Eat Your Way Out of Depression

standing on the edge

Eat Healthy Foods.

This is the first, the most basic and the most critical step in returning to health of mind and body.

Learning how to eat natural, vital, healthy food is a process. It really is something that we have to teach ourselves to do and sometimes we have to really work at it. As with learning anything truly worthwhile, this does require a degree of self-discipline. This self-discipline will generally only come when you awaken to the importance of what you are doing with regards to what you have been eating.

Understand that your mind is housed in your brain and your brain is part of your body. What you put into your body automatically affects your brain and therefore your mind and mood. After all, it is your mind that controls how you feel.

The closer you get to natural, unrefined, whole foods and the farther away you get from instant, processed foods the better you will feel and be.

Some of us have to start again from scratch, changing most of our eating habits along with most of what we put into our bodies - and consequently our minds. But be assured - it truly is worth it!

You know that what you have been doing so far has not worked very well. If it had, you would be feeling a great deal different.

Habit may be reassuring and tradition is wonderful, but do your eating habits really help you or are they harming you? And do all aspects of that tradition need to become part of who you are, if part of who you are just doesn't feel good as a consequence? Can you still retain tradition while making modifications that will work in your favour? Does it really matter what everyone around you is doing or has been doing all of their lives?

It may work for them, but it doesn't seem to have worked for you because you have not been feeling well. Ask yourself if it really matters what you have been taught to eat, if it really matters what everyone around you is eating - or if your own mental and emotional well-being are not somehow much more important.

Treat this as a journey of discovery, a journey towards real and lasting health of mind and body. The two really cannot be separated. You may very well have to leave your traditional comfort zone for a while and allow yourself to experiment, but this doesn't need to frighten you.

In fact, if you allow it to, it can do the reverse - it can bring a degree of adventure, autonomy and an even greater sense of purpose back into your life. And if you have been feeling depressed, then that sense of adventure, autonomy and purpose may very well be something that has been missing for a long time.

Let me explain what you need to do in order to feel better in a nutshell:

1. Replace the essential fatty acids in your brain. Your brain is more than 50% fat - but it needs to be the right kind of fat.

Eliminate hydrogenated, saturated and damaged 'trans' fats, which means avoiding fast foods, and incorporate foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids - organic eggs from chickens fed additional Omega 3 oils with their feed; wild fish, oily fish such as mackerel, seaweed and algae.

Consider taking an Omega 3 supplement containing EPA , together with a good Omega 6 oil such as evening primrose or star-flower oil, all readily available from good health food stores.

Avoid deep-fried foods and switch to extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil where possible.

2. Eat whole grain, low GL index foods (check for lists of GL foods on the internet), fresh vegetables and fruit (preferably organic if the budget will allow), soya products such as tofu (but not soya oil), fresh eggs and fish. (Avoid tuna because of its mercury and other heavy metal content.) Combine this with a reasonable amount of nuts and seeds.

3. Eliminate most sugars and simple carbohydrates together with all caffeine.

4. Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Eat mainly from a whole foods, plant based diet -- fresh vegetables and grains such as whole wheat (provided you do not have a gluten sensitivity), whole brown rice, quinoa, millet etc. Add soy products such as tofu, soya milk, and eat nuts and seeds in moderation. These foods provide the essential amino acids that you need in order to function and feel well. Meals do not need to be large, in fact it's better if the portion size is fairly small, but they do need to be eaten regularly, according to the clock, and not your appetite.

5. Take extra vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid, preferably in a complete mega-vitamin B complex tablet, together with 1000 mg vitamin C daily. Also take a good vitamin D3 tablet, magnesium, zinc and chromium picolinate daily.

6. Consider taking a 5-HTP supplement. This powerful natural supplement has been shown to raise serotonin levels in the brain and has been used in Europe as a treatment for depression for some time now. Be sure to check with your healthcare practitioner before taking 5-HTP to make sure that it is not contra-indicated in your particular case.

And it should go without saying - never skip breakfast!

If you've been experiencing depression then you've probably been far too serious for far too long - but have you been serious in the right way? Now is the time to get serious about what you put into your body and therefore into your mind.

In depression we tend to greatly devalue ourselves. Eating the right foods and taking the right nutritional supplements is exactly the opposite of this. Remember that what we put into our body we put into our mind. Remember also, that your body needs to move. Begin with small steps, a few minutes walk outside and increase things as you begin to feel stronger and better.

Now is the time for you to make the changes that need to be made in order to feel better. Do this and reap the rewards in how you feel, think, and look at life.

Disclaimer: The recommendations given here are not intended to replace medical advice. They are meant for educational and information purposes only. If you are experiencing depression or any form of mental ill-health, be sure to consult your doctor or medical adviser.


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