Natural Highs by Patrick Holford and Dr Hyla Cass

'If nature can offer us sound, safe, legal antidotes to the poisoning of the human spirit then there can be no more important work in the 21st century than researching and exploring these resources." - Sting.

Do you like to relax with alcohol or cigarettes? Do you use caffeine or something stronger to give you a buzz? Do you want to be 'high' - and stay healthy? In this groundbreaking book you will discover new ways to stay happy, relaxed or 'high' using safe, natural and non-addictive substances. Patrick Holford, world-renowned psychologist and founder of The Institute for Optimum Nutrition, and eminent psychiatrist and nutrition expert Dr Hyla Cass show you how. Discover:

• Natural blues busters such as St John's Wort and 5HTP to help you reduce depression and anxiety
• Non-addictive ways to get an energy boost without resorting to caffeine or nicotine
• Safe and effective alternatives to prescription drugs such as Prozac and Valium
• How to reduce stress and anxiety naturally
• Natural (and legal) alternatives to recreational drugs such as Ecstasy
• Remedies and techniques to help you to reach a state of inner peace

'With even a cursory glance at today's newspapers and news programmes one is led inescapably to the conclusion that the world is in a terrible mess, with violence, injustice, greed, slavery, drug addiction, crime and misery the normal living conditions for so many human beings. And yet all human beings want to be happy and indeed deserve to be happy. Countless numbers of people seek refuge in stimulants, depressants, drugs (legal and illegal), alcohol, coffee, sugar, dope, ecstasy et al. The phrase 'mind-altering substance' is often used by politicians as a 'catch-all' pejorative for the evils of the drug problem and conjures up images of mind control, of criminal conspiracies hell-bent on destroying 'civilisation as we know it'. But if there's one thing that needs to be altered in this troubled world it is the human mind, and if nature can offer us sound, safe, legal antidotes to the poisoning of the human spirit, then there can be no more important work in the 21st century than researching and exploring these resources.' - Sting

'Natural Highs gives you the goods on feeling ....... I like this book a lot.' - Sarah Stacey, YOU magazine

'With science on its side, Natural Highs is the ideal handbook for helping everyone get a healthier happier life the natural way.' - Here's Health

'Patrick Holford puts the fun back into fitness ... Holford is the new health cavalier, leading us clearly and intelligently to highs you don't have to pay for later.' - Jerome Burne, Financial Times

Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction

Part one: Getting in the mood

• How naturally high are you?
• How your brain keeps you high
• Natural high basics

Part two: Natural alternatives

• Relaxants
• Stimulants
• Mood enhancers
• Mind and memory boosters
• Connectors

Part three: Living high naturally

• Balancing the equation
• Exercise
• The breath of life
• Generating vital energy
• Meditation and the mind
• Biofeedback, relaxation and the alpha state
• Positive thinking
• The power of touch
• Sexual chemistry
• Light and colour
• Aromatherapy
• The music of the emotions
• Sleep

Part four: Natural highs at a glance

• Top tips
• A - Z of natural highs

Appendix: Breaking the cycle of addiction
Glossary
Notes
Recommended reading
Resources
Index

Disclaimer: Natural Highs is intended solely for educational and information purposes and not as medical advice. Please consult a qualified medical or health professional if you have any questions about your health.

While the nutritional supplements and herbs in the doses referred to in this book have been proven safe, neither the authors nor the publisher accept any liability should you choose to self-prescribe.

Imagine a world where feeling happy, alert, energetic, relaxed and at one with the world is the norm. Where getting high is healthy and non- addictive. Sounds like science fiction?

It's all out there already. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say all in there, since, as we'll see, getting high is all about helping the brain get happy. We'll see how finding what does the job can be as easy as taking a swift trip to the supermarket, or scanning the shelves of your local health-food store.

Feel-good substances are already around in their hordes, of course. In an average week in Britain, we drink 1 billion cups of tea, 154 million coffees, 250 million sugared or caffeinated soft drinks and 120 million alcoholic drinks; smoke 1.5 billion cigarettes and consume 6 million kilograms of sugar and 2 million of chocolate. On top of this we take 20 million antidepressants, 10 million tranquillisers, puff our way through 10 million joints and pop 1 million tabs of Ecstasy.

And do these work? Obviously they do, or they wouldn't be so popular. They boost energy, relieve anxiety, help us recover from a hard day's work. Cocaine can even help users feel 'better than good'. Except that the highs many of these substances give us can evaporate all too quickly, and leave us coping with a nasty aftermath.

Mood swings, depletion, exhaustion, and even addiction can result from all that popping, pouring and puffing. If you've quit, that's probably why. And if you haven't, it's probably why you're reading this book.

And it's all good news from here. We'll tell you about the natural alternatives - the healthy and legal ways to alter how you think and feel. You'll then be able to find your own perfect combination of diet, nutrients and techniques for staying naturally high. We'll show you:

• Hangover-free alternatives to relaxing with a beer
• Nutrients that can help you reach heightened states of awareness or connection without the downsides of drugs
• Foods that can replenish and restore a brain and body depleted by stress and excessive drug and alcohol use
• Natural, non-addictive ways to get an energy kick like that from coffee, tea or tobacco
• Natural alternatives to Prozac and Valium that work, with no side effects
• How natural substances can help you escape from the prison of addiction

At this point you may be questioning whether it is in fact natural to be high all the time! It certainly isn't the norm in our culture. In fact, there is evidence suggesting there may be evolutionary advantages to depression and anxiety. Being on edge, vigilant and watching for enemies and predators could have had greater survival value in the depths of prehistory than being blissed-out full time. Now, however, many people are on edge, anxious and/or depressed much of the time. If that sounds like you, the good news is that you can use mind-altering supplements and techniques to help break the patterns and open the way to a natural high.

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 the recommended list. By 'natural', then, we mean substances that are not only legal, but also good for you. They work with the body's design, not against it. They balance and add to health and energy rather than deplete it.

'High' is another loaded term. It can mean anything from the chemical variety to what we feel when we fall in love, see a magnificent sunset or ride a rollercoaster. Or the energy and exuberance most of us had as children.

It's child's play
Pass any schoolyard full of 5-or 6-year-olds, and what you notice is the energy, awareness and unselfconsciousness of this running, laughing, playing sea of kids. They engage with the world in a way that many of us have lost. It's rare to find a young child who is 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 a part of it, since expressing emotion is an essential part of this spontaneity. (Of course, not all childhoods are happy, and early trauma can certainly dampen this spontaneity.) As we approach adolescence, we become 'socialised' and lose some of this seemingly innate capacity for fun and pleasure.

Is it inevitable? Can't we stay energetic and open all the way into adulthood?

If we remind ourselves to stay present and aware, and keep trying new things, we have a fighting chance. Rote behaviour numbs us, and we forget to smell the flowers (sense awareness), appreciate our spouses (keeping our heart open) or are unable to accept a new way of doing something (mental flexibility). Thus, being more child-like - open, present and curious - is a key to sustaining mood, energy and connection. We have a whole section of exercises promoting sense awareness and mental flexibility, both attributes of childhood. And you can keep your energy levels up by following the diet and supplement suggestions.

Take me higher: Spirit and transcendence
Another dimension of feeling high is the realm of transcendent or 'peak' experiences. In this state we feel a profound sense of unity or harmony, a deep connection with others, and a deeper awareness of life's purpose. It is the flash of inspiration 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 reflected on a brain scan!

Researchers have isolated a small portion of the emotional centre of the brain that is most active when we are having a spiritual experience. We may actually be hard-wired for this essential connection, with this area being a special receiving or connecting point. Scientists can even induce such an experience by electrically stimulating the area, labelled by Dr Michael Persinger at Laurentian University as 'the God module'.

Some people feel that the research is reducing the glory of spiritual experience by giving it an anatomical location. Others are excited by the concept that seems to prove the reality of this near-universal experience. Whatever your interpretation, though, if you have a functioning brain, it is very likely that you are able to get high.

While traditional cultures round the world have used psychoactive drugs to attain these peak states, we have other recommendations to help you get there. Besides specific combinations of herbs and nutrients, you will also discover methods to attain these states, such as meditation, movement, visualisation and special breathing techniques, in Part Three.

How we work: The mind-body connection
Techniques like these depend upon the mind-body connection, with brain chemistry as the key link. The 'mind-body' interface is one of the hottest new areas of medical science and is helping us to understand for the first time just how it works and what we can do to improve our minds and moods.

The topic has fascinated both of us for over 20 years. As a psychiatrist (Hyla) and as a nutritionist specialising in mental health problems (Patrick), we have worked with hundreds of clients who've had serious problems. By helping them modify their brain chemistry, we have both witnessed remarkable recoveries to robust mental health. Certain natural substances, we've found, really can help pull someone out of depression, recover balance in times of stress and 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.

It 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 brains, with those chemical messengers of mind and emotion, the neurotransmitters (discussed in detail in Chapter 2).

As 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. And certain nutritional supplements can create a state of high energy, increased focus and good mood. By taking these in 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 the 'happy' brain chemicals. It's this crucial give and take that keeps us healthy and high.

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' which 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 regime 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: 'relaxants', 'stimulants', 'mood enhancers', 'mind and memory boosters' and 'connectors'. In each chapter, we follow a simple model in presenting the information:

• 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 tranquillisers.
• 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, colour, 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.

About the authors
Patrick Holford, a trained psychologist, is the UK's leading nutritionist and one of the world's authorities on new approaches to health. In 1984 he founded The Institute for Optimum Nutrition, a charitable and educational trust for the furtherance of education and research in nutrition. It is now the largest training school in the UK for nutrition consultants and widely respected as a cutting edge organisation by professionals and media alike. He is the best-selling author of several books on nutrition.

Dr Hyla Cass, a graduate of the University of Toronto School of Medicine, is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine. A prominent psychiatrist and expert on nutritional medicine, she is also a popular speaker and consultant on complementary medicine and psychiatry, women's health, stress reduction, and natural treatments for addictions, anxiety disorders and depression.