So, during a regular appointment earlier this week, my doctor confirmed what I’ve suspected for the past couple of months: My hormones are completely out of whack.

Ever dealt with a hormonal imbalance? It’s pretty stressful. Not only can it cause weight problems and wreak havoc on your skin , but a hormonal imbalance sometimes brings mental health symptoms like depression, anxiety, and disorientation.

Do I have any American readers today, or is everyone still lolling about in a tryptophan haze?

Actually, I’m sort of hoping that’s the case; the holidays can be so stressful, so if you’re relaxing today (and not out fighting the Black Friday crowds – *shudder*), good for you.

If you’re not…well, I have a few quotes that I think might help you de-stress and relax as you wind down from the Thanksgiving festivities – however successful or stressful they might have been.

Between my gluten-free food reviews and all the gluten-free activity going on over at Therapy Soup (check out The Gluten-Mood Connection to get started and then check out some gluten-free menus and download your copy of a gluten-free food and mood log), you probably already have a solid working knowledge of some common gluten-free foods.

Still, unless you’ve been eating a GF diet for a while and this ain’t your first rodeo, it’s not that easy to turn “fruits and vegetables, fresh meat and eggs, and most dairy products” into a Thanksgiving dinner menu.

(Especially when so many traditional Thanksgiving recipes involve wheat!)

So, I’ve combed the Internet for some appetizer, main dish, and dessert recipes to help you have a gluten-free Thanksgiving.

Please scan the list, bookmark anything you like, and feel free to share your own GF Thanksgiving recipes in the comments!

If you missed the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) Twitter chat last Friday, don’t worry: You don’t have to scroll through all the #nccamchat hashtags on Twitter to catch up!

The NCCAM has archived the chat so you can browse through the tweets at your leisure.

Oh! I have exciting news for you, readers!

On Friday, November 9, 2012 at 1 p.m. EST (that’s tomorrow!), the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) will host a Twitter chat the safety and efficacy of complementary health approaches for depression.

Two experts will help facilitate the chat, both of whom I expect will bring a lot of valuable information to the table.

First, you’ll meet research psychiatrist and psychopharmacologist Dr. Matthew Rudorfer. Dr. Rudorfer is with NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and can answer any general questions participants have about depression and depression treatments. Want to know more about symptoms, heredity, and ways to treat depression? This is your guy.

Then, you’ll get to know the NCCAM program officer, Dr. Wendy Weber. Dr. Weber’s has a special research interest in this area and is the lady who can step in and provide information about the use and safety of complementary approaches for depression treatments.

So, what constitutes “complementary approaches,” you ask?

Yeah, yeah, so I wrote about all the reasons treadmills suck. I remember. It was back when all that 90+ degree summer heat was breaking, the deliciously pleasant autumn air was teasing my skin, and hitting the track didn’t mean melting (or freezing) my face off.

Now, however, it’s cold. It’s like, Frankenstorm cold, okay? So, no one’s passing judgment if you decide to forgo a jog through the park in favor of a spin ’round the ol’ hamster wheel.

Besides, hamster wheels treadmills can bring some of the same benefits as exercising outdoors, right? For example, if you go to a gym, you can still connect with your community and gain confidence.

Yet…there’s no denying that walking or jogging on a treadmill can get unbearably boring, so below are a few ways to help you beat the misery and stay on track, so to speak.