Flower Essences work on the energetic path of the body physically and emotionally. These beautiful remedies are very subtle in the way they can treat the body however they can give very powerful results. They can bring clarity to the conscious mind and also help resolve any negative beliefs, helping us make the right decisions and aid an array of emotional imbalances. Most of you will have heard of ‘The Emergency Essence’ or ‘Rescue Remedy’.

Rescue Remedy is a Bach Flower Essence founded by Edward Bach in England, and the Emergency Essence is the Australian Bush Flower Remedy. With nearly 100 different Australian Bush Flower remedies available, a Naturopath or Herbalist can help you choose a combination of essences to personally suit your needs.

One example, for Depression is

Five Corners

The negative emotions are: Lack of Confidence, Low self esteem, dislike of self, held in personality, self sabotage

The positive outcome is: Confidence, acceptance of self, letting true self stand out

Another example: Sunshine wattle

The negative emotions are: Struggle, Stuck in the past, Expectation of a grim future, Negativity

The positive outcome is: Optimism, hope and joyful expectations

Flower Essences are suitable for children, for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding and can even be used on animals. There have been some very successful outcomes when treating pets by applying a few drops of flower essences into their drinking water.

ESSENTIAL OILS

Essential oils are so versatile and can be used in Baths, Oil Burners, Drops on a pillow or used in Massage oils and creams, depending on which oils you use.

Some Helpful Essential oils for Stress and Depression

Lavender (Helps relieve nervousness, irritability, exhaustion, insomnia and depression)

Bergamot (Used to balance emotions when feeling stressed and anxious)

German Chamomile (An excellent anti depressant for stress, anxiety, over sensitivity and suppressed anger)

Geranium (Useful for anxiety, stress and depression)

Rosemary (Stimulating, enhances memory, balances the body and mind)

Sweet Orange (Uplifting, energising and perfect for nervous tension)

Baths: A relaxing bath is one of the most wonderful treatments if you are feeling a little under the weather. I recommend half a cup of milk to add your essential oils to. This will help disperse the oils through the bath water rather than float on the surface.

My favourite mix is 6 drops of lavender and 4 drops of sweet orange and a cup of chamomile tea on the side. This is after 8 pm when we hope we will not be disturbed! Don’t forget the soft music and tea light candles around the bath.

Massage is very nurturing and can help depression by increasing the circulation, relieving stress and giving a nice relaxing sense of wellbeing. Using an appropriate combination of essential oils can help the relaxation as they are absorbed straight into the blood stream.

Nutrition

There are certain foods that are ‘no go’s’, (or only to be taken in moderation), concerning depression, anxiety and panic disorders because they are all stimulants of some kind:

The foods that are best AVOIDED are:

Tea, Coffee – Caffeine can exacerbate panic symptoms.

Alcohol, Sweets, Refined Foods, Processed Foods, Chemicals and Preservatives in foods e.g. Calcium propionate in bread, food colours and MSG

Drugs – Speed, Cocaine, LSD, Ecstasy and marijuana will cause more damage in the long run.

Medication such as some Cold and Flu Medication e.g. Pseudo ephedrine can affect the nervous system. The Ephedrine is actually originally taken from a herb called Ephedra. This herb is now banned in Australia which is unfortunate for some as it is a great herb for Asthma and any lung infections however has a ‘speed like’ effect. Apparently some lorry drivers used to take it to stay awake at night.

Great Foods for the Nervous System

Eggs: Contain all the amino acids needed by the body to help keep our brains healthy

Eggs are full of Vitamin A, B’s, D & E, Calcium, Iron and Phosphorus & Selenium

It is more beneficial to cook eggs slowly and serve with a runny yolk to preserve the lecithin especially for those worried about cholesterol. Soft eggs can help reduce cholesterol.

Cold water Fish e.g. Atlantic salmon, Tuna, Bass, Mackerel, Sardines and Herring are essential with those essential fatty acids for the nervous system and brain development.

Asparagus: Contain Vitamin C, A, Sulphur, Folic Acid, Potassium, Silicon, Iron, Ca, Mg, Iodine and Zinc. These are all important nutrients to keep depression at bay.

Garlic: Purifying, Natural Antibiotic and Immune enhancing, just to name a few.

The organic garlic with purple colours in the skin have the most allicin which is the medicinal component.

Whole Organic Nuts and Seeds:

Almonds are the King of all nuts. They are high in protein, Calcium, Magnesium, Silica and lots of essential fatty acids. Some believe that a few almonds will give you more absorbable Calcium dose than you would absorb from a glass of milk.

Sunflower seeds, Sesame seeds and Pepitas as in your pumpkin seeds (very high in Zinc).
Linseeds again are very high in essential fatty acids.

Nuts should be kept in a dark jar in the fridge to preserve the nutrients longer. This goes for all Essential fatty acid oils such as flaxseed oil, coconut oil and olive oil.

Oats : As we mentioned before, oats are great for nourishing the Nervous System

Nutrients Needed for Depression, Anxiety and Panic Disorders

Vitamin A, Beta Carotene or Retinol

These nutrients are often depleted more when we are ‘stressed’ and are needed for healthy eyes, skin, and as an anti oxidant.

Sources: Fish oils, egg yolks, dairy and carrots.

Vitamin C and E help prevent the loss of Vitamin A from the body in times of stress.

RDA – 10,000 iu

B Vitamins – These are one the first group of nutrients to be used up in times of stress or anxiety. They are the spark plugs of our bodies and get everything all going. They help provide energy by acting with enzymes to convert CHO (carbohydrate) to glucose and are important in fat and protein metabolism. The richest source is Brewer’s yeast, but some people react to yeast and you can get B vitamins from most of your leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and liver.

Vitamin C – Very important essential nutrient that we must obtain from the diet as our body does not store Vitamin C. This is another one of those nutrients that becomes depleted a lot faster during times of stress and anxiety. Vitamin C can be used up in as little as 2 hours so we need to ensure we eat high Vitamin C foods through the day especially if we are on the go all the time. Needed for so many bodily functions, immune system, skin collagen, helps the absorption of Iron.

The best sources of vitamin C are: Mango, kiwi fruit, citrus fruits, Rosehips (tea), pawpaw, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, parsley, dark leafy greens.

Vitamin D: Known as the ‘sunshine’ vitamin because it is actually manufactured in the human skin when in contact with sunlight. In UK they say the Seasonal affected Disorder (SAD) can be due to the lack of sunlight.

Food sources – Cod liver oils, egg yolks, mackerel, salmon, sardines, and herring.

RDA 400 IU

Essential Fatty Acids: Very important for the blood vessels and the nerves.

Omega 3 – Cold water fish, flax seed (linseed) oil, pumpkin and walnuts.

Omega 6 – Sesame and wheat germ oils, sun flower seeds.

Calcium: Hypocalcaemia is associated with Anxiety syndromes and depression.

One of the most important minerals in the body not only for our teeth, and bones but together with Magnesium regulates our heart and muscle contraction and nerve conduction. Calcium also needs the help of Vitamin A, C and D.

Calcium (Ca) is decreased by Stress, lack of exercise and a high fat intake.

Ca Sources – Almonds, Cheese, especially Swiss Cheese, Broccoli, Sardines, Salmon especially those little bones in tinned salmon, Tofu, Dried figs, Parsley, Kelp, Sunflower Seeds, and Sesame Seeds.

RDA – 800-1000mg/day

Magnesium: Essential for more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body and plays a major role in our nervous system and for our body’s energy metabolism.

Some deficiency symptoms of Magnesium (Mg) include:

Insomnia, Anxiety, Hyper activity, Restlessness (with constant movement)

Panic Attacks, Agoraphobia, and Pre Menstrual irritability. Just to name a few

Food Sources: Nuts eg. Almonds, Brazil and pecans, Seeds, beans and legumes, Whole grains such as brown rice, millet, Avocado and dried apricots.

RDA 350 mg of elemental Mg, but therapeutic doses can be from 400 -1000 mg/day. This must be prescribed by a professional.

It’s all about balance.

For us to be healthy we need to take care of our selves:

Physically: Physical health, circulation, movement, exercise

Mentally: Reduce our stress levels

Emotionally: Are we happy in lives, family, relationships, jobs, friends

Spiritually: There is a lot more awareness to this aspect of health now, for some this may be saying prayers or others it may be a walk in the rainforest

Intellectually: We need to keep our minds active and stimulated. Proven reports state active minds, e.g. scrabble or crosswords can lessen the change of Alzheimer’s and senile dementia

Nutritionally: We are what we eat, and its about having a balanced healthy diet.

Conclusion

Depression, Panic Attacks, Anxiety and other Stress related disorders can all be helped with Naturopathy including a healthy diet and/or nutritional supplements and herbal medicine. As a Naturopath, we can assist in creating a personalized treatment plan with the right natural medicine in the right doses at the right time to suit you as an individual.

Email: naturopathy@angelmothers.com

Website : www.angelmothers.com

References

Dorling Kindersley www.dk.com

St John’s Wort, Improving Moods and Immunity, Natural Care Library

1. Page 57, 2 Page 2, 3. Page 30, 4. Page 29, 5. Page 31, 6. Page 33.

7. Page 125, 8. Page 127 (German Ministery of Health, “Passion Flower Leaves” in Comission E. Monographs for Phytomedicines, Bonn, Germany, 1985)

Strochecker, James & Nancy, Natural Healing for Depression

A Perigee Book, The Berkley Publishing Group, New York, 1999.

9. Page 127, 10. Page 130

Amina Eastham-Hillier

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