[acb-hsp] Five Ways to Have a Happier Life

[Baracco, Andrew W]

It just so happens that he is appearing on the dr. Ahz show today to plug his new book.  He has been battling depression himself.  He was the first doctor to be featured on the Oprah Winfrey show, and was her fair haired boy for a few years, and then just seemed to drop out of sight.  I used to receive his Email newsletter, and then it just unexpectedly stopped.  Glad he's doing better.

Andy


-----Original Message-----
From: acb-hsp-bounces at acb.org [mailto:acb-hsp-bounces at acb.org] On Behalf Of peter altschul
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 1:07 PM
To: Acbhsp
Subject: [acb-hsp] Five Ways to Have a Happier Life

5 Ways to Have a Happier Life
  Andrew Weil, Huffington Post November 8, 2011
  In my new book, "Spontaneous Happiness I write about lifestyle 
practices that can help people achieve and maintain happy lives.  
Bear in mind that by "happy," I am not referring to endless 
bliss.  Despite what many in the media proclaim these days, such 
a state is neither achievable nor desirable.  Instead, these 
practices are designed to help most people reach and maintain a 
state of contentment and serenity.  From there, a person can 
still experience appropriate emotional highs and lows, but knows 
that he or she will soon return to a pleasant state that might be 
termed emotional sea level.
  I've summarized information about 5 of those practices.  These 
will, I believe, be of particular benefit for those who struggle 
with mild to moderate depression, but can also potentially 
benefit nearly anyone who follows them:
  *1.  Exerciseccinin Human bodies are designed for regular 
physical activity.  The sedentary nature of much of modern life 
probably plays a significant role in the epidemic incidence of 
depression today.  Many studies show that depressed patients who 
stick to a regimen of aerobic exercise improve as much as those 
treated with medication.  Exercise also appears to prevent 
depression and improve mood in healthy people.  Many exercise 
forms -- aerobic, yoga, weights, walking and more -- have been 
shown to benefit mood.
  Typical therapeutic exercise programs last for eight to 14 
weeks.  You should have 3 to 4 sessions per week, of at least 20 
minutes each.  For treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, 
activities of moderate intensity, like brisk walking, are more 
successful than very vigorous activity.
  I am a particular fan of integrative exercise -- that is, 
exercise that occurs in the course of doing some productive 
activity such as gardening, bicycling to work, doing home 
improvement projects and so on.  Many people find it far easier 
to stick to activities like this than to lifting weights or 
running on a treadmill.
  *2.  Follow an Anti-Inflammatory Dietccinin Normally, 
inflammation occurs in response to injury and attack by germs.  
It is marked by local heat, redness, swelling and pain, and is 
the body's way of getting more nourishment and more immune 
activity to the affected area.  But inflammation also has 
destructive potential.  We see this when the immune system 
mistakenly attacks normal tissues in such autoimmune diseases as 
type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.  Excessive 
inflammation also plays a causative role in heart disease, 
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as other 
age-related disorders, including cancer.  More recent research 
indicates that inappropriate inflammation may also underlie 
depression -- so controlling it is key to both physical and 
mental health.
  Perhaps the most powerful way to control inflammation is via 
diet.  My anti-inflammatory diet consists of whole, unprocessed 
foods that are especially selected to reduce inappropriate 
inflammation, as well as provide abundant vitamins, minerals and 
fiber.  It consists of fruits and vegetables, fatty cold-water 
fish, healthy whole grains, olive oil and other foods that have 
been shown to help keep inflammation in check.  For details, see 
the anti-inflammatory food pyramid at my website.
  *3.  Take Fish Oil and Vitamin Dccinin Adequate blood levels of 
these nutrients has been strongly tied to emotional health.  They 
are so necessary and deficiencies are so common in the developed 
world that I believe everyone, depressed or not, should take 
them.  Take up to three grams of a quality, molecularly distilled 
fish oil supplement daily -- look for one that provides both EPA 
and DHA in a ratio of about three or four to one.  I also 
recommend 2,000 IU of vitamin D each day.
  4.  ininTake Depression-Specific Herbsccinin Specifically for 
those with mild to moderate depression, I suggest trying:



* St.  John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum): This European plant 
appears to work well for those affected by low mood.  Look for 
tablets or capsules standardized to 0.3 percent hypericin that 
also list content of hyperforin.  The usual dose is 300 
milligrams three times a day.  You may have to wait two months to 
get the full benefit of this treatment.
  * SAM-EVERY (S-adenosy-L-methionine): A naturally-occurring 
molecule found throughout the body, SAM-EVERY (pronounced 
"sammy") has been extensively studied as an antidepressant and 
treatment for the pain of osteoarthritis.  Look for products that 
provide the butanedisulfonate form in enteric-coated tablets.  
The usual dosage is 400 to 1,600 milligrams a day, taken on an 
empty stomach.  Take lower doses (under 800 milligrams) once a 
day, a half hour before the morning meal; split higher doses, 
taking the second a half hour before lunch.
  * Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea): A relative of the jade plant 
native to the high northern latitudes, it appears to improve mood 
and memory.  Look for 100-milligram tablets or capsules 
containing extracts standardized to three percent rosavins and 
one percent salidroside.  The dosage is one or two tablets or 
capsules a day, one in the morning or one in the morning and 
another in early afternoon.  This can be increased to 200 
milligrams up to three times a day if needed.
  5.  ininD Breathing Exercisesinin: Conscious breath control a 
useful tool for achieving a relaxed, clear state of mind.  One of 
my favorite breathing exercises is the 4-7-8 (or Relaxing) 
Breath.  Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit 
with your back straight while learning the exercise.  Place the 
tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your 
upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise.  
You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try 
pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.  Then: * Exhale 
completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
  * Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a 
mental count of four.
  * Hold your breath for a count of seven.
  * Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound 
to a count of eight.
  This is one breath.  Now inhale again and repeat the cycle 
three more times for a total of four breaths.
  Note that you always inhale quietly through your nose and 
exhale audibly through your mouth.  The tip of your tongue stays 
in position the whole time.  Exhalation takes twice as long as 
inhalation.  The absolute time you spend on each phase is not 
important; the ratio of 4:7:8 is important.  If you have trouble 
holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep to the ratio 
of 4:7:8 for the three phases.  With practice you can slow it all 
down and get used to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply.  
This exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system.
  ininÁ? Alterationet Mobile Edition

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