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Natural Treatment for Depression
First, it is important to have a yearly physical and blood work in order to rule out medical conditions that can cause you to feel depressed. It is also a good idea to rule out food allergies. Once this is done, you can take a close look at your habits. The goal to re-establishing balance is to identify substances and behaviors that may be directly sabotaging your sense of well-being. The main culprits are alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and sugar. Be sure that you are not smoking, and that you are not drinking alcohol in excess. More than 7 drinks per week for men, and more than 4 drinks per week for women can deteriorate health and increase symptoms of depression. Caffeine is a favorite in the Northwest, but did you know that it depletes important vitamins and minerals? A little caffeine is not a problem for most people; one small cup of coffee each morning, or a cup of green tea is typically not an issue. Caffeine derived from soda is another story because it comes with either sugar or artificial sweetener, and carbonation on top of that which leaches nutrients right out of your body and stimulates sugar cravings. Although the substances listed above can be part of the issue, the worst culprit for most people with symptoms of depression is actually sugar. Sugar depletes more nutrients, and puts more strain on the endocrine system and neurotransmitter balance than you can imagine. Most people have no idea how much sugar they are actually consuming every day. The scariest part of it is that the more sugar you eat, the more you will crave. Nutrition is hugely important when thinking about managing symptoms of depression. The reality is that most people are overfed and under nourished. The fact is, the more sugar and simple carbohydrates in your diet, the more likely you are to be malnourished. With sugar, it is not just that it is nutritionally void; it throws the system so far out of balance that you can end up feeling sad and depressed just because of what you ate for breakfast. Just what dietary choices am I talking about? Here is a list of some of the main offenders full of sugar or simple carbs, with very little nutritional value:
Just why is sugar so bad for us? There are actually many reasons. The most obvious is that for every serving you eat that is predominately made of sugar and/or flour; you forfeit a chance to eat something containing essential nutrients that can act as cofactors and building blocks to the processes that give us a sense of well being. For example, did you know that vitamin B6 is essential for serotonin production in the brain? Another problem with eating simple carbohydrates is that it takes a lot more energy for your body to process them. For example, the amount of insulin your pancreas must produce to process a muffin or bagel takes so much energy that it must be "borrowed" from the adrenals. This energy is never "repaid" due to the fact that a bagel has very little nutritional value. Eventually your pancreas and adrenals get tired. When your adrenals get tired, they stop properly producing stress hormones. Not only do you begin to lose your ability to manage stress well, you also deplete your neurotransmitter reserves due to the intricate nature of the relationship of neurotransmitters to stress hormones. The worst thing is that your body wants to "survive" this event, and sugar cravings are our most basic physiological instinct. We actually addict ourselves to sugar through this viscous cycle. My recommendation for stopping the cycle is to take a hard look at your diet. Consider keeping a diet diary for 1 week. Start by removing the sources of simple carbohydrates and sugar, and replacing them with healthy alternatives. This is obviously easier to say than it is to do. My favorite recommendation for a guideline on how to do this is The Schwarzbein Principle , by Diana Schwarzbein, MD. This book is an excellent guide to how and why to get the simple carbs out, and improve your health and sense of well-being. You will be amazed at how well you feel on this diet. You will also appreciate the level of awareness you attain to the difference between healthy eating and the typical standard American diet "SAD". Some foods that are especially nourishing are dark green and orange vegetables, salmon, turkey, eggs, yogurt, dark berries, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and sea-vegetables like nori, dulse and kombu. Supplements can be extremely helpful in treating symptoms of depression. Some are used to restore a natural balance, and others can actually be used as pharmaceutical alternatives. Please see a qualified healthcare practitioner such as a nutritionist or ND to find out whether certain supplements are a good alternative for you. Most people do very well with a healthy diet and lifestyle, and some key supplements. If you would like to receive a nutritional consultation or need help figuring out which options are best for you, please contact Dr. Leslie Also, you can go to WANP.org and search for a naturopathic physician in your area by entering your zip code. Click here to read More Massage Articles
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It seems that the "D" word gets thrown around quite a bit these days. In reality, symptoms of mild to moderate depression can profoundly affect your quality of life. Some of the most common symptoms are fatigue, lack of motivation, sleep issues, lessened productivity, difficulty concentrating, abnormal appetite, body aches and sadness. What you may not know is that your daily habits can greatly reduce the symptoms of depression. The natural balance of neurotransmitters that promote a sense of well-being can easily be influenced by lifestyle habits.