Natural Highs
Feel Good all the Time
Hyla Cass, MD and Patrick Holford
Introduction
Imagine living in a world where being happy, alert
and energetic - in short - feeling 'high' and at one with the world
- is considered normal. Where getting high is healthy and non-addictive.
Sound like science fiction? As we'll see, it can be as simple as
child's play, where it all begins.
Pass any playground full of 5 or 6 year olds,
and you are immediately struck by the bubbling energy that radiates
from this running, laughing, shouting sea of kids. They embrace
and engage with the world in a way that many of us have forgotten.
We seldom find a young child who is the least bit shy about singing,
dancing and drawing in front of others. But how many of us would
even contemplate doing the same?
Spontaneous and positive, kids are naturally high.
They will go out of their way to enhance this, too, by swinging
on swings, or spinning in circles till they collapse. Even their
crying and angry outbursts are an essential part of this spontaneity.
As we approach adolescence, we become 'socialized' and lose some
of this seemingly innate capacity for fun and pleasure.
When reduced to repetitive and rote behaviors,
we surrender and become numb to life. We forget to smell the flowers
(sensory awareness), appreciate our beloved (keeping our heart
open), and forget the excitement of finding new ways of doing things
(mental flexibility).
But are these losses inevitable? Is it possible
for us to experience the open, spontaneous, and energetic joy we
once had? In the following chapters we discuss how we can once
more embrace this more childlike state. Our vital key to sustaining
mood, energy and connection is by being aware, present, and open
to new ideas, behaviors, and perceptions.
In the following chapters you'll discover everything
you need to experience a natural, childlike high. We include a
range of techniques and nutrients designed to promote a sense awareness
and mental flexibility, as well as to restore and maintain your
energy level. You'll then be able to find your own perfect combination
of diet, nutrients and activities for staying naturally high:
- Hangover-free alternatives to relaxing with a beer, martini,
or a glass of wine.
- Natural, non-addictive ways to get the same energy kick that
you get from coffee, tea or tobacco.
- Safe, natural and effective alternatives to Prozac® and
Valium®, with no side effects.
- Natural nutrients to help take you to higher states of awareness
and connection, without the side effects of drugs.
- Nourishing foods that can replenish and restore your brain,
depleted by stress, or excessive drug and alcohol use.
- Natural substances that help you escape addictions, some that
you may not even realize you have.
You'll quickly see that getting high can be healthy,
non-addictive, and as easy as taking a quick trip to the supermarket,
drugstore, or health food store.
Altering Mind, Mood and Energy
At this point you may be questioning whether it
is even natural to be high all the time! It certainly isn't the
norm in our culture. And, in fact, evidence suggests that depression
and anxiety may offer evolutionary advantages. In the depths of
human prehistory, maintaining an edge and keeping a vigilant eye
out for enemies could have been of great survival value. Being
too blissed-out might make you some predator's dinner! Despite
the absence of this ongoing threat, many of us are still are on-edge,
anxious and/or depressed. If this sounds like you, the good news
is that mind-altering supplements and techniques can help you to
break your patterns, and create new and happier responses to life's
inevitabilities.
Of course, 'natural' can mean a lot of things
these days. Coffee, alcohol, nicotine, marijuana and even cocaine
are all provided by Mother Nature, but they're not on our recommended
list. We mean natural substances that are both legal and good for
you. Such substances work with your body's design, not against
it. Used correctly, they can balance and increase health and energy,
rather than deplete it.
As we know, feel-good substances already exist,
and permeate our culture. Americans drink enormous amounts of coffee,
sugared and/or caffeinated soft drinks, and alcohol. We also smoke
billions of cigarettes and consume tons of sugar and chocolate.
On top of this are the illegal substances, marijuana, Ecstasy and
cocaine, and the prescription drugs Valium and Prozac and their
relatives.
All that popping, pouring and puffing wouldn't
be so popular unless it worked. In fact, these substances can boost
our energy, relieve our anxiety, help us recover from a hard day's
work, and escape our less-than-perfect reality. Unfortunately,
these highs evaporate all too quickly, and leave us to cope with
a nasty aftermath of mood swings, emotional depletion, physical
exhaustion and even addiction. If you've quit, that's probably
why. And if you haven't, it's probably why you're reading this
book.
Take Me Higher: Spirit and Transcendence
'High' has many meanings and connotations, all
the way from the just-mentioned chemical variety, to the way we
feel when we fall in love, see a magnificent sunset or ride a rollercoaster;
the energy, and exuberance most of us had as children; or another
dimension entirely -- the realm of transcendent or 'peak' experiences.
We experience a profound sense of unity and harmony, a deep connection
with others, and a shared sense of life's purpose. This is the
flash of inspiration, the epiphany that fuels great works of music,
art and poetry, as well as scientific and spiritual breakthroughs.
What's more, this shared human experience of connection
with Nature, the Universe, or God, while often difficult to describe
in words, can actually be measured by a brain scan. Researchers
have isolated a small portion of the emotional center of the brain
that is the most active when we are having a spiritual experience.
We may actually be hard-wired for this essential connection, with
the area being a special receiving or connecting point. Scientists
can even induce such as experience by electrically stimulating
the area, labeled by Dr. Michael Persinger at Laurentian University
as "the God module."
Some fear that such research, which gives spiritual
experience an anatomical location, reduces its deep significance.
Others are excited by the concept which seems to prove the reality
of this near-universal experience. Whatever your interpretation,
though, it implies that if you have a functioning brain, you are
very likely able to experience a spiritual high.
Traditional cultures the world over have used
psychoactive drugs to attain these peak states. We substitute various
herbal combinations that you can use to alter your mind-state.
They also used specific methods, such as meditation, movement,
drumming, visualization, or special breathing techniques that you
will find in Part Three.
How We Work: The Mind-body Connection
These techniques depend upon the mind-body connection,
with brain chemistry as the link. One of the most exciting new
areas of medical science, the study of the 'mind-body' interface,
is helping us to understand for the first time just how this works,
and what you and I can do to improve our minds and moods.
The topic has fascinated both of us for over twenty
years. As a psychiatrist and as a nutritionist specializing in
mental health problems, we have worked with hundreds of clients
with serious emotional problems. By helping them modify their brain
chemistry, we have witnessed remarkable recoveries to robust mental
health. We've found that certain natural substances can pull you
out of depression, restore balance in times of stress, or promote
an exhilarating sense of well being.
We have also come across many people, especially
those approaching middle age (it happens to the best of us!), who
have an additional problem. They are less able to tolerate the
use of alcohol, marijuana or other mind-altering substances that
they once used freely. Others complain that the effect is diminished,
that it 'just isn't what it used to be'. To their dismay, many
have also noticed that their long-term substance use, even if it
was only intermittent, has affected their mental abilities.
Noel, a 45-year-old stock-broker and long-time
pot-smoker, complained that 'Not only doesn't it work as well as
it once did, but I feel so tired and foggy the next day, that the
temporary high is just not worth it. My memory isn't as good as
it used to be, either.'
Fortunately, with the regular use of some prescribed
supplements, Noel regained his mental faculties and energy. In
fact, he claimed that 'I haven't felt this clear and energetic
since I was in my twenties!' In the process he also lost his desire
for smoking pot.
When you substitute 'pot' for alcohol, cigarettes,
coffee or any other mind- and mood-altering substance, then you
have an idea of the scope of the problem, and the effectiveness
of our solution.
This sounds miraculous, and it is. As researchers
unravel how natural mind-altering substances change our perceptions
and moods, they've discovered an amazing thing: almost all these
substances are similar to our own brain chemicals, and seem to
work by mimicking, boosting or blocking their effects.
What this means, of course, is that we are all
theoretically capable of producing our own natural highs, without
even taking the substance. How? The answer lies deep in our brain,
with those chemical messengers of mind and emotion, the neurotransmitters
(discussed in detail in Chapter 2).
Since neurotransmitters are literally made from
nutrients - amino acids, vitamins and minerals, we can formulate
the perfect 'brain food' to improve how we feel and think. Nutritional
supplements can create a state of high energy, increased focus
and good mood. With the right combinations, well-being, connection
and joie de vivre can become your normal state of mind.
Feeding your brain is vital. Just as important
is remembering that chemistry works both ways: various substances
can promote a natural high, and positive states of mind can raise
your 'happy' brain chemicals. Our mind-power is a remarkable, often
untapped resource in our search for happiness.
How to Use This Book
Part One consists of three chapters, starting
with the Natural High Questionnaire. The questionnaire will help
you assess your own current needs, habits and patterns, and to
develop your own strategy for shifting to natural highs.
We then introduce you to the basics of brain function.
You will learn about neurotransmitters, the brain's 'communication
chemicals' that are capable of stimulating and relaxing you, lifting
your mood and sharpening your mind. You will find out why some
substances knock your chemistry out of balance, while others are
good for you. We then give you the Natural High Basics, a core
regimen of food and supplements that create the best internal environment
for sustaining mood and energy. You will learn how to support your
brain and body chemistry for maximum energy and balance.
Part Two is the heart of the book - five chapters
that deal with the issues and substances that probably attracted
you to this book in the first place: 'Beating Stress And Tension',
'Energy Boosters', 'Mood Boosters, 'Mind And Memory Boosters' And
'Connectors'.
Each chapter presents its information in the following sequence:
- How you would prefer to feel, and how you might be feeling
now.
- What goes on in your body and brain chemistry when you feel
this way.
- The upsides and downsides of conventional substances that
we use, such as alcohol and tranquilizers.
- The natural alternatives that can produce the desired result
without the downsides. We'll learn why they work, the research
on their benefits, and how to use them.
- Finally, there's a straightforward action plan - clear and
simple steps to achieve a natural high.
Part Three suggests other ways to achieve your
natural high. You will see how breathing, meditation, exercise
and sleep can raise mood and energy. We also look at positive thinking,
sex, and the life-enhancing uses of light, color, music and aromatherapy.
Part Four offers top tips on natural ways to chill
out, boost your energy, lift your mood, enhance your mind and get
connected. There is also an A-Z listing of the substances you can
take to achieve a natural high.
Note: In each part of the book we have numbered
statements that link to research papers in the back of the book.
These are there for those who wish to study this subject in depth.
We also refer to books and websites throughout the book, with details
in Recommended Reading and Resources at the back.
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