Natural Mood Enhancers?

Ok, well it's time to find a non-perscription way to battle my anxiety. I want to try some "natural" ways. I have read about Omega-3 Fatty Acids and that they have really good properties all around, specifically on mood. I have talked to someone who took Omega-3 before but warned me to take the kind that is not involved with fish, because it'll make your pee smell like fish.

Besides Omega-3 does anyone have any good suggestions for anything natural that would help anxiety and mood?

Kava is great replacement for things like xanax and valium (much less powerfull though).
I also hear good things about Saint John's Wort as a replacement for SSRI type drugs.

Also, omega-3 is a fatty acid that is necessary for normal functioning in all people, not just those with anxiety. It is highly concentrated in flax seed/oil (sold at health food stores.) The seed tastes great on cereal.

valerian root is good for anxiety

Lotus tea, of the sort found in asian stores is good for anxiety. It is asian lotus, tea, and jasmine blossoms. I drink the stuff regularly. THen there's kava and valerian which work good, but may be bad for the liver. People say 5-HTP is good for this. I just posted a new thread about l-theanine it is suppsed to be very good anxiety, as it promotes alpha waves. Also, l-theanine will not cause drowsiness or loss of coordination like kava and valerian can (in higher doses).

Dan1584(2) said:

Ok, well it's time to find a non-perscription way to battle my anxiety. I want to try some "natural" ways. I have read about Omega-3 Fatty Acids and that they have really good properties all around, specifically on mood. I have talked to someone who took Omega-3 before but warned me to take the kind that is not involved with fish, because it'll make your pee smell like fish.

Besides Omega-3 does anyone have any good suggestions for anything natural that would help anxiety and mood?

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Ive been taking them for over a year now, they are AMAZING, and I can tell you they absolutely have had no effect on the way my pee smells..if you are really worried about that try flaxseed oil pills instead of the fish oil pills. I cant tell you how amazing these things are..my overall mood/well being/health has improved a lot.

Dan, get the ones based from fish. They are 30 times more effeciant because thier fatty chains are longer.

source...Omega Rx zone by Dr. Barry Sears.

Thanx for all the suggestion, keep em coming if u find anymore!

I'm gonna go research your suggestions

Chamomile supposedly has a calming action when consumed as a stiff tea. Its also very easy to grow, with a pleasant mellow scent reminiscent of apples (to me, anyhow). They'll go from seed to full-grown flowering plants (10in or so) in 4-6 weeks when grown properly, and will flower all summer.

It has some other "home remedy" uses, some of which have been medically validated, others not.

slyvan wanderer said:

Dan, get the ones based from fish. They are 30 times more effeciant because thier fatty chains are longer.

source...Omega Rx zone by Dr. Barry Sears.

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I disagree, they only contain omega-3 and not omega-6 or omega-9. I think that Udo's choice oil blend is the best source of EFAs.

Dan1584(2) you should look for relaxing tea or similar in health shops, they contain different mixtures of herbs. And be sure to leave the bag or herbs in water at least 5 min, since theanin needs time to be released in water.

Roger&Me western diet already includes too much of omega 6, and too much of omega 6 suppress omega 3 absorption. Also omega 9 is found in all vegetable oils so there's no need to add that either (olive oil being the richest in omega 9).

slyvan wanderer said:

Dan, get the ones based from fish. They are 30 times more effeciant because thier fatty chains are longer.

source...Omega Rx zone by Dr. Barry Sears.

Click to expand...

The book "Becoming Vegan" disagrees with this. It says that all omega-3 is the same; what matters is the number of grams eaten, not the source.

It was written by two registered dietitians, one of them has an MD i believe.

We're hijicking this thread
Jimmy the Gun it's not really the same. Omega 3 is made of LNA and EPA/DHA. Body converts LNA to EPA/DHA but not so good. So it's better to use direct source of EPA/DHA like fish oil.

thanks for the info

However, a direct source of DHA (derived from seaweed) works as well. If you are then lacking EPA, the body can synth that from the DHA.

Since all of the fats from the omega-3 family have to do with brain function, I think we're still on topic

This discussion is very educating so I don't mind

I have talked to someone who took Omega-3 before but warned me to take the kind that is not involved with fish, because it'll make your pee smell like fish.

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This is false to begin w/ but who cares what ur pee smells like ......Its urine!! IT stinks to begin w/

lol, sorry i couldnt resist

I take a brand of omega 3's called "Multi-Oil" from GNC......IT contains BOTH fish and flaxseed oil.....Cant go wrong there

^^^ whats the daily regimine, how many pills p/ bottle and the cost?

Dan1584(2) you may want to try with 3 gr (3 capsules) of fish oil per day. It would provide you with probably enough amount of EPA/DHA. Also if you can ground some flaxseed and eat with cereals or just milk. Be sure to ground it before using. Or you can get flaxseed oil, but it doesn't have fibres which are also very good. My coffe grinder just broke when I tried to ground some flax...this is the second one

There is also St. John Wort which many use, but for me it works in strange way, I'm sleepy all day long.

A healthy source of moderate duration and intensity of natural--or artificial uv rays if your climate dictates--sunlight while closing your eyes and meditating is a great lifter of spirits. Moderate excercise is good for the body and mind as well; I find that dancing is the most fun form of excercise, as it involves music, with swimming being the second most relaxing way to excercise. Also, get plenty of sleep if possible (about 8 hours per night) and avoid junk food. Find a new hobby if possible.

Omega fish oils, I must agree, are completely foul tasting in every way. I do not recommend them at all, but then again I don't even like the taste of fish so I may be biased on that point. B vitamins have been rumored to relieve anxiety, but I have seen absolutely no evidence to support that assertion.

As for mood improvement, I would suggest smoking pot, though I realize that answer may not be what you had in mind by using the word "natural." MJ obviously has the drawback of being illegal and rather expensive and also hard to conceal from those with whom you may reside and who do not approve of your usage.

Kava-kava is a mild mood uplifter/antianxiety agent, as is Valerian root, though Valerian root smells bad (though still not nearly as bad as fish oils). You might try St. John's Wort as well. A multivitamin every day probably wouldn't hurt anything, either.

Be sure to eat healthy foods and think positive thoughts, such as what you are grateful for each day. Remember, life can always get worse, sometimes much worse.

Also, find a friend/confidant to help carry your burdens. Feel free to PM me if you want. Good luck. Hope this helps.

damn! you beat me to it, joystick. Since I started exercising, my mood is great