Depression - You Are What You Eat
Can something as simple as your diet affect your health and wellness? Yes, at least according to recent studies. What you eat affects your mood, your weight, your ability to combat disease. Most people eat foods that are unhealthy. Perhaps not all of the time; but maybe you eat unhealthy foods more often than not.
If you or someone you love has depression, you may benefit by working with a nutritionist to devise an eating plan that will literally change the way you think and feel.
Tips for Combating Depression Using Dietary Guidance
There are many ways our diet affects our physical and emotional health and wellness. When you don't eat, you deprive your body of important vitamins and nutrients. This can lead to deficiencies, which sometimes cause depression and related disorders.
When you eat too much, especially processed and fatty foods, you slow down your body's defenses. You may become ill, which can also lead to depression. Some researchers note people with low intake of essential fatty acids, nutrients found in fish and flax seed are more likely to suffer from depression. So what can you do about it? Change the way you eat.
Here are some tips for eating well and fighting depression using your diet:
- Try eating cold-water fishes including salmon (wild) and sardines at least twice each week.
- Increase your intake of walnuts and certain oils like canola oil.
- Try eating plenty of dark green leafy vegetables, which often contain micronutrients important for our health and wellness.
- Try reducing your intake of alcohol. Daily alcohol consumption can increase your risk of depression, especially if you are a high risk patient.
- Include more whole grains into your diet to boost your intake of B vitamins including folate, which can help lift your mood and improve your overall health and wellness.
Dietary changes alone may not be enough to cure depression, but they can help you live a healthier lifestyle, and reduce the time it takes for you to start feeling better. Make sure you talk with your doctor about any dietary changes you plan to make. He or she may recommend you see a nutritionist for specific tips about changing your diet.
Other Tips for Fighting Depression
You can also find out if you are allergic to foods. People sometimes eat foods like dairy that they may be allergic to. This can cause illness in the body, making depression harder to combat. A good doctor, natural healthcare provider or allergist can help determine whether you have food allergies. If you do, your healthcare provider will work closely with you to make sure you get the nutrition you need without sacrificing the foods you like.
You can enjoy a treat here and there. However, if you want to improve your life and your emotional wellness, your best bet is to adopt a healthy and life-boosting diet. Make sure you examine product labels and buy foods that are processed as minimally as possible.
Try staying away from foods containing "modified food starch" or "corn syrup" as these are common ingredients that contribute to poor health. Lastly, get a good recipe book and learn how to cook tasty and healthy foods quickly and easily!