The statistics are undeniable that mental health is a major issue in our society today. In each year, approximately one in every five Australians will experience a mental illness. As today (October 10th 2016) is World Mental Health Day, we thought it fitting to talk about how to care for your mental health in a more natural way. There are small steps that we can all take to help our mental health. World Mental Health Day (WMHD) is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy.
We, as health practitioners and naturopaths, need to look at healthy alternatives to alleviate some of the symptoms associated with mental health.
A naturopathic approach to mental health encompasses many different modalities, they are:
- diet modification; reducing sugars and inflammatory foods, including more fruit and vegetables, avoiding gluten and wheat, eating real food avoiding processed and GMO foods
- Exercise that promotes well being; yoga, walking, any form that you find soothes the mind and body
- Meditation
- Regulation of healthy sleep patterns
- Counselling
- Supplements that increase serotonin and dopamine and reduce inflammation in the gut and the brain
- Herbs that soothe the central nervous system and help the body adapt to stress. Herbs that we call adaptogens
- Probiotics and fermented foods: research now tells us that the composition of the gut flora has a big impact on your brain function and mental state and your gut microbiomes can be impacted by diet and medication
We recommend the following herbs and supplements to help in the prevention and treatment of stress and some mental health issues:
- Fish oil/Omega 3 supplement: your brain is 60 % fat, an EFA is essential for good brain function and mental health
- Vitamin D: this is a very important vitamin for your mood
- Vitamin B12: a deficiency in this vitamin can contribute to mental health issues
- Beneficial herbs and adaptogens:
- St Johns wort is a herb that has been traditionally used to alleviate symptoms, however this herb cannot be used with prescription medication, we advise that you check with your doctor or health practitioner before using this herb
- Some other herbs that calm and relax the central nervous system that are beneficial are:
- Chamomile
- Kava
- Passionflower
- Oats
We also advise adaptogen herbs to support the adrenal glands (these produce the dreaded stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline) they are as follows:
- Siberian ginseng
- Withania
- Rhodiola
- Rehmannia
Also a good probiotic is vital for the recolonisation of healthy gut flora which not only affects your physical health but has an impact on brain function and mental health.
It is great to know that there are some other options to explore naturally as well as lifestyle choices such as exercise and meditation for releasing the feel good hormones.
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