A GREY WINTER following a pretty dull summer is a combination which will almost certainly result in an increased level of depression for some people this time of year.
Season Affected Disorder (SAD) is now widely recognized as a cause of depression during the winter months. It is believed that a lack of sunshine reduces levels of the 'happy chemical' serotonin in the brain.

Martin Salvage (pictured), a 59 year-old artist, spent so much time driving in the dark he began to develop symptoms characteristic of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). However, rather than give up on a job he loved, Martin was determined to find a solution...
“I used to teach Art at at a college some 75 miles away from where I live. This would mean getting up at 5am when it was still dark and returning home at 6pm, when it was dark, a daily roundtrip of 150 miles, five days a week, in the dark!”

Light-starved existence
“Continuing as I was it wasn't long before my light-starved existence began to take its toll on my health. I started to feel very lethargic and quite low, which is typical of SAD. I then read about Rhodiola rosea. It wasn't as well known as conventional antidepressants, but the research so far had been encouraging and so I decided to give it a go.”

Rhodiola rosea
A natural mood-booster
The Russian adaptogenic herb, Rhodiola rosea has a considerable fan base for its ability to support the adrenal system in times of stress, boost libido, increase stamina and generally generate a feeling of wellbeing. Active compounds found within rhodiola (rosavin and salidroside) improve the passage of serotonin precursors through the blood-brain barrier. Rhodiola can increase serotonin by 30%.

Martin continues: “Within just a couple of days I felt a difference; I had more energy and wasn't nearly as tired as I used to be, which consequently led to an improvement in my mood. Since my recent retirement, I no longer need to make the 150 mile roundtrip in the dark, instead I paint full time, but I will be taking Rhodiola again as soon as the nights draw in.”

Prozac, St John's Wort and Rhodiola – different actions
We have seen that depression can be due to low levels of serotonin. Prozac is in a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). In simple terms, Prozac effectively puts a cork on the cell, blocking the reabsorption of serotonin. St John's Wort has a gentler action. It is a MAO inhibitor. Monoamine oxidase is an enzyme that breaks down serotonin and therefore the action of inhibiting MAO preserves serotonin levels. Rhodiola effects a balancing action on serotonin by enhancing the production, distribution and uptake of key nutrients essential for the production of serotonin in the brain. Getting outdoors as much as possible on brighter days, adding a vitamin D supplement and, possibly, investing in a light therapy box will also be helpful. It is thought that Rhodiola is most effective when taken alongside a B-Complex.

You can find the following Viridian products here:
Rhodiola Rosea here.
Vitamin D here.
B-Complex here.

Or use the search facility (top right) on www.nutriglow.com to find other brands at a range of prices.

When Ithiel Mogridge's Jack Russel started to sleep more throught the day, she simply put her lack o enthusiasm down to old age, after all Tiny was 11 years old.

But Tiny's condition deteriorated considerably and it wasn't long before she had great difficulty standing on her hind legs at all. The diagnosis was simple; arthritis, the solution however, proved a little harder to find.

Ithiel explains:
“Tiny would have been about 11 when I first noticed she was behaving out of character; she was more lethargic than usual and had lost all enthusiasm for her walks. At the time I just assumed she was slowing down as she got older and wasn't too concerned.”

DETERIORATED
However her condition soon deteriorated and before long she was having trouble moving at all. Simple tasks such as jumping over the door frame into the garden were proving too difficult for her and she was very unsteady on her back legs. The vet agreed that Tiny had arthritis and prescribed an anti-inflammatory to help with the pain and stiffness.

Many vitamins and supplements can be just as helpful for pets as owners. Always check with an expert though, as some supplements are not appropriate for animals.

LIVER DAMAGE
This was very effective; Tiny was able to move a lot more freely and didn't seem to be in as much pain as before, but there were potential side-effects and sure enough, after 4 months, Tiny was passing an awful lot of blood and further tests showed signs of early liver damage.

I was of course fraught with worry; I didn't want to subject Tiny to the pain she was in before, but I didn't want to cause further damage by keeping her on the tablets.

I needed to find an alternative and fast! A glucosamine supplement seemed an obvious choice, but the ones immediately available to me were fish-based and Tiny is allergic to fish.

TO THE RESCUE
In the end it was my mother who came to the rescue. She remembered reading a newspaper article about a gentleman whose arthritis had been helped by a vegetarian Glucosamine supplement. She sent me the paper and suggested I contacted the company.

I phoned that same day and asked whether they could recommend a vegetarian anti-inflammatory product that might be suitable for Tiny, one that would not cause any adverse effects.

They suggested I tried her on the MSM Glucosamine Complex capsules and Ester-C capsules, both anti-inflammatory and both vegetarian.

RESULT IN TWO WEEKS
I didn't hesitate. I began sprinkling the suggested Glucosamine and Ester-C, in with her food and within two weeks Tiny was back on her feet again.

I simply couldn't believe the change in her; she was full of beans! Plus she looks forward to her walks once more. In fact I took her out only recently and she was running and jumping like she used to do – I haven't seen her looking this well in a very long time. Long may it continue!

You can find the following Viridian products here:
Glucosamine with MSM here.
Ester-C here.

Or use the search facility (top right) on www.nutriglow.com to find other brands at a range of prices.

Facial flushing is no joke, and finally lovely Melissa is flush-free.

AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 11, Melissa Rishworth developed the skin condition rosacea and for the next ten years, desperately looked for ways to treat and hide it.

Now 21, Melissa explains how she at last found a solution that works for her:

“I developed rosacea at a very early age. My Mum has a very high colour and so we just assumed I would take after her, but as time went on it soon became apparent that this was more than just a healthy glow. My skin was always red; especially my face and neck, but there were times when my eyes became sore and irritated too, and during an acute attack I would flush redder still on my face and down my neck.

Physically the flushing would leave me feeling quite ill and on the inside I felt awful as well; as a teenager I was incredibly self-conscious and as soon as I was old enough, I experimented with different concealers in a desperate bid to camouflage my angry-looking, red skin.

My official diagnosis came at the age of 19. My GP recommended a number of creams including steroids.

I was reluctant to use these but I did try almost everything else from over-the-counter to organic, but nothing worked; I even considered a surgical procedure called Endoscopic Transthoracic Surgery.

In the end it was quite by chance that I stumbled across a solution.

My Nan read an advert in her local paper asking for volunteers to take part in a small trial on people with rosacea and so I signed up.

We were given a 'test' oil; an organic vegetable seed oil that we had to add to our diets on a daily basis for 8 weeks. At first I didn't notice any difference in my skin.

But then something quite remarkable happened. For the first time in perhaps five or six years I stopped flushing. Normally I would flush at least once or twice a day but after a week to 10 days of taking the oil, I stopped.

My skin too was looking a lot calmer - it was still red by most people's standards, but I could see a difference.

And before long, other people began to see the difference too; first just friends and family, but then when I returned to have another photo taken at the end of the trial, they asked me to take off my make-up but I wasn't wearing any! That was a special moment! I think I was still smiling when I went to bed that night.

It's been five months now since I started taking the oil and I can't even begin to explain how pleased I am with the results. The difference in my skin then and now is incredible.”

Melissa has been taking Viridian's Ultimate Beauty Oil, a 100% organic food supplement containing a mix of 3:6:9 essential fatty acids.

Sourced from avocado, golden flaxseed, evening primrose, hemp and pumpkin seed, these 'good fats' offer a wealth of well-documented health and skin benefits largely due to their anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant activity.

It costs £8.95 for 200ml.

After 10 years living with rosacea, Melissa, aged 21, sais the difference in her skin is incredible.

Before and after taking the organic oil blend.
EXPERT VIEW

Caz West, Nutritional Therapist and Homeopath, blind-tested Viridian's Beauty Oil and its effects on 20 volunteers with mild to moderate rosacea symptoms. Volunteers were asked to take one tablespoon daily for 8 weeks as part of their normal diet. They were told that it was an organic oil blend, but no other details.

“Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition estimated to affect up to 10% of adults in Europe and the USA. Essential fatty acids have a natural anti-inflammatory action and deficiencies can lead to unpleasant skin conditions.

I was impressed with the results we obtained in such a short time. Improvements in flushing, redness and spots were noted among the volunteers, most commonly around the third week.

Several commented that their skin was softer and less sensitive. One male participant considered that taking the oil was at least as effective as the antibiotics he had previously relied on for years.”

You can find the following Viridian products here:
Viridian Beauty Oil here.

Or use the search facility (top right) on www.nutriglow.com to find other brands at a range of prices.

Whether you want to give your child a boost academically, counter a behavioural problem, help relieve asthma or simply help them to get a good night's sleep, natural remedies have a substantial role to play in child health.

Kendra gets a good night's sleep thanks to Californian Poppy tincture.

The Durham Trial, which involved a dozen primary schools, concluded that children given Omega-3 fatty acid supplements register dramatic improvements in reading age and numeracy. Researchers told the Sunday Times newspaper that: “We had nine-year olds go from a reading age of eight up to 13.”

California State University compared the behaviour of 468 children, half of whom were taking a daily multivitamin while the other half took a dummy pill. After four months of the daily supplement, the children taking the multi were disciplined for violent and non-violent delinquency 47% less often than the dummy pill group.

No need for the 'naughty book' now that Cameon takes ViridiKid Omega-3 oil.

Californian Poppy tincture received a lot of interest last year when the Doctor Mum article in Woman magazine featured the story of little Kendra (pictured above with her mother) and her lack of sleep. Since that article appeared, many thousands of families have used Californian Poppy to help get their little ones off to sleep and sleep right through til morning. Californian Poppy is a traditional American Indian remedy used mainly for colic. These days it is recommended as a mild sedative for children where there is over-excitability and sleeplessness.

Jenny finds that she is a better swimmer and gymnast now that Pycnogenol is helping her.

Cameron (pictured left with his mother) was a constant source of worry for his mum and his school therapist kept a record of his behaviour in a 'naughty book' until he started taking ViridiKid Omega-3 Oil. The daily dose of oil turned him into 'mummy's little angel'.

Pycnogenol, an extract from pine bark, has been used in a study of asthmatic children aged 6 to 18. The supplement was able to allow more than half of the children to stop using their inhalers (note: do not stop taking asthma medication without the guidance of your GP).

ViridiKid Multi, ViridiKid Omega-3 Oil, Californian Poppy Tincture and Pycnogenol 50mg are all formulated by the vitamin experts at Viridian Nutrition.

You can find the following Viridian products here:
Viridian ViridiKid here.
Viridian ViridiKid Omega-3 Oil here.
Viridian Pycnogenol: here.
Viridian Organic Californian Poppy tincture: here.

Or use the search facility (top right) on www.nutriglow.com to find other brands at a range of prices.