Food and Depression - Eat Your Way to Mental Well-Being

Healthy food makes a healthy mindThis is the very first and most
critical step in returning to full health of mind and body.Learning
how to eat natural, vital, healthy food is a process. It's something
that we have to learn to do and that means working at it. As with
learning anything truly worthwhile, this does require a degree of
self-discipline. This self discipline will usually only arrive when
you finally realize the importance of what you are putting into your
body -- and into brain.Understand that your mind is housed in your
brain and your brain is part of your body. Whatever you feed your body
affects your brain - and therefore it affects your mind and your mood.
After all, it is your mind that controls how you feel.The farther away
you get from quick, processed foods and the closer you get to natural,
unprocessed foods the better you will feel.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 only too well that what you
have been doing has not worked so well. If it had, you would be
feeling a great deal different.Yes, tradition is wonderful and habit
can be reassuring, but are your eating habits truly helping, or are
they harming you? Do all aspects of tradition need to dictate who you
really are, if a big part of you doesn't feel good as a consequence?
Can you still retain tradition while making modifications that will
work in your favor? 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. Does it really matter so much what you have been taught
to eat in the past; does it really does matter what everybody around
you is eating - or is your own emotional and mental well being somehow
more important.Treat this as a real journey of discovery; a journey
towards real and lasting health of mind and mood. 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 is essential that it's 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 and
DHA, 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. Eat plenty of low
fat protein (preferably from non-hot-bloodied animals), fish, soya
products, Quorn, nuts and seeds etc. These provide the essential amino
acids that you need in order to function and feel well.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 multi vitamin-mineral tablet that contains vitamin D, 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 our self. Eating the right foods
and taking the right nutritional supplements is exactly the opposite
of this.Now is the time to make those changes that you need to make in
order to feel much 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.