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!!

I suffer from winter "blues" (yak - I hate that term) and find that St john?s wort and rescue remedy do little for me personally. I have two main tricks that do help a little. The first is outdoor exercise. The old fashioned "Wrap up warm and go breathe some fresh air" trick seems to work a lot. The other is aromatherapy. I find the citrus oils, like orange and grapefruit, burnt or a little in my bath, really helps. There is something about the fresh, sharp citrus smell that lifts me more than chocolate. If peeling an orange and getting the whiff of zesty citrus is refreshing and uplifting for you, I recommend you try an oil burner to fill your home with the scent.
Just a thought

second the vitamin D suggestion (or increase your oily fish consumption) - if you didn't get a lot of sunlight over the summer, your vit D stores will be low.

re the St.John's Wort - only take it if you are not on prescribed AD meds.

For the really stressful moments, Aisnworth's Emergency Recovery Plus is EVEN BETTER than the Rescue Remedy (based on Bach Flower remedies) and is alcohol-free.

if you want to try some aromatherapy, mandarin, roman chamomile and lavender are soothing and relaxing. Burn them in an oil burner in the ratio 10:3:7 (mandarin:r.cham: lavender).

cutting down on the refined carbs will help with energy levels and mood swings; don't go low fat as lack of essential fatty acids can also contribute to depressive states, and you need fat in the diet to absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

make sure you are getting enough zinc as well (but don't supplement with just zinc, take a multi-mineral or do it through diet)

This is all fantastic advice! I love the aromatherapy suggestions thumbwitch.

I agree on keeping good fats in your diet - they stop all kinds of metabolic disorders, and keep skin and hair healthy. Fish oils / flax is brill for this also, and recent research shows that fish oils are good to combat depression.

That's what i find also Lemontart: wrapping up warmly is a fab way to stave off the hibernation feeling, and it's cheap!

I'm loving the detox you suggest MVache, I find I feel so sluggish with big dark circles round my eyes if I eat refined foods - especially wheat. I just drag myself round and am snappy with the LOs.

I'm also getting a big feta draw atm, must be the salt? I got Peccorino Romano the other day for a cesear salad and it was lovely with pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds all sprinkled in over a cap full of walnut oil and a cap of lemon juice. It was very yum
Meat isn't appealing to me atm, anyone else thinking pulses and vegs?

Now, do any of you luffly ladeez have a low sugar recipe for oat flapjacks with dates and nuts?

Oooh watching out for a flapjack oaty recipe!
Making a big spicy pot of lentil dahl type soup with home made walnut and spelt bread for lunch though. Totally agree about wheat - I find spelt flour useful in the winter. Heavier bread but tastes nice and much healthier for you

Oooh give us your recipe for the spicy dahl soup Lemontart. Sounds utterly delish

Any oaty flapjackers out there?

I have a recipe but will have to go and find it - give me a min or 2

OK, here we go:
Yorkshire WI recipe for quaker oat biscuits, with some adaptation!
8oz quaker oats
8oz brown sugar (to reduce sugar, use 2 ripe bananas and make up the weight with sugar)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4oz marg (I use 2oz butter and 2oz olive oil)
1 egg.

Mix all dry ingredients, add melted fat, followed by beaten egg. Blend thoroughly. Drop walnut size blobs onto a greased (and papered) baking tray, allowing space for "run". Moderate oven for ~15-20 mins until golden brown.

The banana makes the biscuits a bit more cookie-like, they don't stay crispy very long but they are yummy! I have also included walnuts before, and chocolate drops, both to good effect. You might need to alter the recipe a little if you are putting more squishy ingredients (dates etc.)in - perhaps use them as part of the sugar/banana weight allowance.

Good luck!

Spicy Dahl Soup

125g split red lentils
1.2 litres decent veg stock (2 pints)
350g carrots, peeled and sliced
2 onions, chopped
1 can tinned toms
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp ghee/oil/spraylight if being good!

1tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 fresh green chilli, chopped and deseeded
1 tsp tumeric
half a lemon
300 ml (half a pint) milk
fresh coriander and yoghurt to serve if wished

1. wash lentils well and place in heavy bottomed saucepan with 1.5 pints of the stock, carrots, onion, toms, garlice. Bring up to boil and reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for half an hour. (You could lightly fry the onion and garlic etc first to develop the flavours, occasionally I roast my own toms in the oven rather than a tin - mess with it as you see fit)
2. While the lentils and veg are cooking and softening in the stock, the fun bit! Heat the oil/ghee and fry the spices and chilli together for 1 minute. Not too hot or it will burn. Remove from the heat and squeeze in half a lemon, add a little salt to taste. 3)Puree the stock, lentils and veg mix, return to a pan with the spices and remaining half pint of stock. Simmer for 10 mins.
3. Add the milk to the pan (make sure it is not boiling, just under the boil) and adjust the seasoning and taste at this point. 5)Serve with the yog and fresh coriander swirled in. SIf I am feeling flashy I fry a little extra of the spices in the seasoned oil, with a few slices of garlic until the garlic is crispy and golden, Sprinkle these on the top of the yoghurt and it looks/tastes amazing.

Sounds a lot of effort but really it is just a pan of stock, lentils and veg with spices and chilli added near the end. When I have added spices from the start, they seem to lost something in process. By keeping them till near the end, and frying them lightly, develops and keeps their fresh flavours. No idea why or if this is scientific, but works for me!

Yummy yummy yummy thank you muchly Lemontart and thumbwitch