How to improve your mood with food

You’re over-worked; stressful situations are piling up in your private life; you feel like you are a hamster in an ever-shrinking wheel. What do you do? Reaching for the nearest wine bottle/chocolate bar/bag of crisps/bottle of tranquilisers/packet of cigarettes (tick as appropriate) will only make you feel better short term before you sink back into reality.

Dr Caroline Longmore, a French ex-paediatrician who has run Galen Naturopathic Centre in Richmond upon Thames for the past five years, feels she has the answer.

“I see many men and women coming in through the door at Galen who are literally at their wit’s end. They’ve tried self –help with all sorts of props but in the end they just don’t know what to do. We offer a blend of naturopathic therapies, orthodox medicine and a good dose of common sense to help people back on track so that they can get the most out of their lives. As a result, I’ve decided to share some of my guidance in my first e-book, The Serotonin Secret” explains Caroline.

The Serotonin Secret, written by Dr Caroline Longmore and Katrin Hempel, is available for £5.95 from Galennaturopathic.com. The Serotonin Secret explains the significance of serotonin imbalance in the body and how it can cause problems including weight gain, PMS, eating disorders, migraines and depression. The wide range of 50 recipes included in the e-book can help solve that imbalance naturally.

Serotonin is most widely known for its mood enhancing effects – it is often referred to as the ‘happy’ hormone – and as Jane, aged 31, a single woman from South London, found out; it can help you deal with the lows life throws at you. From a regime of prescribed drugs to a stay in a clinic, Jane had trodden a familiar route which sadly didn’t help her depression.

Since being treated by Dr Longmore at Galen, Jane says "Caroline and the team at Galen were incredible, alongside acupuncture, supplements and a prescribed diet high in tryptophan, which results in the production of serotonin which improves the mood, I received amazing support - this is what has guided me back to the road to recovery".

Jane continues, “Depression isn’t like a broken leg – where you can take the cast off and it is better - that is the frightening thing. It is such a debilitating affliction, but because it is inside the mind, it is very difficult for many others to understand and empathise. Caroline has been incredible, with her knowledge and experience she helps to bridge the gap between modern and alternative medicine".

Serotonin has a multitude of functions and tasks in the human body and The Serotonin Secret not only explains its affects but also gives you a medically based insight into how it works within the body. Please note this book is not intended as a tool for self-diagnosis. If you believe you are suffering with a medical condition, please consult your naturopath or other qualified medical practitioner.