Ross is an expert in nutritional psychology and executive director of Recovery Systems in Mill Valley, California, a clinic that specializes in treating mood, eating and addiction problems with nutrient therapy.

You can take a simple Mood Cure quiz to find out if you might be low in serotonin, norepinephrin, thryroid, GABA, endorphins, or have unstable blood sugar. For serotonin deficiency, Ross recommends 5-HTP, an inexpensive supplement you can get at any health food store – people often feel the effect of 5-HTP almost immediately. For endorphin deficiency, DLPA is the supplement of choice.

Among other things, I learned that because my ancestors came to the US from Ireland, I should be sure to take extra fish oil.  According to Ross, people with Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Scandinavian, Japanese and northern coastal Native American ancestors have inherited a need for omega-3 fats.  If that sounds like you, I always recommend NOW Ultra Omega-3 Fish Oil Softgels – you can get a bottle of 180 for $20 at amazon.com – because they are coated and distilled in a way that makes them friendly to your digestive system (no fishy burps!). Shipping is about $5 – but if you stock up on 2 bottles, you can get free shipping.

P.S. If your mood isn’t where you’d like it to be, consider trying acupuncture. Acupuncture naturally balances your brain chemistry to improve mood without side effects.  Yet another client said to me yesterday, “I didn’t realize just how low I was until I had acupuncture. I feel like myself again.”

#1 – Middle-Aged Women – When women’s hormones shift in middle age, in addition to the oft-cited menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings, other health issues often pop up as well, such as migraines and autoimmune issues. Acupuncture can work magic on menopausal symptoms, as well as PMS, probably because it modulates hormones and neurotransmitters.

#2– People with Autoimmune Disorders, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue – Autoimmune disorders such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis fall under the category of things that conventional medicine can’t do much for, while acupuncture can almost always improve symptoms and quality of life for these folks. Women are 3 times more likely to have autoimmune problems than men because our immune systems are designed to accommodate making babies, and thus are far more complex than men’s systems.

#3 – People Who Want to Make Changes in Their Life – Acupuncture deeply relaxes your body and mind – essentially, it re-sets your nervous system. In this deeply relaxed state, your subconscious mind is most open and receptive, making it the ideal time to give your subconscious mind suggestions and hear its words of wisdom for you.

#4 –People with Anxiety and Depression – Research dating back 20 years shows that acupuncture significantly improves both anxiety and depression, making it the go-to alternative therapy for anybody considering taking anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication and anybody who finds it hard to tolerate the side effects of these drugs. In fact, some studies indicate that acupuncture works better than medication for depression.

#5 – People Who Want to Have Babies – Research shows that acupuncture offers a safe and valuable alternative therapy for infertility resulting from hormonal imbalance, and might actually be more effective than hormone therapy. Plus, acupuncture can be used to turn breech babies around and to induce labor!

#6 – People Who Are Under a Lot of Stress – Stress does all sorts of bad things to the body and to our spirit. If you know anybody who is going through traumatic times – death or prolonged illness of loved ones, divorce, job loss, business difficulties – acupuncture can help strengthen them to weather the storm and avoid getting sick in the process.

#7 – Arthritis and Chronic Pain Sufferers – Chronic pain is any pain that you’ve had for three months, and is the kind of thing that doctors usually tell you that you will have to live with. Fortunately, acupuncture excels at treating chronic pain while conventional medicine doesn’t have much to offer, aside from pain medications. Herbs and certain nutritional supplements can also be very helpful.

My goal here is to provide you with information that is easy to understand and use to create a healthier, happier life for yourself. If you have any specific questions, please email or call me – if I don’t have a quick answer for you, I’m always happy to have a useful subject to research and write about!

I love to talk to people about alternative medicine! If you are curious about how a holistic approach can address your health concerns and improve the quality of your life, call 417 353 8868 today to schedule a 15-minute no-cost phone consultation.

Rabbit brings a peaceful 2011.

Our collective nervous system can heave a big sigh of relief for the arrival of the Chinese Year of the Metal Rabbit coming up on February 3. Following the fierce and feisty Tiger year 2010, Rabbit ushers in a period of relative peace and tranquility. While Tiger likes to stir things up, Rabbit likes to smooth things over. Rabbit’s keywords are calm, cooperation, and creativity.

Sounds pretty good, huh?

Rabbit people  should thrive this year, and the rest of us can also take advantage of kinder, gentler times to recharge our systems after some very rough years all around.  Rabbit people (folks born in 1915, ’27, ’39, ’51, ’63, ’75, ’87, ’99 and 2011) are said to be calm, gentle and persistent. The rabbit is a symbol of endurance, so slow and steady seems like the best approach to everything in 2011.

The new slow, sure, cautious pace might be an adjustment for those of us with more active nervous systems (I’m talking to you Tigers!), so think about channeling that prodigious energy into artistic pursuits. You Roosters would do well to rein in that argumentative, devil’s advocate thing you do, too. Education, leisurely travel, hobbies are all good places to focus excess energy this year.

If your *other* uptight, draconian New Year’s resolutions are bumming you out (lose weight, do everything better, faster, more, be perfect!), consider turning your energy toward kinder, gentler Rabbit-like intentions. Here’s some ideas for easy and positive changes you can make that resonate with the energy of a Rabbit year and might be a little easier to stick with than that run-a-marathon thing you were talking about.

Hang out more. Rabbit years are said to be good for relationships and family activities, so make it a point to spend more time hanging out with the people you most like in the world.

Let yourself sleep more. Go on, give yourself permission to take naps, go to bed early, sleep in. The world will still be there when you finally get up.

Meditate a little bit. Meditate on being peaceful. Start small – aim for ten minutes, or two. Not only does meditation improve your brain function (memory going downhill, anybody?), but by meditating on peacefulness, you can contribute to peace in your family and in the world. Try this: Write the word “peace” on a piece of paper and tape it to the dashboard of your car – you might find stoplights a bit less annoying with this reminder close at hand!  “If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can blossom like a flower, and everybody in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Take it easy. What activities and obligations can you let go to make room for more leisure time? What creative pursuits did you not get around to last year? Now is the time!

Get creative. Rabbit years are a good time to start creative projects and businesses. Rabbit only comes along once every twelve years, so now is the time to dig out that novel or quilt or complicated thing you were working on  in the garage during your last spurt of creativity. Or try something completely new: you don’t have to be good at it, just play! I take inspiration from Natalie Goldberg when she wrote in her book Writing Down the Bones: “You are free to write the worst junk in America.”

-by Abba Anderson LAc MSOM