Alternatives: NATURE

In this section, you will find resources related to nature. 

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Have you ever had the impression while walking in the forest or in a park that your mind calmed down, that your thoughts became less agitated or quite simply that a great harmony settled inside you? We often forget it, but nature is perhaps the greatest remedy for curing our ailments, whether physical or emotional. Sometimes even a short walk in a small park can work wonders.  Moreover, several studies have demonstrated the positive impact that nature can have on overall health, including mental health. This research shows, for example, that a walk of 10 to 20 minutes in the forest can reduce the level of cortisol, which is the stress hormone. Nature can also have an impact on memory, creativity in addition to having  an impact on life expectancy and to speed up recovery in certain situations. There is a network of health professionals in Canada who prescribe nature for mental health. Quebec doctors do it too. Find out more about it here or on Radio-Canada radio here . 

 

ARTICLES

Rhizome n°82 – Living nature (January 2022)

 

Nature for better mental health

 

The benefits of nature on overall health (SÉPAQ)

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Why Nature? Based on science, driven by nature

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Medicinal plants and supplements for mental health: new recommendations

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VIDEOS

Webinar: The benefits of nature on mental health

 

The benefits of nature on our physical and psychological health

 

BOOKS

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.   Robin Wall Kimmerer

The gardener's balance. Reconnecting with nature in the modern world  

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GUIDES

Clinician guidelines for the treatment of psychiatric disorders with nutraceuticals and phytoceuticals: The World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) and Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) Taskforce 

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