cashews, and peanuts
avocados, eggplant, spinach, and tomatoes
•Smoked fish and certain species of fish: mackerel, mahi-mahi, tuna, anchovies, sardines
low-histamine foods:
•freshly cooked meat, poultry (frozen or fresh)
•freshly caught fish
•eggs
•gluten-free grains: rice, quinoa
•pure peanut butter
•fresh fruits: mango, pear, watermelon, apple, kiwi, cantaloupe, grapes
•fresh vegetables (except tomatoes, spinach, avocado, and eggplant)
•dairy substitutes: coconut milk, rice milk, hemp milk, almond milk
•cooking oils: olive oil, coconut oil
•leafy herbs
•herbal teas
How to Treat Histamine Intolerance?
Remove the high histamine foods for 1-3 months
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/…/everything-you-need-to-know-…
Consult your Integrative or Naturopathic docotr about taking supplements recommended by Dr. Carl Pfeffer for high histamine.
Calcium gluconate ...500mg morning and evenng
Methonine....500 mg moring and evening.
Buy the book "Nutrient Power," heal your biochemistry and heal your brain, by William Walsh, Ph.D. He studied with Dr. Pfeiffer and this is an excellent book. Many cases of mental illness and addiction have been reversed using biochemistry. Many children, adults and teens have reversed both criminal and serious behavioral problems.
Dave at Dave's Health recommends the homeopathic "Histaminium," to reduce histamine levels and help allergies.

Zembrin, plant based anti-depressant

. Calming and Cognitive effects of Zembrin. I have reports from users of a brand new herbal compound named Zembrin that shows almost instant positive ...results on stress, mood, coping and quality of sleep. Zembrin is a herb called Sceletium tortuosum and has 300 years of indigenous use and safety. Many times nutrition works so slowly that some users give up on a product before it has had time to show effects but in regard to Zembrin, this is definitely not the case. Studies done using double blind placebo controlled on 16 healthy participants using MRI showed the amygdala of the brain responded very favorable to one dose of Zembrin within 2 hours. I have received extremely positive feedback from the initial users of Zembrin and look forward to it being a very usable herb for those of us who need help in the area of stress management.

For scientific information on the studies on Zembrin, log onto: http://www.nature.com/…/journal/vaop/…/full/npp2013183a.html
Ed Jones
Zembrin is available at Health Food Stores and even on Amazon where you can read reviews.

Patty says, "I have seen some amazing results with no side effects from this supplement. Check with your Naturopathic physician.

Antidepressants do not work as advertised.

Depression and other mental health problems are at epidemic levels judging by the number of antidepressants prescribed each year.
...

According to CDC data,1 one in 20 Americans over the age of 12 report some form of depression, and 11 percent of the US population over the age of 12 is on antidepressant medication.2
This despite overwhelming evidence showing that antidepressants do not work as advertised.
At best, antidepressants are comparable to placebos. At worst they can cause devastating side effects, including deterioration into more serious mental illness, and suicidal or homicidal tendencies.
Read more...
https://www.lewrockwell.com/…/antidepressants-dont-work-as…/


By Dr. Mercola

Dangers of Antipsychotics

Timberrr! Psychiatry’s Evidence Base For Antipsychotics Comes Crashing to the Ground
By Robert Whitaker
When I wrote Anatomy of an Epidemic, one of my foremost hopes was that it would prompt mainstream researchers to revisit the scientific literature. Was there evidence that any class of psychiatric medications—antipsychotics, antidepressants, stimulants, benzodiazepines, and so forth—provided a long-term benefit? Now epidemiologists at Columbia University and City College ...of New York have reported that they have done such an investigation about antipsychotics, and their bottom-line finding can be summed up in this way: Psychiatry’s “evidence base” for long-term use of these drugs does not exist.

This is a finding, published in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, that profoundly undercuts the societal narrative that has been driving psychiatric care in our society for the past sixty years.
http://www.madinamerica.com/…/timberrr-psychiatrys-evidenc

Read Nutriton and Mental Illness by Dr. Carl Pfeiffer.
Gut and Psychology Syndrome

 

Help for Those Who Are Suicidal

The Primary Risk Factors for Suicide and Suicide Signs to Watch For from Dr. Mercola

If you have a family history of suicide, have been exposed to suicidal behavior (such as from other family members or friends) or have suffered/witnessed physical or sexual abuse or domestic violence, your risk of suicidal behavior increases. And typically it's a combination of factors that leads to this desperate act. However, the primary risk factor for suicide is depression in combination with substance abuse, which could include alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs.
It's estimated that more than 90 percent of those who end up taking their own lives fit into this category.¹³ I know firsthand that depression and suicide are devastating. It takes a toll on the healthiest of families and can destroy lifelong friendships. Few things are harder in life than losing someone you love, especially to suicide.
Also be aware of the following red flags that someone has a high risk for self-harm. Besides straightforward or "sideways" comments about not wanting to live any longer, suicide signs to watch for in your teen (or anyone) include:

✓ Acquiring a weapon	✓ Hoarding medication	✓ No plan for the future
✓ Loss of interest in extracurricular activities	✓ Changes in eating and sleeping habits	✓ Begins to neglect hygiene and personal appearance
✓ Declining grades in school and loss of interest in school	✓ Increased risk-taking behaviors	✓ Does not respond to praise
✓ Trouble concentrating or paying attention	✓ Frequent complaints of boredom	✓ Emotional distress leads to physical complaints of fatigue, migraines, pain, etc.
✓ Putting affairs in order	✓ Making or changing a will	✓ Giving away personal belongings
		✓ Withdrawing from people How to Help Someone Who Is Suicidal A person who appears suicidal needs urgent professional help. Help the person to seek immediate assistance from their doctor or the nearest hospital emergency room, or call 911. Eliminate access to firearms or other potential suicide aids, including unsupervised access to medications. If you’re not sure if someone is contemplating suicide, ask not directly about suicide but about how they’re feeling. Jill Harkavy-Friedman, Ph.D. of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention explained to NPR:14 “If you're worried about somebody, ask. It's a little scary to ask, and you don't start off with, ‘Are you thinking about suicide?’ You want to base your questions on what you've seen and what you notice. Like, ‘You seem very down lately and you're not with your friends. Is something going on? Are you feeling OK?’ or ‘You look kind of sad. Are you?’ Then the next step is to just listen to what they have to say and try to really hear them, and interact with them so they know you've heard and understood. These are not quick-fix problems, so even though as parents and friends we want to say, ‘Just snap out of it!’ or ‘It's not that big a deal!’ to that person at that time, it is a big deal.” If the person doesn't want to open up to you, try to find another trusted person - a friend, family member or school counselor, for instance who they may want to speak with. If you think someone is suicidal, do not leave him or her alone. Most suicide attempts are expressions of extreme distress, not harmless bids for attention. If you are feeling desperate or have any thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a toll-free number 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or call 911, or simply go to your nearest hospital emergency department.

Surge in Suicides

Dr Mercola reports that cases of suicide are on the rise in the U.S., according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). From 1999 to 2014, the suicide rate increased 24 percent from 10.5 to 13 suicides per 100,000 people.¹
The pace of the increase was greater after 2006 and varied by age, race and ethnicity. For instance, female adolescents aged 10 to 14 had the greatest increase, with suicide rates rising 200 percent. Middle-aged males, ages 45 to 64, also had a steep increase of 43 percent during the study period.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/05/12/suicide-rate-risk-factors.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art2&utm_campaign=20160512Z1&et_cid=DM105165&et_rid=1480663946

What's Causing the Surge in Suicides?

Multiple factors are likely to blame, and there are many theories about why suicide rates stopped decreasing and started climbing around 1999. Among them is the economic downturn, which left many out of jobs and lacking health care.
In particular, past research has found suicides related to job, financial, and legal problems were most common among individuals aged 40 to 64 years.³
Earlier puberty among adolescent girls may be another factor, as this is a period of significant changes in a girl's life. This is also the age when psychological disorders such as depression may emerge.
Another factor is the ongoing trend away from use of cocaine and crack in favor of heroin and prescription painkillers, which are associated with an increasing number of opioid deaths. Antidepressants may also be playing a roll.

Antidepressants Linked to Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Youth

What must be factored in is the likely possibility that these drugs (and others) are contributing to the suicide increase. There is increasing evidence that antidepressants intensify violent thoughts and behaviors, both suicidal and homicidal, especially among children.
And, since the late 1980s, there have been frequent reports of increased violent behavior, including homicides and suicides, among individuals taking antidepressant drugs.
Research published in Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine even revealed that a genetic mutation in the CYP450 gene family may cause a metabolic disturbance resulting in uncontrollable violent impulses and behaviors, including suicide, in some individuals taking these drugs.⁵
So if you or your children are taking an antidepressant drug, it's important to be aware that suicidal thoughts may be a side effect. Further, antidepressants are not the only drugs to watch out for. Other medications linked to increased suicide risks include:

✓ The stop-smoking drug Chantix	✓ Accutane, an acne drug
✓ Singulair, an allergy drug	✓ Certain epilepsy drugs
✓ Tamiflu, a flu drug	✓ Cholesterol-lowering drugs

Affirmation

Affirmation: Deep at the center of my being is an infinite well of love. I now allow this love to flow to the surface and radiate all around me. I feel peaceful and safe.

Lies About Antidepressant

Big Pharma Lies About Antidepressant
It’s one of the biggest big pharma scandals to date. Researchers recently found that a major drug company deliberately falsified data about its blockbuster antidepressant. According to a recent investigation, the drug worked no better than placebo and caused “significant harm.” Worst of all, the patients were young adolescents.
Paxil can cause suicidal tendencies in some people.
Fifteen years ago, as a consulting forensic pathologist, I be...gan to observe the connection between antidepressant drugs and suicide. Of course, antidepressants are supposed to prevent suicide, the only outcome from which a depressed patient can NEVER recover. I wrote about these connections in my book with Mike Jawer, Your Emotional Type.
http://drmicozzi.com/big-pharma-falsifies-original-data-on-…

There are natural supplements for depression. Dr. Andrew Stoll recommends fish oil ...3000 mg a day. I like Barlean's liquid lemon swirl. It tastes like lemon pie. Most depression starts in the gut and is caused by what you are eating or what nutrients you are lacking.
Google some of Dr. Mercola's articles on depression. Sugar can cause depression.

from Patty,
If you are depressed, you may want to look into Zembrin, a plant based supplement for depression, anxiety and mood problems.
Do take fish oil...I like Barlean's lemon swirl....take 3000 mg a day.
Read the book, "Nutrition & Mental Illness, " by Dr. Pfeifer.
Check for high histamine.
Candida can cause depression...google a candida questionnaire or email me a pattyb@q.com and I will send you one.
Do Elan light therapy
Look into Emotion Code.

Reasons not to drink soda

It takes 32 glasses of water to neutralize one soda pop.

Humor Can Heal

How to Have a Sense of Humor
Tips
1.Enjoy things that make you laugh or smile. That's the best way to develop a sense of humor....
2.Keep at it! ...
3.Make sure you do funny things at the right time. ...
4.Having a sense of humor will gain you a lot of friends. ...
5.If you are feeling sad/depressed, think about/see something that made you laugh a lot in the past.
6. Say "Cheese," it raises your endorphins.
7. Find the absurdity in your own circumstances,
8.A hearty, gut-busting laugh can engage all 43 of your facial muscles
9. Pretend you are Santa Claus and practice a big belly laugh. the brain can't tell the dirfference between a real laugh or smile or a phony laugh.
10. Answer offensive people with humor instead of hostility
11. Each day,find something humorous. Put it on your to do list along with exercise.
12.Let go and not take everything so seriously, and be able to laugh at—or at least see the humor in—life's absurdities.
13. Make a collection of cartoons or jokes that are in good taste.
14.•Try watching movies with varied humor
15. Try a few jokes from kids...
What do you call a line of rabbits walking backward? A receding hare line.
•What did the football coach say to the broken vending machine? Give me my quarterback!
16.Having a sense of humor means you let things roll off your back and you choose what to get upset about
Watch this video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXtr3GbDYHY

Is sugar Causing your Child's Tantrums
Today’s post is coming about an hour after one of the worst tantrum’s I have experienced as a parent. It is a type of tantrum that does not happen often; however, I have seen it before and it comes with the same cycle of events every time. The one thing that is directly related to this tantrum is – sugar.
https://kidsmove.wordpress.com/…/is-sugar-causing-your-chi…/
Sugar can cause a yeast overload even in toddlers and that can cause all sorts of behavior problems.
http://www.memyselfandjen.com/…/toddlers-tantrums-and-low-…/

More posts later on sugar and depression.

Your Gut and Depression

"Gut and Psychology Syndrome," I like this book by Dr. Natasha Cambell McBride, especially the chapter on "The Gut-Brain Connection." Medical history has many examples of severe psychiatric conditions coming from the gut.
Kazudzo Nishi, a renowned Japanese professor, estimated that at least one in ten psychiatric conditions is due to self-intoxification coming from the bowel.
Other psychiatric conditions can be caused by nutrient deficiency and even gentetic problems such as MTHFR or those listed on another post.
I think if these conditions can be discovered in childhood, especially with children with behavior problems, we could eliminate a lot of suicides, drug addictions, and overcrowding of jails and prisons to say nothing of mental health problems.

If your child has behavior problems or ever wants to kill themself or even speaks of it, I would recommend  taking probiotics and fish oil. Then, I would have them tested for high histamine or other chemical imbalances.  Maybe use genetic testing 23-and-me to see if they have a genetic mutation, MTHFR, that prevents liver from detoxifying. I would look into counseling, emotion code and finding a practitioner to release trapped emotions, and I would also use Elan Light therapy.

Read more articles on my blog for more information

9 Key Factors in Overcoming Depression

9 Key Factors in Overcoming Depression Naturally
One in 20 Americans over the age of 12 struggles with depression1 and 11 percent of the U.S. population over the age of 12 is on antidepressant medication.2 This, despite overwhelming evidence showing that antidepressants are no better than placebo in terms of effectiveness.
http://articles.mercola.com/…/depression-supplements-vitami…

Depression & Processed Foods

Scientific Links Between Processed Foods and Depression Keep Getting Stronger
Research shows that the food you eat can have a profound effect on your mental health. So, regardless of your mental health problem, the importance of addressing your diet simply cannot be overstated.
In a very real sense, you have two brains — one in your head, and one in your gut. Both are created from the same tissue during fetal development, and they’re connected via your vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from your brain stem to your abdomen.
It is now well established that the vagus nerve is the primary route your gut bacteria use to transmit information to your brain, which helps explain why mental health appears to so intricately connected to your gut microbiome1 — the bacteria and other microbes living in your gut.
For example, researchers recently found that fermented foods helped curb social anxiety disorder in young adults.2,3 Another study4 found that mice engaged in obsessive-compulsive repetitive behaviors were pacified when given a strain of the bacterium Bacteroides fragilis.
Gut bacteria also produce mood-boosting neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). In fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin is found in your intestines, not your brain.
At the end of the day, if you’re trying to address your mental state, optimizing your gut health should be toward the very top of your list.
http://articles.mercola.com/…/link-between-processed-food-d…

Mental Health ,It's Not Just in our Heads

Mental Health
It's Not Just In Our Heads
by Michael Lesser, M.D.
Orthomolecular Psychiatry
Along with providing optimal molecular concentrations of nutrients, orthomolecular physicians are concerned with removing toxic molecules from the body. Toxic molecules include heavy metal pollutants, such as lead, mercury, aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, etc.: chemicals to which a person may be hypersensitive or allergic, even normal nutrients in cases where a particular chemical pat...hway where a particular chemical pathway necessary to metabolize the nutrient is generally absent. An example of the latter is Coeliac Syndrome; persons with this defect don't have the enzyme necessary to metabolize gluten. For such individuals, eating any food that contains gluten (wheat, rye, barley, buckwheat) destroys their intestinal villi causing malabsorption, which may appear as mental illness

High Rish for Suicide, what you need to understand and resources that are available.

Some People are More at Risk for Suicide, what you need to understand and resources that are available.
Higher risk if any of the following...
Mental health issues such as
Depression...
Substance abuse disorder
Bipolar disorder
Schizophrenia and psychosis
High histamine,
Personality traits of aggression, mood changes,
and poor relationships
Conduct disorder
Anxety disorder
Serious or chronic health condition
Physical pain
Traumatic brain injury
Smoking.
Bad Gut flora (Read Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D., Depression, Schizophrenia by MCBride)
MTHFR...a genetic mutation that prevents liver from detoxifying
https://www.verywell.com/the-link-between-mthfr-gene-mutati… Dr.Lynch has a book "MTHFR Basics."
Child abuse
Sexual abuse as a child or adult
Toxic Chemicals and drugs and alcohol
Addictions read "The Addicted Brain, by Hyla Cass M.D.
Prolonged Stress
Stressful life events

As a therapist I found that anger you turn in on yourself, feeling guilty, feeling trapped, and loss ..loss of love, loss of self-esteem, loss of love, and loss of control in your life can be precipitaitng factors. If you feel like you want to die, or think of suicide, call a crisis line...if you have a plan call immediately or call a counselor or go to the emergency room.
I have seen so many people overcome depression and even mental illness with nutrition, diet, elan light therapy, and therapy.
Books I really like are:
Nutrition and Mental Illness, by Dr. Carl Peiffer
My book, "Defeating Depression & beating the Blues," Pat Webb
Depression Free,Naturally
Louise Hays books. "Love Yourself, Heal Your Life." & "You Can Heal Your Life,"
Gut and Psychology Syndrome, by MCCabe
I do believe that most mental illness and depression begin in the gut.
Find a good probiotic
Fish oil is essential to prevent depression
Check out Elan Light Therapy and find a practitioner.
Find an Emotion Code Practitioner or buy the book "The Emotion Code," by Dr. Bradley Nelson and learn to do this yourself.
I will discuss more coping skills in later posts and also on my blog,
http://healingbodyspirit.blogspot.com/
Many factors play a role. Know the risks and ask the question. Are you having thoughts of suicide? There is help and hope♡ Call the lifeline 1 800 273 8255 check out this link
https://www.facebook.com/Utah-Chapter-for-the-American-Fo…/…
Don't give up hope...
Hope is the thing with feathers--
that perches in the soul---
And sings the tune without the words...
And never stops--- at all.
Emily Dickinson

Chronic Fatigue Cured

Chronic Fatigue Cured
This is a review of the book, "Flood Your Body with Oxygen"
After suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME) for 14 years, I was freed from this degenerative disease by ozone treatments along with acupressure and other Asian methods. Years of treatment by modern medicine did nothing for me except to make my symptoms a little easier to live with, while at the same time the medications played havoc with the chemical balance of my body.The ozone was the ...key to the success of the whole process because it killed the pathogenic mycoplasma that causes CFS in the first place without further damaging an already weakened body. As Ed McCabe writes in this magnificent book on page 57:
"Almost every virus, bacteria, fungi, mycoplasm, parasite, and other pathogen found in all diseases, including HIV, arthritis, heart disease, cancer, chronic fatigue, epstein-barr, candida, and every other disease you can name are the same as all the other primitive life forms. They are facultative anaerobes. 'Anaerobic' simply means they cannot live in oxygen. These disease bugs simple cannot live in active oxygen."
I have also learned from reading this book that I can clean the air in my house using ozone, that I can drink ozonated water, that I can wash my food with ozonated water, along with many other uses that are mentioned in the book. I am on my way to being healthy again and now after reading this book I will have the tools to be healthy for the rest of my life. If you are ill right now or you just want to stay healthy please read this book. Our health is really in our own hands and now we have the information on how to take care of our bodies thanks to Ed McCabe.