The Reiki Cafe 

Okay, here it goes:
There is a wind that blows here in the south of spain called the levante. and when it comes. people seem to suffer from stress and depression and it kind of exhausts you.

The theory is that it carries positive ions which deplete the serotonin reserve.

I try and make sure i eat enough bananas and cocoa powder and i know brazil nuts are good too. And i try to go to the forest nearby for negative ions and the sea too. but thats not always possible. i cant afford to buy a rock salt lamp as yet, which i know would help, but where else can i get negative ions from or does anyone know any other food sources high in serotonin?

Thank you x

Dear Roxy,

I don't know any food sources high in seratonin, but I do know sunlight stimulates its production. Try to spend some time everyday in the sunlight. Also, there are lamps made to simulate all the light waves (minus the UV) in sunlight. Do a search for SAD lamps.

Rock On!
Roxy

roxylady,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- serotonin is produced in the brain - it is a neuro-transmitter

- as far as I know it does not occur naturally outside the brain so cannot be eaten

- one can, however, eat foods high in tryptophan which is a precursor to serotonin - eatings foods higher in tryptophan may help stimulate the production of serotonin but I would not offer any guarantees that this will help 'levante-itis'

- however, keep in mind that if you alter your tryptophan intake significantly you may affect other neurotransmitter activity in the brain besides serotonin so do not be surprised if you experience other 'effects' than the ones you hope to achieve

- I generally do not recommend using the body like some use chemistry sets in the basement

>:-}}

- I would offer that the arrival of the levante signals a seasonal change and some people are more susceptible to emotional variation during season changes

- I have yet to read any competent research that offers any reliable results on all this positive and negative ion business - but if you can direct me to some I am always glad to learn something useful

- exercise and full spectrum light are always excellent

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

My Dear Mr. Firekeeper,

I didn't know tryptophan was a precursor of serotonin. Good thing to know.

Except the darned stuff makes me sleepy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rock On!
Roxy

Ms. Roxanne,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- there is far too little tryptophan in turkey to have a sedative effect from eating a bit on T-day (or any other time)

- and, L-tryptophan to be absorbed properly as a dietary suppliment is usually taken on an empty stomach, in the absence of other proteins that would block up-take

- there were also cases of pretty severe adverse reactions to L-tryptophan - a deadly autoimmune illness called eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS) was traced to L-tryptophan). And, I believe, L-tryptophan sales were banned by the FDA in the early 1990s

- so the sleepiness is generally attributed to over-eating plus alcohol and lots of sugar in the dessert - perhaps over stimulating the pancreas for a short time

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

My Dear Mr. Firekeeper,

I remember L-tryptophan being banned, but I wasn't clear about why. Thanks for clearing that up. In the eighties, I was using it for a sleep aid, as I suppose a lot of people were. Probably a good thing wasn't able to continue.

Rock On!
Ms. Roxy

Ms. Roxanne,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- another putative factor is blood supply to the brain

- following a big meal, especially if one has eaten on the light side for a while 'to make room for turkey with all the trimmings', a substantially greater amount of blood is used for digestion which, for some, reduces by a bit blood flow (oxygen primarily) to the brain

- drowsiness can result if one goes from sitting at the table to sitting on the couch or in a comfortable chair

>:-}}

- a bit of a light walk after such a feast can help with digestion and stave off the drowsisness (or so it is said -never having tried this on T-Day myself)

bagl

- there are, of course, individual differences in this process

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Yes, Negative ions does works, and many scientific researches have proved that. We offer negative ion clothing products, and works great, please try

We are also looking for sales rep or distributors, or retailers worldwide. If interested, please visit our site and send us message

czerny,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- in which scientific journals were these researches published?

- as someone who is involved in reseach at the university level I am always on the lookout for new reading material

>:-}}

- I trust you are referring to scientific results that are NOT published in The Jouranl of Irreprodicible Results

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

for more info

czerny,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- websites need to be posted at the Announcements or Resources Boards

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper