Our mental wellbeing should be as much a concern to our health care providers as our physical condition. And when it comes to a Functional Medicine approach, it is. Naturopathic medicine in Vaughan looks for underlying issues, or “root causes,” that may be contributing to a condition and addresses each one. The goal is to create an individualized plan that is holistic and multi-faceted, including diet as well as natural herbs and supportive therapies. An example may be depression, where the contributing factors can come from several areas, such as social stressors, isolation, hormonal imbalance or even chronic pain. Adding a functional approach on top of the conventional approach of therapy and medication, patients in Vaughan are finding some real progress.
How Can Functional Medicine Help?
Supplements
Herbal supplements have been shown to help ease some mental conditions. For example, St. John’sJohn’s Wort has been researched and shown to be an effective support for depression, and Kava Kava is known to ease anxiety. Always discuss the addition of any supplement or botanical with your health care team before incorporating them, as some herbs may have negative interactions with medications.
Nutrition
Studies show that reducing the intake of sugar, processed food, caffeine, and alcohol significantly affects anxiety symptoms. Ensuring a healthy, whole foods diet rich in vegetables and nutrient-dense foods can help calm the body and mind. Probiotics support beneficial bacteria in the gut – one of the body’s main producers of feel-good neurotransmitters such as serotonin.
Massage Therapy
The manipulation of muscles and ligaments during a therapeutic massage helps to reduce the heart rate and bring down blood pressure. It helps to oxygenate the blood and moderate the stress hormone cortisol—all of this aids in reducing stress and anxiety. Even just a short fifteen-minute session can be beneficial.
Meditation
Growing in popularity, meditation is becoming increasingly available through apps and online. There are several forms for you to choose from:
- Guided
- Moving through mental images of relaxation
- Mindfulness
- Increased awareness and acceptance of all things surrounding us
- Transcendental
- Repetition of a mantra
Acupuncture
This is an ancient Asian practice that stimulates the nerves, helping to relax the body and supporting better blood flow and oxygenation.
Exercise
Exercise increases the heart rate, providing more oxygen to the brain. Muscle movement also releases endorphins and stimulates brain activity to improve mood directly.
Sleep
If one of an individual’s depression symptoms is insomnia, improving sleep is an obvious step to help restore the natural balance. Recommendations are to get seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Any less or more is considered a concern.
Good mental health is a serious concern and a responsibility we all take for ourselves and each other. Ongoing research is helping us to understand better the underlying functions that contribute to mental health imbalances and how counselling, pharmaceuticals, and holistic modalities can work together to improve outcomes.
Schedule an appointment!
If you want to know more about the naturopathic approach and how it can help your mental health, contact us and schedule an appointment with our naturopathic doctor in Vaughan, Ontario. We offer a range of services in integrative medicine and will be glad to help you feel like yourself again.