Cold Water Soaking for Depression?

Cold Water Soaking for Depression & InflammationWe have had a very bad summer around here — my dad is one week out from open heart surgery and a valve replacement. I am relieved that he’s made it this far because I don’t believe he had many days left otherwise. In the run-up to the surgery, I was keenly aware of the pit of depression trying to suck me in. In some of the posts I wrote here on my second pregnancy I talked about my strategy of “staying out of the pit.” I expect you know exactly what I mean if you have suffered from depression. Once you get sucked it, it is very difficult to get out. Staying out is far easier than getting out once you have been sucked in.

In the spirit of “staying out,” I have a new strategy to report that has been surprisingly effective: cold water soaking.

Omega 3 Blood Test: Monitor and Improve Your Omega 3 Levels

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Omega 3 fatty acids are critical for a healthy brain and a healthy heart. In my own struggles with depression, diet high in omega-3 fatty acids has been a key strategy. Our brains are made of fat and if we do not have enough healthy fat in our diets, our brains simply cannot function effectively….

Healthy Broth And Soups: Free How-To Class

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If you have followed this blog for long, you have probably caught a video or two by my own mom filmed here in our kitchen. Inspired by our great success with getting 12 batches of gelatin-rich broth from the same bones and by our constant treat of eating great soup, I have been working with…

Stuffed Sweet Peppers: Rebuild With The Flavors Of Summer

This stuffed sweet pepper recipe combines the goodness of mineral-rich crab (which may even be a food for depression) and sweet Italian peppers, roasted for added flavor. In the summer, we like to keep roasted sweet Italians on hand for just such a recipe as this. Mom describes how easy these are to make and…

Vitamin D Opportunities In The Summer Sun

While our summertime days are long and warm, now is the time to build up your vitamin D reserves for the winter. Sunshine on your skin is absolutely the best way to improve your vitamin D status. However, skin cancer rates are climbing and I personally have added to the non-melanoma rates of skin cancer…

Soaking Grains For Better Mineral Absorption — Resources

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In the book Rebuild From Depression I discuss kitchen strategies to reduce phytic acid in grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds as one method for people to improve their mineral levels. Sometimes in life we do find ourselves zinc or iron deficient. If we are relying on grains for those nutrients, for instance, these kitchen strategies…

Bone Broth: Gelatin-Rich Broth Secret

Bone broth is rich and nutritious and an extremely cheap way to add minerals and flavor to your meals. We are always looking for better and more simply ways to put together a meal, so we are quite excited about what has been cooking up in our kitchen as late. As a wonderful combination of…

Egg Salad Stuffed Bell Pepper

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I don’t know about you, but I still have two dozen hard boiled eggs in an assortment of lovely Easter colors that are about to go bad in my refrigerator. This is the time of year when we gorge on and then get sick of egg salad and this bell pepper presentation of it is…

Beyond Organic Review: A Foodie Health-Building Business Opportunity With Jordan Rubin

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The food movement is growing by the minute and it should not come as a surprise that a network marketing company is about to hit the market in a pretty big way. Jordan Rubin of Maker’s Diet fame has founded “Beyond Organic” with a product line featuring “Green-Fed” meats and probiotic foods. If you know…

Lamb Chops: A Nutrient-Packed Meal

It is lamb chop time here in the Sequoia National Forest. Just after Easter (and sometimes just before) you can hit the grocery store and find great bargains on marked down lamb chops. If your grocery store has an area for marked down meats such as a “manager’s special,” do watch for lamb. If you…

Enjoy Your Easter Eggs And Build Your Brain At The Same Time

There is nothing like a farm-fresh egg. Around Easter, I love to collect an assortment of colored t because, when my children dye them, they create an even greater mix of color combinations. All of those colors is enough to put a smile on my face and then we get to eat one of my…