Fight Depression Exercising

Fight Depression with Good Nutrition

Suffering from depression has numerous causes including nutritional deficiencies meaning that even if the reason for being depressed is not nutritionally related the person in depression can see his/her state worsen if a close look to the diet is not taken seriously.

It is well known that certain types of food can increase serotonin – the neurotransmitter responsible for the feel good sensation. For example many people who are depressed tend to eat lots of carbohydrates as they increase serotonin production. However, be aware that refined carbohydrates have a temporary effect lasting for a couple of hours only. Furthermore they drain your Vitamin B reserves and blood sugar levels causing Vitamin B deficiency and hypoglycaemia which is a condition where the blood shows low levels of glucose (sugar). Glucose is the primary source of energy to the brain and without it the brain functions and behaviour are altered causing an imbalance which causes a feel bad sensation and in some drastic cases can lead to a coma.

Choose complex carbohydrates instead as they will be released slower and longer. They will provide stable increase in blood sugar and serotonin levels. Just think about them as if they are a drip releasing slowly but constantly the nutrients you need.

Here is a list of complex carbohydrates:

*Brazil nuts are very rich in selenium and excellent for boosting brain functions and fight against depression.

B vitamins are essential as they combat the causes of depression and stress. A deficiency in vitamin B6 can lead to depression and other complications. Most of the list above contains B6 vitamin plus fish and poultry.

Foods to be limited

Some foods can make depression even worse. Some of them are listed below and should be eaten occasionally if you can not avoid them.

Caffeine: If ingested more than once a day it can aggravate the depression symptoms. Choose caffeine free tea and coffee.

Processed Sugar: These include cakes, biscuits, candies, chocolate and sweet pastries. Chocolate is a well known serotonin enhancer. You can eat it but do so in moderation and choose a high quality one. Don’t forget they eat up all your B vitamin reserves and the glucose from your blood.

Deep-fried and foods high in fat: They are not very nutritious and if eaten regularly will mean that you are depriving yourself from the good foods. These kind of fats cause poor circulation to the brain compromising the neurotransmitters performance.

Alcohol: Avoid drinking in excess. Don’t forget alcohol is a chemical like the neurotransmitters in the brain that regulates behaviour, mood and numerous other functions. The chemicals contained in the alcohol can cause an imbalance in our own brain chemistry leading in extreme cases to psychosis and dementia.  

Eating when depressed can be a trick as depending on the person there is a tendency to over eat or under eat. The important thing is to eat regularly and eat the right kind of food. If the comfort eating is your way try to have plenty of nuts, dried fruit and seeds always handy. If you don’t feel like eating try soaps and protein powder they are easy to drink and very nutritious.

What is Depression?

Depression is basically defined as a shortage of a neurotransmitter called serotonin – a chemical secreted in our brain cells. Our biology and our behaviour are mostly run by different neurotransmitters – chemicals produced in our brain. Emotions and feelings if not dealt with properly can block our network pathways so the flow of the necessary feel good chemicals is compromised.

Our brain is like a very efficient laboratory producing the necessary ‘information substances’ to keep our body and mind in perfect balance. However sometimes outside events can mess up the ‘laboratory’ activities through our emotions, feelings and memories. For example because of a bad memory in the past or the way we manage our emotions and feeling during a particular incident in our lives a disruption in the ‘laboratory’ is triggered and the peptide CRF – a type of neurotransmitter – causes an overproduction of steroids in our blood. The feel sad substance is now all over our system.

A depressive disorder can affect all aspects of your life – your sleep, your eating habits, your self-esteem and your physical appearance. Unfortunately it won’t go away as easily as you can switch a TV channel, so just solemnly ignore those people that tell you to pull yourself together. As explained above it is a chemical imbalance that sometimes requires drugs intervention to restore the chemical right levels.

At least 10% of the population will go through depression at some point in their lives and it can affect anyone – rich, poor, man or women – however researches show that women are more likely to suffer than men. Other factors contribute to put certain groups in the risky zone:

• People that have suffered mental, physical or sexual abuse;
• People who have a history of depression in their family
• People that come from extremely deprived groups.

It is normal to feel down sometimes but if you or anyone you know is feeling down a lot lately then you should be aware of some of the depression symptoms and if you are feeling 2 or more it is recommended to seek for medical help. They are:

• A total lack of interest in leisure
• Low self-esteem
• Sleeping disorders like sleeping too much or insomnia
• Health problems that has no evident cause, like upset stomach, or persistent colds and body pains.
• Lack of energy and a constant feeling of tiredness
• Mood swings like irritability and restlessness
• Difficulties to wake up in the morning
• Loss of sexual drive
• Forgetfulness, difficulties to concentrate and make decisions
• A constant feeling of sadness and anxiety
• Eating disorders like eating too much or too little
• Suicidal tendencies

The word depression has been improperly used to describe a sad moment or a feeling down day so the word depressed is not taken seriously enough nowadays. The word lost its real meaning and people simply don’t know what depression really is. A depressed person is not just having a ‘feeling down moment’. A depressed person does not have the same control over his/her feelings as most of us do. So saying ‘cheer up’ won’t help! They can find it very difficult to cope with very simple day to day tasks. As they can’t make decisions very easily planning their days can be difficult.

Depression is a very serious illness that can result in more serious mental illness or even death. If you think you or anyone around you are suffering from depression seek specialist help as soon as possible.