FDA approves laughter for treatment of malaise

Perhaps I should have listened to my own advice, but as usual my winter-induced ennui convinced me to spend the last two months in hibernation. While I haven't really felt like doing anything, I have been able to stave off the sadness of SAD with a daily dose of laughter. While the FDA hasn't actually validated the ol' adage, there is plenty of data to prove that laughter can reduce pain, improve oxygen flow to the brain, and generally lift spirits.

So if winter is trampling your mood, try renting Super Troopers, reading some Sedaris, joining a laughter yoga group, or just yucking it up at my new favorite joke:

Bush and Cheney are at a restaurant for lunch. The waitress comes over and asks what they will be having.

Bush says, "I'll have a quickie."

The waitress steps back in disgust and says, "Mr. President, I thought that kind of piggish behavior went out with the last administration!"

She storms off and Dubya looks confused. Cheney shakes his head at the president and says, "George, it's pronounced QUICHE."

Inspiration: Chris Kilham

When I first developed interest in alternative and traditional herbal medicine, I took a class called "The Shaman's Pharmacy" with medicine hunter Chris Kilham. When Chris is not studying with shaman and conducting medical research around the world, he teaches ethnobotany at Umass Amherst. One of his notable achievements is popularizing kava kava (think herbal xanax...I'll elaborate in a separate post) in the western world. In preparation for a trip to the Amazon I'm taking in March, I'm re-reading Chris' book Tales from the Medicine Trail. Part travelogue, part herbal reference, this book is a great read for anyone with an interest in ethnobotany.

Coincidentally, after I initially posted this entry I came across an article in yesterday's New York Times about Chris' business, Medicine Hunter Inc. and his involvement in marketing the stimulant herb maca.

parsley: not just a garnish

This pretty green herb can add much more than decorative value to your kitchen. Parsley is rich in antioxidants, and is a great source of the essential nutrients vitamin C and vitamin A (via beta-carotene), as well as vitamin K, folic acid and iron. These nutrients are linked with heath benefits including heart health and protection against arthritis.

Parsley tea can be a fertile woman's best friend. Parsley is also known to nudge along a late period; its mild emmenagogue properties can stimulate menstruation, as long the lateness isn't due to pregnancy. Parsley is traditionally thought to relax the cervix and improve digestion, so it is also useful in relieving menstrual cramps and bloating. To prepare the tea, simply fill a mug with fresh chopped parsley and steep in hot water for about a half hour. Drink a cup every few hours to stimulate menstruation or ease menstrual distress.

feel great in 08: vitamin b-complex

A late night of merriment and champagne can upset an earnest New Year's resolution before it even has a chance. While the traditions of boozing on New Year's Eve and turning a new leaf on New Year's Day may contradict each other, your resolutions can be easier to face with the help of vitamin B complex.

While there's not much evidence to support the theory that vitamin B deficiency contributes to hangovers, numerous anecdotal reports of b-complex easing the consequences of partying inspired me to try it out. The results proved so effective that I now keep a bottle of sublingual b complex in my purse when I go to parties to share with friends. Unless you're wearing a lampshade on your head at the night's end (in which case you'll have to just dump all resolutions and sleep it off), vitamin B complex can save the day.

yoga at your desk

Spending the day seated at a desk can leave you weary. The video above is from a series of desk yoga sequences that are suitable for the office. The 4 minute routines will leave you more refreshed than an afternoon espresso. If a video is too obtrusive for your work situation, try this inconspicuous series.

SAD: Winter's silent bummer

I notice it first around the end of daylight savings time; a mere week of walking home from work in the dark triggers sleepiness, lethargy, and general ennui. It typically peaks in February, (although the start of March is often terrible) at which point I dedicate myself to sleeping until the crocuses start to bud.

Many people slow down in the winter; increased eating and sleeping during the cold, dark months becomes a form of human hibernation. However, some experiences of winter that move past rest to a period of prolonged distress, sadness, and anxiety could be attributed to seasonal affective disorder (SAD). If you suffer from internet-induced hypochondria, keep in mind that the rates of SAD are relativity low; only about 1 in 20 people are thought to have SAD. However, one of the simplest and least obtrusive treatments for SAD is a walk during lunchtime, and that would be a healthy lifestyle addition for anyone, the depressed and the hypochondriac alike.

SAD is caused by limited exposure to light during the darker months, and standard treatment for SAD is light therapy. Light-boxes are typical, but one study demonstrated that walking for an hour a day in winter sunlight can be as effective as 2.5 hours of light therapy. Its important that the sun be absorbed through the retina, so avoid wearing sunglasses while outside. Since daily exercise improves overall health, this treatment can have numerous health benefits.

In more severe cases of SAD (or if its too cold and miserable to go outside), light therapy shows efficacy in numerous clinical trials. 30 minutes a day in front of a 10,000 lux lamp improved symptoms in 3/4 of research participants in trials at Columbia University.

And of course, if you're feeling hopeless, worthless or suicidal, talk to someone and seek professional help.

Big hopes for a little bulb

Health beverages are abundant in Japan. Between the amino-acid infused water and vitamin c fiber drink, you'll find airplane bottles of ginger extract, garlic extract, and various extracts I could not identify by the picture on the bottle. While visiting my boyfriend who was living in Tokyo, I had the (unfortunate) opportunity to test the antibiotic properties of garlic.

I'm pretty sure I transported a bug from the US, because my man got terribly ill the day after I arrived. Having no luck finding echinacea, zinc, or any of my regular cold combatants, I selected garlic extract. The bottle looked almost identical to the one on the right, but the the drawing on the label depicted garlic instead of ginger. He drank one every few hours and was feeling much better within a day.

Today I crossed the boundary from calling my sneezing allergies to accepting I'm coming down with something, so I'm loading up on odorless garlic extract tablets. Hopefully it will help salvage my weekend.