Depression and mood swings

Eat for the health of it.

Everyone has had their day of moodiness. I know that there are people who are always laughing and saying funny things but I am sure if you followed them through their day and evening, they would have some time that they are sad or moody about something. I am sure this is mostly a normal thing.

I have days of the blahs when the sun doesn't shine or if it rains all day and you're stuck in the house. You should do something but you just don't feel like doing anything either, so you mope around all day; maybe curl up in a blanket on the couch. And then the next day the sun comes out and you feel all perky and you get all the work done you should have done the day before. I think that could be considered pretty normal even though you think to yourself that you should have done at least half of that work the day before.

On the other hand if you are an active person and all of a sudden you become withdrawn from your friends, clubs, card parties and you can let the house go and you don't even want to answer the phone, you need to see a doctor because you could have a brain chemical imbalance. You could have a low level of a chemical in your brain called serotonin.

And it could turn into a more serious mental disorder like bipolar depression. If not treated, bipolar depression can become a very serious and dangerous illness.

If you feel you are depressed, try the B vitamins, fish oil, like omega-3 and eat fish like salmon and tuna several times a week. I suggest talking to a person at the health food store to get the right amount of fish oil, unless you are on a blood thinner or aspirin, you shouldn't take fish oil, because it also thins your blood.

Tryptophan,an amino acid, that converts to serotonin in your body can help with depression. Tryptophan can be found in turkey, chicken, fish, dairy products, soybeans, nuts and avocados.

I was pretty depressed after I was seriously injued in an auto accident 25 years ago. I went through a lot of therapy and part of my therapy was swimming and I am still swimming. It's amazing how therapeutic that is, mentally and physically.

I have also talked to people that have had other injuries that swim and some take aerobics, and others get outside and rake leaves. It's amazing what little things that seem unimportant can be a cure for what ails you.

Anything to relax you and it also helps to eat as healthy as you can. By eating all natural, gives you the nourishment you need. The processed foods do not have this nourishment.

If you would like to learn how to cook all natural, please try my all natural cookbook: GRANDMA'S BACK TO BASICS ALL NATURAL MORE THAN JUST A COOKBOOK ISBN#0-8059-6286-7 by Teresa Thompson. Order at: 1-800-788-7654 or at: www.dorrancepublishing.com or at: Amazonbooks.com

A good novel 'Under Obligation' 1-58736-601-0 Order at: www.wheatmark.com or at: Amazonbooks.com or at: Abebooks.com

Laughter is Healthy:

Two elderly gentlemen from a retirement home were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turns to the other and says: Slim, I'm 83 years old and I am just full of pain, I know you're about my age, how do you feel?"

Slim answers,"I feel like a new born baby."

"Really! Like a new born baby?"

"Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants."