What natural remedies can I take to cheer me up and help me cope?

[Boyswillbeboys]

I am feeling really down at the moment about several things that I can't control. I feel really depressed and find it hard to keep my cool when the DCs are playing up. I have always been a "deal with it yourself" type of person and the thought of anti-depressants or tranquilizers really terrifies me. What can I take that will help? I read a bit about bach flower remedies including mimula I think it was but really don't know much about them. Any advice appreciated!!

try taking st johns wort, you can buy it from any chemist. It can take a little while to feel the effects but they work better than anti-depressants and no nasty side-affects. really worked for me a couple of years back.

Another vote for St John's wort here too. Bach's flower remedies were totally useless in my experience.

agree with themoon - never had slightest effect from bach's remedies either. but DH takes st john's wort every winter for the worst months and finds it helpful. also might be worth spending money on a homeopath which i found very helpful for anxiety and stress in the past (despite my dismissal of back remedies!). good luck x

Careful with St Johns worth, for most people it is fantastic, for small minority in which I include myself... it may get you very aggressive.

yikes! lucky DH hasn't (yet) had that side-effect!

Check carefully if you take st johns wort wit other medicines as it can affect the way they are absorbed. Some bach remedies work at least some times. Have you tried a bach remedy practitioner who will prescribe for you after a onsultation?

Another vote for St John's wort BUT and it's a big BUT - if you take the pill DON'T take the St John's wort, as the pill won't work.

The only bach flower remedy that I thought worked for me was the rescue remedy - but I think it was the brandy it's made with!

Vitamin B group is excellent for stress, and you may be low in this - it's water soluble so it doesn't get stored. I take vitamin B complex with Magnesium in a tablet called Magnesium OK. it gets rid of the huge highs and lows I had with PMT, helps me sleep better and generally feel more on top of things. I also have taken Valerian and hops with lemon balm at times when stress keeps me awake. I have also taken Siberian Ginseng for a stamina boost for a few months - it worked.

But the best thing that worked for me was getting out everyday in the sunlight and eating little and often of low sugar foods - rice cakes and hummus as a snack and fruit and carrots. i love a few mouthfuls of cauliflower now as a snack, and I never go anywhere without a few almonds. Keeping my blood sugar low has helped in all kinds of ways, and there is research showing that we have more patience when our blood sugar isn't going up and down like a rollercoaster.

HTH and hope you are feeling on top of things soon.

I am trying st johns wort.
Winter really makes me miserable and work is stressful at the moment.
Hoping it helps.

thanks for the advice, I did try St Johns Wort a few years ago and it really seemed to work, but stopped cos I read that it interfered with the pill, which I am still on.

I will try to find out more about the bach flower remedies. Disappointed that they don't seem to work for most of you, I was hoping they would be my saviour

I think you are probably right about blood sugar, zazen. I do tend to reach for sugary stuff when I'm stressed, and then I really crash afterwards! The weather also doesn't help, just want to hibernate now until about April ...

I think someone on here mentioned cutting down on refined carbs and also taking HTP5?

I'll just do a check and see if that's spelt right.

have a few Spikes here. not unusual, nor Montys and I have met three Rollos lately that is very old fashioned isn't it?t_detail.aspx?PID=1636&CID=0 yes

lol how weird that link name is a post i left on another thread!

try again

Thanks Megglevache, the appetite suppressant qualities would be useful too! I crave comfort food in the cold weather. Will look into the Agnus castus too, thanks

No worries BWBB.

I can personally vouch for feeling completely different since I stopped eating cakes/bread/pastry and choc- the difference is phenomenal!

Megglevache - I think that is my problem - I am a carbohydrate/sugar addict and always tired and down.

I will try to give them up

vitamin D

Do you think you could prepare in advance and have a 2 week blitz. have all the stuff at home so you don't get tempted by something easy like crisps or white toast/cakes.

I'm pretty sure you'd be shocked at how different you'd feel. I have actually come down with food poisoning a few days ago and have been eating easy stuff including bread/crackers etc and I have never felt more moody and crap. Going to do a detox then get back on track next week.

Lots' of fresh veggies/fish/fruit and nuts for me.

The Bach Remedies work for me. Jan De Vries does flower remedies already made up and they are excellent.

Oooh, that is a good plan meggle, because I always snack on bread/biscuits etc. So yes, starting next week (because will do the weekly shop on Friday and buy non-carb snacks) will have a go and see what happens

nuts, lots of water, already chopped up carrots and cucumber (do them the night before) houmous, chopped peppers, avocadoes, rice cakes with good olive oil all brill to snack on and drink as much water as you can. you will feel dire for about 5 days and then you will feel amazing if you canlast that long.

Ask Nailpolish- she feel slike a new woman!

sounds great (once I get past the first 5 days that is...)
So what do you have for lunch if you don't have sandwiches??

If you are cutting out carbs are you still allowed to eat potatoes? I am feeling really inspired to chuck out all the bread and pasta, but like hippipotami I am wondering what to have for lunch!!

Oh potatoes are fine. Don't ditch carbs completely. You need them.

Cut out everything which is refined. White flour/sugar/cakes/pasta.

For lunch?Soups with rice cakes or rice cakes with salad/avocadoes.Just not pasta salad or sanwiches ;-)

oh and as I said before for luch some days I will have a pot of guacamole with carrot sticks/cucumber/pepper or humous or greek salad with feta cheese my fave at the moment.

I'm going through a bit of a feta love ATM