5 Foods to Eat When You're Depressed!
Alphabet of Stress Management and Coping Skills
A to Z
Choose 'Yourself' for a change :-) https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm
EATING YOUR WAY OUT OF YOUR MOODS?
"The nervous system actually started out in the gut," says Emeran Mayer, director of the UCLA Center for Neuro-visceral Sciences and Women's Health as well as of the UCLA Center for Neurobiology of Stress. "Most of my patients have a very good understanding that there is a close connection between their emotions and their guts. But there are still very few neuroscientists who understand the complexity of this enteric nervous system and its links to the brain."
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/articles/201111/your-backup-brain
10 NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES THAT MAY CAUSE DEPRESSION
1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
2. Vitamin D
3. Magnesium
4. Vitamin B Complex
5. Folate
6. Amino Acids
7. Iron
8. Zinc
9. Iodine
10. Selenium
http://parkinsonsresource.org/news/articles/10-nutritional-deficiencies-that-may-cause-depression-1/
and just B R E A T H E ... Quick and Easy Breathing Exercises to Cope with Stress, Anxiety and Emotions:
https://hubpages.com/health/Breathing-Exercises-for-the-High-Stressed-Individual
What to eat to improve your mood :-)
By Paula Spencer Scott, Caring.com senior editor
Feeling blue? Many people seek comfort from favourite foods like chocolate kisses, salty chips, and pillowy pastries when they're feeling down. But if you really want to boost your mood, make different choices, nutritionists say. Although clinical depression is a serious illness that requires treatment beyond nutrition, changing what you eat can help beat garden-variety blues caused by stress, and will boost low energy, too.
"We reach for what we think will make us feel better, but we too often wind up making ourselves feel worse in the long run," says Beth Reardon, director of nutrition at Duke University's Duke Integrative Medicine. The wrong foods can cause physiological reactions that intensify symptoms such as lethargy, irritability, and cravings. Meanwhile the right foods -- like the following five -- can stabilize blood sugar, eliminate mood swings, and boost neurotransmitters in the brain, all factors that influence your emotions.
Treatment with honey is referred to as apitherapy and includes:
Therapeutic Effect: Honey helps restore energy, has a general calming effect and helps to dissolve mucus. Applied externally to the skin, it disinfects and heals minor wounds.
http://parkinsonsresource.org/news/articles/honey/
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The Carnivore Diet for Mental Health?
How plant-free diets affect the brain... A new presentation exploring the nutritional differences between plant and animal foods, and summarizing the scientific arguments in support of all-meat diets for optimal brain health. Skeptical? You should be. This seemingly strange and extreme way of eating flies in the face of every piece of conventional nutrition advice we've been given, yet a growing number of people report remarkable benefits, including resolution of serious, chronic psychiatric symptoms. If you are curious about how this diet might help to correct chemical imbalances in the brain, please watch this video to learn more. https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/diagnosis-diet/201904/the-carnivore-diet-mental-health
If you are inspired to try a carnivore diet for mental health purposes, and you currently take psychiatric medications (or medications of any kind), please read my article Ketogenic Diets and Psychiatric Medications first. Just as with a standard low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet, carnivore diets cause profound shifts in brain and body chemistry rather quickly. These changes are almost always positive and healthy, but they can have a major impact on medication levels, dosages, and side effects that require close medical supervision, particularly in the first month or two while your metabolism adjusts to your new healthy way of eating. It is very important to consult with your prescribing clinician before embarking on any low-carbohydrate diet.
Posted Apr 29, 2019
Georgia Ede, MD is a Harvard-trained, board-certified psychiatrist specializing in nutrition-focused counseling and consulting services for individuals and fellow clinicians.
- = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - --
It's been a tough morning. You were late for work, missed a crucial meeting and now your boss is mad at you. Come lunchtime you walk straight past the salad bar and head for the stodge. You can’t help yourself - at times of stress the brain encourages us to seek out comfort foods. That much is well known. What you probably don’t know, though, is that the real culprit may not be the brain in your skull but your other brain.
Embedded in the wall of the gut, the enteric nervous system (ENS) has long been known to control digestion. Now it seems it also plays an important role in our physical and mental well-being. It can work both independently of and in conjunction with the brain in your head and, although you are not conscious of your gut “thinking”, the ENS helps you sense environmental threats, and then influences your response.
https://neurosciencestuff.tumblr.com/post/38271759345/gut-instincts-the-secrets-of-your-second-brain
Darwin (1872) noted in The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals the importance of the bi-directional neural communication between the heart and the brain via the "pneumogastric" nerve, now known as the vagus nerve. According to Dr. Porges, “Darwin’s statement is important, because it emphasized two points:
1) afferent feedback from the heart to the brain through the vagus was independent of the spinal cord and the sympathetic nervous system, and
2) the vagus played a regulatory role in the expression of emotions.
https://drsircus.com/general/function-vagus-nerve/
The National meals Guidelines:
http://mealsonwheels.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NationalMealsGuidelines2016.pdf
so DO think about having the services of Meals on Wheels.
Try these smart choices when your mood needs a little boost:
1. An omelette -- just don't skip the yolk
Eat it for: The B vitamins and protein. Egg yolks are the vitamin-B-rich part of the egg.
Other examples: Lean beef, wheat germ, fish, poultry
Why they help: A diet rich in B vitamins can help lessen the severity of depression symptoms. B vitamins, especially B-6 and B-12, can help improve neural function -- the way the neurotransmitters of the brain send signals, which helps govern mood. There's also a growing link between vitamin B deficiency and depression. A 2010 study of 3,000 older adults followed over 12 years found that those with lower intake of these vitamins had a higher risk of depression, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The protein in eggs (as with lean meats) helps you feel satisfied longer, stabilizing blood sugar. And eggs can be consumed in a variety of ways, from scrambled to used as a French toast batter to boiled and chopped up as a salad topper -- so long as you go easy on the accompanying animal products that are high in saturated fats, like bacon or butter.
2. Nuts and seeds
Eat it for: The magnesium
Examples: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, peanuts. (Green leafy vegetables and whole grains are also high in magnesium.)
Why they help: Magnesium, a mineral found naturally in nuts and seeds, influences production of serotonin, a "feel-good" brain chemical. Magnesium also affects overall energy production.
Bonus: Nuts are also a good source of protein and healthy fats. And as a whole food, they make a healthy alternative to processed snacks, provided you choose unsalted and unsweetened varieties. Salt and sugared coatings don't add any health benefits and may make you overeat because they set up cravings in the brain for more and more salt or sugar.
3. Cold-water fish
Eat it for: The omega-3 fatty acids
Examples: Wild salmon, herring, sardines, anchovies, tuna (not more than once per week), rainbow trout, mackerel. Fish-oil supplements are a practical alternative for those who don't eat these cold-water fish at least three times a week, Reardon says.
Why they help: There's a reason fish is known as "brain food." Fatty fish such as wild salmon contain the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, which has been shown to increase the membrane quality and nerve function of gray matter in the brain. Twenty percent of the gray matter in the brain is composed of DHA. Some studies have found that DHA consumption especially increases gray matter in the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the cingulate, three areas of the brain associated with mood. People with severe depression have less gray matter in these areas.
Fish is also a great source of lean protein, which stabilizes blood sugar. Eating small amounts of protein with meals can help keep your mood on a more even keel.
4. Ancient grains
Eat it for: The complex carbohydrates
Examples: Quinoa, millet, teff, amaranth, spelt, barley
Why they help: Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, which means they don't cause spikes in blood sugar that can create roller-coaster moods. Complex carbs also increase levels of serotonin in the brain.
While any whole grain is good, so-called "ancient grains" are even better, according to Reardon, because they're less likely to be man-modified and processed. Packaged, processed, and refined foods made with wheat flour and sugar, in contrast, tends to be digested quickly, causing cause blood sugar to spike. When this happens, the body responds with an oversecretion of insulin, which winds up moving too much sugar into cells -- and blood sugars plummet. The end result: poorer concentration, fatigue, mood swings, intense cravings, and overeating.
Ancient grains are increasingly available at mainstream grocery stores and big-box stores. Look where rice products are shelved. Many ancient grains can be cooked like pasta or rice and served in their place as side dishes, in casseroles, or as a base for fish or chicken.
Bonus: Some ancient grains are a whole-grain alternative for those who are allergic to wheat or have gluten intolerance. (Barley, though, contains gluten.)
5. Green tea
Drink it for: The amino acid L-theanine
Examples: Hot green tea, brewed iced green tea -- including flavoured varieties like jasmine green tea or berry green tea
Why it helps: L-theanine is an amino acid found mainly in tea leaves; it's been shown by EEG tests to stimulate alpha brain waves. This can improve focus while also having a calming effect on the body.
"Despite the caffeine, the L-theanine in green tea seems to be profoundly relaxing, with effects that last up to eight hours," Reardon says. L-theanine is easily absorbed and can cross the blood-brain barrier, adding to its effectiveness.
* Clinical depression is a serious illness that requires treatment beyond nutrition. Further reading to a greater in-depth Understanding of the mental illness of your loved one. A definite eye-opener! "Should be read by anyone who has suffered, or known someone who has suffered from depression."
"Reasons to Stay Alive" by Matt Haig, Canongate Books Ltd 2015 ANF 158 HAI
--- Taking an antidepressant? Is it helping you? Have a look here:
https://www.medicalsearch.com.au/what-s-the-real-deal-antidepressants-or-placebo/f/18495?
Tyler W. LeBaron of the Molecular Hydrogen Foundation adds his input for those battling stress. “We recently used an excellent stress model in mice to mimic the effects of acute and chronic stress. Our results, published in 'Nature', suggest that inhalation of molecular hydrogen was effective at reducing the anxiety and depressive-like behavior caused from too much stress.”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-10362-6
Managing your health can be challenging at times; while one facet of your wellness demands more attention than others, you may end up struggling to maintain a good balance in other areas. To be of sound body, mind, and spirit, it’s important to pay attention to all aspects of health—your mental, emotional, and spiritual sides all play a role in your physical welfare, and vice versa. A state of optimal well-being means more than just the absence of disease or disorder; it also means having the resources to cope with problems and circumstances beyond your control and recover from difficult or troubling situations.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/health
Alphabet of Stress Management and Coping Skills
A to Z
Choose 'Yourself' for a change :-) https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm
EATING YOUR WAY OUT OF YOUR MOODS?
"The nervous system actually started out in the gut," says Emeran Mayer, director of the UCLA Center for Neuro-visceral Sciences and Women's Health as well as of the UCLA Center for Neurobiology of Stress. "Most of my patients have a very good understanding that there is a close connection between their emotions and their guts. But there are still very few neuroscientists who understand the complexity of this enteric nervous system and its links to the brain."
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/articles/201111/your-backup-brain
10 NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES THAT MAY CAUSE DEPRESSION
1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
2. Vitamin D
3. Magnesium
4. Vitamin B Complex
5. Folate
6. Amino Acids
7. Iron
8. Zinc
9. Iodine
10. Selenium
http://parkinsonsresource.org/news/articles/10-nutritional-deficiencies-that-may-cause-depression-1/
- Posted: September 27, 2018 by Therese Borchard
and just B R E A T H E ... Quick and Easy Breathing Exercises to Cope with Stress, Anxiety and Emotions:
https://hubpages.com/health/Breathing-Exercises-for-the-High-Stressed-Individual
What to eat to improve your mood :-)
By Paula Spencer Scott, Caring.com senior editor
Feeling blue? Many people seek comfort from favourite foods like chocolate kisses, salty chips, and pillowy pastries when they're feeling down. But if you really want to boost your mood, make different choices, nutritionists say. Although clinical depression is a serious illness that requires treatment beyond nutrition, changing what you eat can help beat garden-variety blues caused by stress, and will boost low energy, too.
"We reach for what we think will make us feel better, but we too often wind up making ourselves feel worse in the long run," says Beth Reardon, director of nutrition at Duke University's Duke Integrative Medicine. The wrong foods can cause physiological reactions that intensify symptoms such as lethargy, irritability, and cravings. Meanwhile the right foods -- like the following five -- can stabilize blood sugar, eliminate mood swings, and boost neurotransmitters in the brain, all factors that influence your emotions.
Treatment with honey is referred to as apitherapy and includes:
- replenishing energy,
- enhancing physical stamina and
- strengthening those weakened by illness or stress.
- Honey can also help calm the mind and
- promote rejuvenating sleep.
- In addition, honey relieves indigestion and is used to treat cardiovascular complaints.
- Finally, a thin coat of honey can be applied to the skin to disinfect and heal minor skin wounds and chapped lips.
Therapeutic Effect: Honey helps restore energy, has a general calming effect and helps to dissolve mucus. Applied externally to the skin, it disinfects and heals minor wounds.
http://parkinsonsresource.org/news/articles/honey/
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The Carnivore Diet for Mental Health?
How plant-free diets affect the brain... A new presentation exploring the nutritional differences between plant and animal foods, and summarizing the scientific arguments in support of all-meat diets for optimal brain health. Skeptical? You should be. This seemingly strange and extreme way of eating flies in the face of every piece of conventional nutrition advice we've been given, yet a growing number of people report remarkable benefits, including resolution of serious, chronic psychiatric symptoms. If you are curious about how this diet might help to correct chemical imbalances in the brain, please watch this video to learn more. https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/diagnosis-diet/201904/the-carnivore-diet-mental-health
If you are inspired to try a carnivore diet for mental health purposes, and you currently take psychiatric medications (or medications of any kind), please read my article Ketogenic Diets and Psychiatric Medications first. Just as with a standard low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet, carnivore diets cause profound shifts in brain and body chemistry rather quickly. These changes are almost always positive and healthy, but they can have a major impact on medication levels, dosages, and side effects that require close medical supervision, particularly in the first month or two while your metabolism adjusts to your new healthy way of eating. It is very important to consult with your prescribing clinician before embarking on any low-carbohydrate diet.
Posted Apr 29, 2019
Georgia Ede, MD is a Harvard-trained, board-certified psychiatrist specializing in nutrition-focused counseling and consulting services for individuals and fellow clinicians.
- = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - --
It's been a tough morning. You were late for work, missed a crucial meeting and now your boss is mad at you. Come lunchtime you walk straight past the salad bar and head for the stodge. You can’t help yourself - at times of stress the brain encourages us to seek out comfort foods. That much is well known. What you probably don’t know, though, is that the real culprit may not be the brain in your skull but your other brain.
Embedded in the wall of the gut, the enteric nervous system (ENS) has long been known to control digestion. Now it seems it also plays an important role in our physical and mental well-being. It can work both independently of and in conjunction with the brain in your head and, although you are not conscious of your gut “thinking”, the ENS helps you sense environmental threats, and then influences your response.
https://neurosciencestuff.tumblr.com/post/38271759345/gut-instincts-the-secrets-of-your-second-brain
Darwin (1872) noted in The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals the importance of the bi-directional neural communication between the heart and the brain via the "pneumogastric" nerve, now known as the vagus nerve. According to Dr. Porges, “Darwin’s statement is important, because it emphasized two points:
1) afferent feedback from the heart to the brain through the vagus was independent of the spinal cord and the sympathetic nervous system, and
2) the vagus played a regulatory role in the expression of emotions.
https://drsircus.com/general/function-vagus-nerve/
The National meals Guidelines:
http://mealsonwheels.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NationalMealsGuidelines2016.pdf
so DO think about having the services of Meals on Wheels.
Try these smart choices when your mood needs a little boost:
1. An omelette -- just don't skip the yolk
Eat it for: The B vitamins and protein. Egg yolks are the vitamin-B-rich part of the egg.
Other examples: Lean beef, wheat germ, fish, poultry
Why they help: A diet rich in B vitamins can help lessen the severity of depression symptoms. B vitamins, especially B-6 and B-12, can help improve neural function -- the way the neurotransmitters of the brain send signals, which helps govern mood. There's also a growing link between vitamin B deficiency and depression. A 2010 study of 3,000 older adults followed over 12 years found that those with lower intake of these vitamins had a higher risk of depression, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The protein in eggs (as with lean meats) helps you feel satisfied longer, stabilizing blood sugar. And eggs can be consumed in a variety of ways, from scrambled to used as a French toast batter to boiled and chopped up as a salad topper -- so long as you go easy on the accompanying animal products that are high in saturated fats, like bacon or butter.
2. Nuts and seeds
Eat it for: The magnesium
Examples: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, peanuts. (Green leafy vegetables and whole grains are also high in magnesium.)
Why they help: Magnesium, a mineral found naturally in nuts and seeds, influences production of serotonin, a "feel-good" brain chemical. Magnesium also affects overall energy production.
Bonus: Nuts are also a good source of protein and healthy fats. And as a whole food, they make a healthy alternative to processed snacks, provided you choose unsalted and unsweetened varieties. Salt and sugared coatings don't add any health benefits and may make you overeat because they set up cravings in the brain for more and more salt or sugar.
3. Cold-water fish
Eat it for: The omega-3 fatty acids
Examples: Wild salmon, herring, sardines, anchovies, tuna (not more than once per week), rainbow trout, mackerel. Fish-oil supplements are a practical alternative for those who don't eat these cold-water fish at least three times a week, Reardon says.
Why they help: There's a reason fish is known as "brain food." Fatty fish such as wild salmon contain the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, which has been shown to increase the membrane quality and nerve function of gray matter in the brain. Twenty percent of the gray matter in the brain is composed of DHA. Some studies have found that DHA consumption especially increases gray matter in the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the cingulate, three areas of the brain associated with mood. People with severe depression have less gray matter in these areas.
Fish is also a great source of lean protein, which stabilizes blood sugar. Eating small amounts of protein with meals can help keep your mood on a more even keel.
4. Ancient grains
Eat it for: The complex carbohydrates
Examples: Quinoa, millet, teff, amaranth, spelt, barley
Why they help: Complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, which means they don't cause spikes in blood sugar that can create roller-coaster moods. Complex carbs also increase levels of serotonin in the brain.
While any whole grain is good, so-called "ancient grains" are even better, according to Reardon, because they're less likely to be man-modified and processed. Packaged, processed, and refined foods made with wheat flour and sugar, in contrast, tends to be digested quickly, causing cause blood sugar to spike. When this happens, the body responds with an oversecretion of insulin, which winds up moving too much sugar into cells -- and blood sugars plummet. The end result: poorer concentration, fatigue, mood swings, intense cravings, and overeating.
Ancient grains are increasingly available at mainstream grocery stores and big-box stores. Look where rice products are shelved. Many ancient grains can be cooked like pasta or rice and served in their place as side dishes, in casseroles, or as a base for fish or chicken.
Bonus: Some ancient grains are a whole-grain alternative for those who are allergic to wheat or have gluten intolerance. (Barley, though, contains gluten.)
5. Green tea
Drink it for: The amino acid L-theanine
Examples: Hot green tea, brewed iced green tea -- including flavoured varieties like jasmine green tea or berry green tea
Why it helps: L-theanine is an amino acid found mainly in tea leaves; it's been shown by EEG tests to stimulate alpha brain waves. This can improve focus while also having a calming effect on the body.
"Despite the caffeine, the L-theanine in green tea seems to be profoundly relaxing, with effects that last up to eight hours," Reardon says. L-theanine is easily absorbed and can cross the blood-brain barrier, adding to its effectiveness.
* Clinical depression is a serious illness that requires treatment beyond nutrition. Further reading to a greater in-depth Understanding of the mental illness of your loved one. A definite eye-opener! "Should be read by anyone who has suffered, or known someone who has suffered from depression."
"Reasons to Stay Alive" by Matt Haig, Canongate Books Ltd 2015 ANF 158 HAI
--- Taking an antidepressant? Is it helping you? Have a look here:
https://www.medicalsearch.com.au/what-s-the-real-deal-antidepressants-or-placebo/f/18495?
Tyler W. LeBaron of the Molecular Hydrogen Foundation adds his input for those battling stress. “We recently used an excellent stress model in mice to mimic the effects of acute and chronic stress. Our results, published in 'Nature', suggest that inhalation of molecular hydrogen was effective at reducing the anxiety and depressive-like behavior caused from too much stress.”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-10362-6
Managing your health can be challenging at times; while one facet of your wellness demands more attention than others, you may end up struggling to maintain a good balance in other areas. To be of sound body, mind, and spirit, it’s important to pay attention to all aspects of health—your mental, emotional, and spiritual sides all play a role in your physical welfare, and vice versa. A state of optimal well-being means more than just the absence of disease or disorder; it also means having the resources to cope with problems and circumstances beyond your control and recover from difficult or troubling situations.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/health