Depression plaques our country.  Major depressive disorder is the number one cause of disability in people ages 15-44.  By the year 2020, depression will be the 2nd most common health problem in the U.S.  From a naturopathic prospective, depression is a brain chemistry imbalanced that can be corrected.  Testing is available to find out if you have brain imbalance.  One major player in the imbalance is low levels of serotonin, the "happy" hormone.  In natural medicine, we can supplement with natural amino acids, vitamins and minerals that help the brain and body make more serotonin.  Here are some helpful hints!

Can you increase serotonin naturally?  YES!!  Really is that possible without drugs??  YES!

Exercise is vital here, moving your body naturally increases serotonin levels.

Stress relief using techniques such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing can also help tremendously. .

Eating less sugar.  Sugar just gives the body a false sense of energy for a short period of time, then depletes our energy in the long run. 

Focus diet choices on whole foods, especially ones high in B6.  Options are spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, celery, cauliflower, salmon, turkey and lean beef.

Multivitamin is important.  B1, B2, B6, calcium and magnesium are all needed to make serotonin. 

To find out exactly how much serotonin you have or don't have, you can test your levels by doing a urine test available at my office.