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Depression self help is about eating and drinking correctly. It seems

obvious to state it, but our tissue, bones, vital organs and brain are

all made up of what we eat and drink. As the business computer saying

goes, “rubbish in, rubbish out”. You need to find out what you SHOULD be

eating. Find about your body type and the sorts of food you SHOULD be

eating. The Chinese and Indians have been benefiting from such studies

for centuries. Are you aware of them?

A test : which are the best foods for your depression amongst these

items, regardless of your body type: – parsley, almonds, fillet steak,

cheese or mushrooms? Answer, best is parsley, then almonds, then

mushrooms, cheese and fillet steak. Did you know that? If you eat the wrong

combination of foods for your depression, will you know it? Will you be

aware of the harmful effects? Has your psychiatrist ever advised you about

this? It is very likely not. It would be wise to find out.

Why not find out and make that important life change that could make

all the difference to how you feel. Investigate the options available for

taking food supplements and vitamins. Certain food supplements and

vitamins could be critical for your recovery and avoidance of relapse.

The relation between depression and diet is highly complex and beyond

the scope of these pages, however, stated in very simple terms:

1. Serotonin (and other substances) is a chemical which facilitates

brain impulses necessary for our normal functioning.

2. When we are under stress or depressed, our brain requires and

consumes more serotonin. Depressed people have a deficiency of serotonin and

hence need to produce more.

3. Since serotonin is partially created by eating complex

carbohydrates, our body begins to crave foods rich in these carbohydrates.

4. People who consume a disproportionate volume of fat and protein

expose themselves to higher risk of depression, since these foods can

actually decrease the levels of serotonin.

5. When we consume sugar-rich foods or soft drinks we achieve short

term satisfaction but in the long term we are breaking down the nutrients

in our system which help us fight stressors

If you eat correctly you will have more energy, you will lose weight

and have far higher resistance to stress. Eating complex carbohydrates

stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. This permits the amino acid

tripofan to synthesize serotonin, which is the key element required for

combating depression. Amongst those foods with high tripofan content

are turkey, natural yoghurt, almonds and sunflower seeds.

Contrary to what most people might expect, a protein-rich diet does not

favor a depression sufferer. Protein breaks down serotonin. Simple

carbohydrates such as pizza, macaroni and cheese will give us a quick fix

in stressful moments but are harmful in the long run. Complex or

unrefined carbohydrates are desirable as they provide longer reserves of

energy, containing high levels of fiber, minerals and other nutrients.

Helpful foods include pumpkin, carrots, mixed grain cereals, breads and rice

and tomatoes, amongst many others.

As critical as “what” we eat is “how” and “when” we eat. We need to eat

hearty breakfasts and if possible take healthy snacks all day, as if

stoking a coal burner every 2 hours. Snacks may include fruit, natural

yoghurts, almonds, celery sticks. Under no circumstances should you

succumb to the vending machine, with crisps, soft drinks etc.

We need to chew our food well, at least 25 times per mouthful. We were

given teeth not to improve our smile but as tools in the first and

critical stage of digestion, which takes place in the mouth. Our final meal

of the day should be light and no later than 7pm. If we are depressed,

our mission is to eat consistently in order to generate serotonin

evenly throughout the day. If we eat a bacon sandwich for breakfast at

7.30am, skip lunch, eat a double slice of salami pizza at 5pm and have a

large dinner with dessert at 10pm before going to bed at 10.30, we are

making ourselves direct candidates for obesity, heart disease, cancer,

recurring depression and other mental illnesses.

In addition to greatly improving what, when and how we eat, there is

growing evidence that natural substances help to relieve the symptoms of

depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and mania. The most highly

regarded is St John’s Wort.

There is also a growing body of evidence demonstrating that foods rich

in Omega-3 fatty acids can have as useful an effect on anxiety,

depression and bipolar disorder than antidepressant medicines themselves.

Omega-3 is available in many common foodstuffs

Here we can also mention lithium or lithium carbonate. Lithium is used

in the treatment of bipolar depression (manic depression). Although

lithium in most countries is a controlled drug, lithium carbonate is the

substance actually extracted from the ground so in the strict sense it

is a natural compound. It successfully helps to control the peaks and

troughs of manic depression and is therapeutic in approximately 50% of

patients.

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Source by Jerry Chantrill