From country dwellers to urbanites, people from every group and area are becoming more conscious of the need to integrate oneself with the natural environment around us all. This approach is the oldest there is; we used to live in harmony with the environment, relying on it for shelter, clothing, food, medicine, and anything else.

Natural treatments for all kinds of medical conditions are “in vogue” now, and what\’s more, science is backing them up as potentially the most effective and least harmful remedies out there. In many cases, the natural way to treat a condition will work with the body, and the chemical treatments we rely upon in the form of pills and liquids will seek to alter the body\’s normal functions.

Therefore, it\’s easy to see how natural remedies for depression can be just as effective as pharmaceutical remedies, if not more effective. Some of these remedies have existed for thousands of years in one form or another. At the very least, complementing SSRIs with them can help improve your condition further, and if you wish to forego SSRI medications, these can be adequate replacements.

One common set of treatments for depression revolves around your lifestyle. If you are accustomed to junk food, rarely exercise, and don\’t get enough sleep, you are more likely to suffer from depression. By correcting these poor habits, you can help yourself feel better within a few weeks.

Healthy Diet
Reducing or eliminating junk food can be tremendously helpful. Sugar and salt fuel depression and anxiety respectively. Refined sweeteners (named because they are processed extensively) include white sugar, corn syrup, sucrose, gluctose, fructose, and more. Avoid purchasing any product which has an “-ose” ingredient in the first three to five places on the list of ingredients found on every label.

White flour, white pasta, and instant foods are also overly-processed, and canning or baking foods destroys their nutrients. Canned vegetables and fruits are not the best option for eating healthy foods – fresh foods are always preferable. Try to do your shopping in the outside aisles (produce with fresh meat and seafood), and use the internet to learn how to shop on sale if price is a problem.

These foods not only cause malnutrition, but can interfere with blood sugar and insulin production, leading you to feel constantly tired, damage your pancreas, suffer from constipation, and simply not get the nutrients you need. Levels of hormones in the gut are also strongly linked to depression, which can be caused by simple chemical imbalances.

Healthy Body
Studies have found that light exercise on a regular basis can help minimize, cure, and prevent relapses of depression. The mental health benefits of exercise can\’t be overstated! That said, people with depression often feel negative about simple activities, so if you\’re sedentary, don\’t start a program that makes you feel bad about yourself.

Exercise doesn\’t have to be a huge chore or feat, and it is best that it isn\’t. Even if your first exercise program is a simple half-hour walk two or three times per week, it will help get you accustomed to it. When you feel ready, you can move into strength training, aerobic conditioning, or even sports.

Being physically healthy by keeping the rest of your body healthy will help you fight depression and win.

Healthy Mind
There is another aspect of health that hasn\’t yet been covered: healthy mind. Given that depression is strongly linked to the brain, it\’s no wonder that activities helping your brain can also help your depression.

Science has verified the benefits of treatments such as meditation, yoga, and deep breathing for helping prevent and treat depression. In particular, mindfulness meditation is becoming well-known as a great treatment by even the Western scientific world, given the avalanche of evidence about it. There are other alternative therapies that are thought or proven to help your mind heal depression: aromatherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and more.

Don\’t overlook natural treatments like your doctor does. You are responsible for your own good health, and if you find a treatment that is rooted in far more practical experience and history than modern medical advances, consider trying it out. The natural way really is the best sometimes.

Author Bio: 5 HTP for depression is a scientifically verified alternative treatment for serotonin problems. Click this link now to download your free special report on the benefits of 5-HTP as a natural depression remedy: http://www.5htpfordepression.com.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: depression,natural,alternative,treatment,treatments,remedy,remedies,5-HTP,5htp,5 htp,tryptophan