Home Remedies For Depression

Home Remedies For Depression

St. John’s Wort

St. John’s wort is a popular herbal treatment for mild to moderate depression. It has chemical constituents like hypericin and hyperforin that work like an antidepressant, blocking re-uptake of serotonin and serotonin receptors.

Add one or two tablespoons of dried St. John’s wort to a cup of hot water and let it steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink this tea twice daily. Follow this routine regularly to lift your mood.
Alternatively, you can take 300 milligrams of St. John’s wort supplement three times a day.
Consult a doctor before beginning regular use of St. John’s wort.

Cardamom

Cardamom can help detoxify the body and rejuvenate the cells, in turn helping improve your mood and treat depression.

Add one-half teaspoon of cardamom powder to one cup of warm water or milk. Drink it once daily.
You can also add a few drops of cardamom oil to your bath water. Soak yourself in this uplifting aroma-filled bath for 30 minutes daily.

Happy Diet

Eating healthy can help with mood in general, but there are some foods that can help with serotonin, the chemical in the brain that contributes to “happy.” Prozac, for example, works by inhibiting serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which raises the levels in your brain. Some foods are serotonin enhancers, helping to raise those levels naturally. They include:

-Fish-oil, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids
-Healthy fat, such as coconut oil
-Flaxseed oil
-Sour cherries
-Eggs

Teer Clear Of Your Coffee

While there are many claims for the benefits of coffee, when it comes to depression, it just doesn’t mix well. It’s true that caffeine will give you a quick boost in your mood, but you’re going to come crashing down. Being exhausted but wired and over-caffeinated doesn’t do anything good for the chemicals that regulate mood, and can in fact affect serotonin synthesis in the brain. This has been noted by the increase of 5-HIA, a component of serotonin, seen in the urine of coffee drinkers. This makes them at risk for lower levels of this all-important neurotransmitter.

Exercise

While the link between exercise and alleviating symptoms of depression isn't clear, researchers have found that regular exercise -- 30 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week -- can lift mood, reduce stress and boost self-esteem as well as protect against heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer.
When we exercise, our body temperature rises, which calms us, and our body releases chemicals that make us feel good: endorphins and norepinephrine. It is these endorphins and norepinephrine that are released during exercise that scientists think have a hand in reducing depression. Endorphins make us feel good, they boost our immune system and they reduce our perception of pain. Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter (a chemical our brain makes) that also helps to improve our mood.

Magnesium

Symptoms of depression -- from mild apathy to psychosis and even suicidal thoughts -- may be related to a deficiency in magnesium. Magnesium is a mineral that our body needs to contract and relax muscles, and to produce protein and energy. It is also needed for bone growth and support.
While magnesium deficiencies are rare, increasing magnesium-rich foods in your daily diet could help boost your mood -- and at the very least add a bounty of healthy foods to your diet. Choose foods such as seeds and nuts (pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds are good choices, as well as almonds and cashews), beans and legumes (black beans, navy beans, soybeans), dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and collard greens) and whole grains to up your magnesium intake.

Drink Green Tea

I know this seems terribly counterintuitive to number 4, seeing as how green tea also contains caffeine, but it has one other extremely important constituent: L-theanine. L-theanine works synergistically with caffeine to boost mood in such a way that you don’t get the same crash-effect. It has its psychoactive properties because it is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, and has been shown to reduce stress as well as boost dopamine and the brain inhibitory transmitter GABA.

You will need…

-1 cup of boiling water
-1 green tea bag

Directions

First thing in the morning, with your breakfast, steep a cup of hot, fresh, green tea. Drink the whole thing.