Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (178 page)

Drink nettle tea and dandelion tea, as they are high in minerals and support the liver.

The herbal plant milk thistle contains flavanoid compounds, which are antioxidant plant pigments. It protects the liver from damage, enhances the flow of bile and fats to and from the liver, and improves the detoxification process.

St. John’s wort has been proven as an antidepressant.

If you are suffering from low moods or depression and are going through menopause, fluid extracts of black cohosh may help.

Ginkgo biloba, fluid extract. Take the herb gota kola in conjunction with ginkgo for even better effect.

Kava kava liquid extract has mood-enhancing properties, too.

Vitamin B complex is a must. B vitamin deficiency can lead to depression. If you get depressed before your period, that is usually hormonal and a sign that you need vitamin B
₆
. So take that supplement 10 days prior to your period.

Take vitamin B
₁
alongside your B complex, as B
₁
thiamine is very helpful in cases of depression.

The supplement 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HTP) has produced good results with depression by increasing the level of the feel-good neurotransmitter, serotonin.

The supplement s-adenosylmethionine (SAME) has been found to influence brain neurotransmitters.

EXTRA TIPS

Eat little and often: six meals a day is what you need. Make sure that each meal contains complex carbohydrates to trigger the production or release of serotonin.

Look at your diet and keep a food and beverage intake diary for seven to ten days so that you can see if there is any connection between what you are eating and your mood. Food affects mood.