self-medication.

if you've been reading the private blog shell said what?!, then you know what i am referring to.

i've been trying to take a more active, more holistic approach to my health & well-being.  i'm fortunate to have a friend & co-worker whose family believes in holistic care and i am very appreciative that he has shared some insight with me.

he knows a lot about what is going on with me personally {it's always nice to have someone unbiased to talk to} and yesterday i approached him & asked him to give me some alternatives to being a slave to a prescription pill.*

1. diet - he told me to take stock of my eating habits & to look for deficiencies.  i believe we are a relatively healthy family when it comes to cooking & eating.  we shop smart. we eat fresh veggies pretty much on a daily basis and, if fresh isn't an option, then the frozen veggies in our freezer come to our rescue.  we don't have soda in our home {much to adam's dismay}.  we drink lots of water.  we eat fruit.  but, when i get sad, i have a tendency to binge on sugars & carbs.  i've jokingly said in the past that i haven't met a carb i didn't like...it's my favorite food group.  according to my friend, acute depression is the result of a b-complex or cal-mag {calcium-magnesium} deficiency.
   i started taking a cal-mag supplement {with vitamin d} yesterday.  i plan on adding a b-complex supplement to my diet this weekend.
   
   
2. chamomile or mint tea - more than one person suggested a nice, warm cup of chamomile.  it's a natural soother.  duh.  my mother drinks {green} tea on the regular.
   
   
   
   
   {source}
   
   "there is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea." ~ bernard-paul heroux {1900's basque philosopher}
   
   
3. massage - my friend suggested that i get a deep tissue/stress relief massage.  the massage therapist he recommended to me offers relaxation massage, too.  relaxation: i definitely need some of that in my life.  the massage therapist is located in a chiropractor's office.  i should probably see the chiropractor, too {for other reasons}.
   
   
4. yoga - my friend hit the nail on the head when he said to me, "there's probably way too little quiet in your life."  there is.  yoga is something i've wanted to try.  i had every good intention of starting a class months ago; however, the financial commitment deterred me.  coincidentally, i was reading our local newspaper online yesterday and found out that a free class is offered at the oceanfront every sunday through august 22nd.  free yoga.  on the beach.  the class is at 6:45 a.m., but for the relaxation & peace of mind, i'll be there {any local friends want to join me??}.
   
   
   
   
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so far, i've only done points 1 & 2.  i started taking a cal-mag supplement yesterday at dinner and i ended my day with a cup of chamomile tea.  i hope to incorporate points 3 & 4 into my life this weekend.

we'll see how these four things help me along as i try to regain control of my inner self.

is there anything that you do to try and keep balance & sanity in your life?  suggestions?  words of wisdom?  prayers?

*i have not been to a doctor nor have i been clinically diagnosed with depression.  my friend is not a medical doctor.  his suggestions are merely that...suggestions.  this post isn't meant to knock modern medicine {please, my sister works in the medical field!}.  instead, this post serves as a reminder to me {and, hopefully to you} that there are other ways to finding your inner well-being than by collecting prescriptions.

there was an article in the l.a. times recently that caught my eye: 

study links chocolate and depression

i'm sorry, what?

no, no...really.  the first paragraph of the article reads:

One need only look at the recent introduction of chocolate Cheerios to fully grasp Americans' fondness for the pulp from cacao beans. Savoring chocolate is normal.

But, researchers said Monday, overindulging in it could be a marker for depression.

that makes me sad {pun intended?}.  it truly does.

i don't know whether to be depressed about the large bowl of chocolate ice cream laced with crushed up pieces of chocolate-covered pretzels i ate while typing this OR the fact that we have not one, but THREE boxes of Chocolate Cheerios in our pantry.

{source}

yep.  three boxes.

no wonder i can't get out of bed in the morning.