The day is open

Nothing noted in my appointment book next to any hour day or night. Open time! I imagine the millions of people over the centuries and across the world for which this would be unthinkable luxury. And, I am grateful.

This day I choose to fill composing a press release on the miracle of nutrition for brain repair.

I spoke about this topic for just twenty minutes last Thursday at the monthly Networking Cafe sponsored by the Sacramento Food Bank. I told the forty or so people there about the ease with which they could figure out their own emotional needs, just using a questionnaire and a few minutes of their time. For example are they depressed? In this post I’m going to detail the two major kinds of depression: serotonin deficiency depression and catecholamine deficiency depression. Serotonin is the chemical in our nervous system that makes us feel calm and cheerful. Catecholamines include dopamine, adrenalin, and noradrenalin, three chemicals in our nervous system that make us feel alert, awake, and focused.

Do you look out the window and complain the world is a mess and it’s all your fault? That’s serotonin deficiency talking. Serotonin deficient people are obsessive compulsive, suffer panic attacks, or in worst cases start talking about suicide. They have afternoon cravings and can’t sleep at night. They are irritable and have flash anger, even to the point of violence. What produces more serotonin in the body is the amino acid L-tryptophan. Since tryptophan isn’t easy to find on health food store shelves, the more practical choice is a product called 5HTP, or 5-hydroxy tryptophan, which is cheaper and more easily obtained than L-tryptophan. For good results take the 5HTP during the afternoon and evening, away from protein foods.

What if the person is depressed but looks at the world as a grey place without charm or reason for enthusiasm? It isn’t his fault the world is a boring place to be. What if this person can’t focus on anything he wants to do, but instead his mind moves in a constant stream of thoughts and needs that pull him in multiple directions, each seeming as important as the next? What if fatigue dogs him, and he longs for coffee or some other stimulant to be able to follow through on his good intentions. This is a catecholamine deficiency depression and one handy remedy is the amino acid L-tyrosine. For best results take the L-tyrosine morning and early afternoon, away from protein foods. Avoid L-tyrosine if you have ever had melanoma or currently have high blood pressure.

Taking amino acid supplements supplements a wholesome diet with plenty of protein in it. Aminos after all are fragments of protein. Cut the white sugar and white flour products and substitute whole grains like whole wheat pasta and bread and brown rice, add lots of vegetables, a few fruits a day, and have some kind of protein at every meal. You will feel the difference and it will feel much better than the brief surge from a power soda or coffee latte.

You can change your brain for the better with these changes in diet and supplements. It happens within days. In fact when you swallow an amino acid, you might feel better within 30 minutes. How’s that for filling a day with good news?

Tags: Addiction, Drug Treatment, Holistic, Sacramento