Home Remedies for Depression
Depression is an overwhelming feeling of sadness or despair that also often features anxiety or excessive worry. The symptoms vary, by can include oversleeping, loss of interest in normal activities, changes in weight, inability to focus and insomnia. There are several home remedies for depression that can help with mild symptoms, but a doctor should be seen if the symptoms last for weeks with no relief or if the symptoms become more severe.
Most of the home remedies for depression are surprisingly simple, because in many cases depression is caused by the lack of a particular nutrient in the body, such as B6 vitamin or folic acid, that helps the body regulate mood. If you correct this imbalance, your feelings of depression will soon abate.
Kitchen Home Remedies for Depression
Coffee is well known for being a morning pick-me-up, and science is now proving that this is true. People who drink one or two cups of coffee daily tend to be less irritable and have a more positive outlook. Be careful you don’t overdo it, though. If you drink more than two cups, you run the risk of developing the jitters, which can cancel out the “feel good” effect.
Eating foods with plenty of garlic also helps elevate your mood and calm your nerves, so add to your happiness by eating garlic toast, foods amply seasoned with garlic or taking garlic supplements daily.
If you eat plenty of dark, leafy greens such as spinach and vegetables like asparagus, you will increase your body’s supply of folic acid. Folic acid is essential to your body’s ability to produce serotonin, the chemical responsible for feelings of well-being and happiness. If your serotonin levels drop, you will feel depressed or blue.
Other foods you should eat in generous amounts are chicken and sunflower seeds, both of which are rich in vitamin B6. Inadequate amounts of B6 leads to suppressed serotonin production. You should try to incorporate chicken into your diet three times a week or eat a handful of sunflower seeds every day.
A delicious breakfast that is a home remedy for depression can be made from 3-4 tablespoons of oatmeal prepared with rice milk or soy milk (not dairy milk). After it’s been thoroughly warmed, add nuts or dried food for added texture and nutrients such as B6. You may flavor this with a bit of honey or maple syrup if you like.
Herbal Home Remedies for Depression
St. John’s Wort is the most popular herbal medication for depression in the world for good reason. Taking 300 mg. three times daily begins to reduce anxiety and depression within a month. In many people, the difference is quite noticeable. The rarity of side effects from St. John’s Wort makes this depression remedy particularly popular in Europe, where mainstream doctors often prescribe it to patients with mild depression. You can find St. John’s Wort in any herbal shop or health food store.
Omega-3 Supplements, sometimes simply called Fish Oil Capsules, are rich in the essential fatty oils that your body and brain need to function efficiently and fight off depression. If you don’t want to take the large capsules every day, you can find Omega-3 fatty acids in soy products, flaxseeds and various fatty fishes such as cod.
Rosemary tea sipped three times a day (at least a half cup at each sitting) can also soothe tension and elevate the mood. Look for rosemary tea at health food stores and nutrition centers.
Most of these home remedies for depression are very effective when the person’s feelings of sadness are relatively minor. Using these alternatives to a prescription is a healthy way to combat the condition without developing a dependency on expensive prescription drugs. If your depression doesn’t dissipate within a month, however, don’t continue with home remedies for depression. Instead, seek prompt medical attention to see what else you may need to do.