Naturopathic Approaches to Seasonal Affective Disorder SAD

See also Carahealth Adapt

Having lived in Galway for 5 years now, I, like the locals, have learnt to view the weather in a different light. “At least it’s not bitterly cold,” we say. As we fully submerge ourselves into winter grey and indulge in hot toddies, hot ports and warm hearths, some of us may unfortunately feel like a storm cloud has descended on us. People will describe low moods, feeling foggy and physical symptoms that are worse in the damp weather such as lung and joint problems. Whilst a seasonal decline in energy and mood is normal for many of us, some of us may actually be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or the winter blues. The symptoms of SAD can include, serious mood change when the seasons change, excessive sleep, fatigue and craving for sweets and high carbohydrate foods.

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Getting Over a Hangover Naturally

During the Volvo Ocean Race, Galway is called “the party stopover”.  If you have been here you will understand why....with the clubs, the pubs, the restaurants, weekly festivals and sexy people! Unfortunately, one of the side effects of the craic agus ceol, Irish for good times and music, is the dreaded hangover. At this time of year in particular many of us are lying low and recovering but here are some ideas to reduce the unwanted side effects of excess booze. Large amounts of alcohol cause the obvious initial symptoms of merriment, impaired judgement, uncoordinated movement and memory loss, but what actually causes the hangover?

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Winter is Kidney Time

See also Naturopathic Causes and Treatment of Kidney Stones

As it is now winter, I would like to focus on some attention on an often underrated organ, or actually two organs, the kidneys. In Traditional Chinese Medicine TCM, the organ that corresponds to the season of winter is the kidneys. The paired kidneys are part of the urinary tract. The urinary tract also consists of ureters, (tubes that connect the kidney to the bladder), the bladder and the urethra, which connects the bladder to the outside.

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Natural Alternatives to the Antidiabetic Drug Avandia

See also Carahealth Blood Sugar

If you have diabetes, this article is intended for information purposes. I would stronlgy recommend a consulation to determine a prescription that is right for you rather than self medicating.

The world is currently in the grip of a diabetes epidemic due to spiralling obesity rates. But rather than encouraging people to exercise and eat well, the NHS have recently suggested increasing rates of gastric bypass surgery to save money, as the costs of treating diabetes with drugs reaches unsustainable levels. The NHS spent more than half a billion pounds on just one drug for diabetes alone called Avandia in 2009. With this medicines safety now in question, in the light of recent scientific evidence that it poses increased risk of heart attack, it seems that the medicine's regulator may be putting the interests of the drugs industry before patients. Besides moderate weight loss and regular exercise, are there also natural alternatives to help manage your diabetes.

Read more: Natural Alternatives to the Antidiabetic Drug Avandia