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Depression Epidemic is Destroying Lives. Here's a Real Life Story... April 22, 2015 |
The Silent Killer That's Destroying Lives and Families...
Good morning folks and welcome to our April edition of Life Saving Health Solutions. Thank you for being part of our health circle and I hope you enjoy today’s newsletter and the information shared. Unfortunately, I’m going to begin with a not-so-happy story…
Depression is Definitely the Silent Killer...
The fact is we are now seeing a global depression epidemic, the likes of which we’ve never seen before. Even during the great depression (aptly named) the severity still wasn’t as bad as it is today. It’s also interesting to note that the worst rates of depression and depression related problems are in the fifteen to twenty five age bracket and males top the list over females. When you have a health problem that makes people cut and scar themselves, horrifically in some cases, and even gets them to a point where they want to end their own lives (and actually go through with it) then you know that as a race of people, addressing and fixing this problem must surely be our #1 priority.
So what’s causing this shocking epidemic you may ask? Well, there are various theories. Everything from depression sufferers having smaller brain development to the high expectations being put on our young people today have been thrown around. And while I certainly don’t disagree with these, I think the most common cause is being constantly overlooked…
Vitamins and Minerals are the Brains “Spark Plugs”…Virtually every health expert and psychologist agree on one thing when it comes to depression. It’s primarily caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, namely, a lack of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that allows communication to occur across the circuits that connect to our various brain regions. When this chemical is not being produced in sufficient amounts, depression and anxiety can be the result. The stress hormone cortisol is also released in excessive amounts in depressed people according to new research ( WebMD ) which has a shrinking effect on the part of the brain that controls moods. But what actually controls your cortisol and serotonin levels? Vitamins and minerals!Certain vitamins and minerals are called your brains “spark plugs” because without them it wouldn’t be able to fire on all cylinders. They create the spark, so to speak, that allows your thoughts and impulses to connect and reach the right area of your brain, which results in clear thinking and clear moods. You cannot think a thought or create a mood in the brain without one of these sparks. It’s impossible. And vitamins and minerals are what control them! Dr Carl Pfeiffer, director of the Brain Bio Center in Princeton, and Dr Abram Hoffer, director of psychiatric research in Saskatchewan, Canada have been at the forefront of this life-changing discovery. You can read more about it here… Depression: The Nutrition Connection Where Have all the Vitamins and Minerals Gone?It’s now an established fact that our food supply today is almost completely devoid of organic minerals and most vitamins. The real tragedy of this is our bodies (and especially our brains) are no longer getting enough of the vital nutrients they need every day to grow, regenerate and remain healthy. The side effect of this is degenerative diseases and mental health problems. And it’s no longer good enough to just “eat a healthy diet” anymore. You must also supplement. Green foods such as chlorella and wheat grass, combined with colloidal minerals , are your best insurance and guarantee that you get all the nutrients your brain and body needs!Other Way’s to Naturally Beat Depression…
Exercise...It’s virtually impossible to walk out of a hard gym training session or Les Mills class feeling depressed! Exercise releases powerful mood stimulating chemicals called endorphins, which basically put you on a “natural high”. The feeling you get is indescribable. Even if you’ve had a crappy day at work or at home with the kids, an hour in the gym will take all of that away! So if you haven’t tried joining a gym and giving it a shot then I strongly suggest you do. Of course, you don’t need to go to the gym to get your daily exercise. Even just getting out and riding your bike or going for a brisk walk for 30 minutes will help. As the saying goes… find 30 minutes a day, it’s not that hard! You can read more about the positive benefits of exercise for treating depression here… Exercise for DepressionGratitude...Don’t knock this until you try it! Being grateful and filling yourself with gratitude for what you have can have a profound effect on how you feel. “But there’s nothing in my life for me to be grateful about” you may well say? But I think you would be surprized if you really started to think about it. The fact that you can think and breathe and see and hear and have two arms and two legs is a start! Some people would give anything to have these. Do you sleep in a bed? Thank you! Do you have running water? Thank you! Do you get to eat food when you want it? Thank you! Do you live in a house? Thank you! Do you live in a free country? Thank you!You get the idea right? I recommend you get a hold of the book The Magic by Rhonda Byrne (author of The Secret). I guarantee this gratitude book will change your life like nothing else you’ve ever come across! Avoid Refined and Processed Foods...Nothing will send you on an emotional rollercoaster ride quite like sugar and artificial food additives (and energy drinks and diet drinks are included in this list). You can also throw caffeine and alcohol into this mix as well why you’re at it. These highly addictive substances are incredibly toxic to the brain and cause your emotions to spike from rapid highs to rapid lows very quickly, rather than the constant and equilibrium type of flow the brain should enjoy. Sugar also depletes the brain of the crucial amino acid L-tryptophan, which is a very potent mood elevator.Go Gluten Free...Gluten has now become the biggest “no no” food (it’s a mixture of two proteins actually) and is considered to be a prime suspect for many problematic health disorders, including depression and anxiety. It can cause inflammatory conditions in the brain, which are definitely not good for anyone who suffers from depression. Cereal grains, especially wheat, are highest in gluten. If you’re interested in following a gluten free diet then there’s some excellent books on the subject listed here… Going Gluten FreeHeavy Metal Detox...Heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead, along with the toxic gas ammonia, all accumulate in the brain over time and are another major cause of mental related illnesses, including depression. Even Dr Mercola recommends we flush out and cleanse our bodies of heavy metals, in particular through the supplementation of chlorella . This amazing plant is a terrific detoxifier and when combined with the amino acid L-Glutamine , it’s becomes the ultimate “brain cleanser”. Heavy metals accumulate in the brain as a result of the toxins in our food, water and air. Ammonia accumulates from normal brain functioning. There’s no real way to stop this process from occurring, but at least we can flush them out every day so they don’t become detrimental to our mental health and our overall health.More Way’s to Naturally Beat Depression…There are more excellent natural remedies for treating depression out there that really do work extremely well. You can read all of our full articles and tips on treating depression naturally by clicking on this link… Home Remedies for Depression That Give Powerful ResultsTo finish off here I would like to say that if you do know someone who suffers from depression then please take the time to share this article, or any of our other depression articles, with them. You just never know if what you give them might help them to turn that corner. And don’t be afraid to talk to them either or encourage them to seek help. My daughter is still going through the “guilt stage” at the moment because she feels she could have done more to help Andrew. When he stopped communicating with her she thought that he had just cracked the poops with her so she stopped talking to him also. Now she realizes that wasn’t the case at all and if she had of just taken the time to find out what was really going on, she may have been able to help him. As she said… “I don’t know if I could have helped Andrew, but it would have been worth a try anyway”. Here’s a great website with a list of some terrific support groups that can really help depression and anxiety sufferers… PsychCentral.com . If you do suffer from depression and you don’t want to talk to a friend or family member then these groups can be a wonderful alternative. You get to talk to other sufferers (who understand what you’re going through) in a non-confronting and relaxed way. You can even choose to remain anonymous if you wish to. This Just In...“Sweatworking” is the New Way to Connect With Your Clients…Okay, time to switch gears with a bit of light hearted health news…Forget about taking a client out for lunch or drinks to try and impress them. Now you take them out for a walk, a run, or a fitness class like spin or Bootcamp! “Sweatworking was born out of a desire to connect with clients on a deeper level that wasn’t so sales-y,” says Sarah Siciliano, an advertising executive who’s been wooing clients with workouts instead of going out and filling them up on food and drinks. “A lot of sales jobs revolve around drinking” she says. This concept actually started in the advertising world but it’s now spread to the banking and law sectors. Apparently, a growing body of people are becoming more interested in getting “huffy and puffy” while discussing business rather than sitting down with a couple of wines or a pint of beer and a plate of salt and pepper squid! There are even “sweatworking groups” made up of business people and their clientele who regularly get together to exercise instead of boozasize (yes I made that one up). Yes I agree, it does sound a bit bizarre at first glance, but hey, if it gets people out there doing some regular exercise then I’m all for it. It’s a bit of harmless fun. Well that ends this newsletter. Until next time, keep safe and stay healthy, Best regards, Troy.
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This newsletter is dedicated to and in loving memory of ANDREW MICHAEL McGUIRK, 1993 - 2015 |
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