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Nutritional Strategies to Help Resolve Feeling Depressed

You can help control depression with nutrition. Follow these tips to get started. The following can lead to depression:

Frequent consumption of caffeine or sucrose (table sugar)
Deficiencies of B vitamins (especially B2, B6, B12, biotin, folic acid, or thiamine)
Deficiencies of vitamin C
Deficiencies of minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, or potassium
Excesses of magnesium or vanadium
Food allergies or sensitivities
Preservatives, dyes, additives, and heavily processed foods.

FOODS TO EAT TO PREVENT FEELING DEPRESSED

Foods high in B1
B1 is essential for energy production, nerve cell function and carbohydrate metabolism.
Good Sources: Brown rice, sunflower seeds, and whole wheat

Foods high in B6
B6 is important in maintaining hormone balance, immune function and is involved in the formation and use of neurotransmitters.
Good Sources: Whole grains, legumes, bananas, seeds, nuts, potatoes, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower

Foods high in Folate and B12
Folate and B12 deficiency is associated with depression.
Good sources: Green leafy vegetables, raw dairy, organic eggs, and whole grains

Foods high in Vitamin C
Vitami C increases immune functions and is important to the production of neurotransmitter production.
Good Sources: Kale, parsley, collard greens, turnips, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, red chili peppers, mustard greens, fresh fruits including kiwi, strawberries and citrus of all kinds

Foods high in Amino Acids
Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin. Tyrosine is a precursor to norepinephrine and may stimulate thyroid hormone synthesis.
Good Sources: Eggs, raw milk, and healthy meats. Choose organic and free range or grass fed

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA)
Low levels have been shown to lead to depression.
Good Sources: The best source is Cod Liver oil. It is the safest and purest in liquid form. Choose one with EPA, DHA, and Vitami E. We have an excellent source in our office.

Other helpful foods:Garlic, lecithin, beans, pods, slightly cooked vegetables, fruits, and raw nuts and seeds.

FOODS TO AVOID WHEN FEELING DEPRESSED

Refined and simple sugar (white sugar, honey, fructose, maple syrup, etc.)
These deplete your body of B vitamins. They also increase hypoglycemia, which is linked to mood swings and depression.

Heavily processed foods with additives and preservatives
These foods deplete the nutrients needed for metabolism

Foods high in saturated fats
These fats cause poor circulation to the brain, inhibiting the synthesis of neurotransmitters.

Very high protein diets
Excess protein tends to decrease brain uptake of tryptophan, a very important amino acid. (However, protein is important in the diet, especially for those with depression, just not in excess.)

Foods which you are sensitive or allergic to
There is a way to eliminate these sensitivities and allergies. if you are not sure ask to be tested.

Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol
Eliminate them all together if possible. These ingredients cause swings in our emotions, making a healthy balance hard to maintain.

Aspartame, Nutrasweet and all artificial sweeteners
Nutrasweet increases Central Nervous System tyrosine and phenylalanine, decreasing tryptophan availability. This leads to an increase in serotonin levels.

OTHER HELPFUL TIPS

Eat regularly. If depression makes it hard for you to eat try wholesome, quick foods like fruit or nuts.
Buy organic when possible to decrease exposure to harmful herbicides, pesticides and other contaminants. For safety, still wash your fruits and vegetables. All you need is 3% hydrogen peroxide, just like you can get at the drug store, plain white or apple cider vinegar, and a pair of brand new clean spray bottles. Spritz them well with both the vinegar and the hydrogen peroxide, then rinse them off under running water. It doesn't matter which you spritz first. You won't get any lingering taste and neither is toxic to you if a small amount remains on the produce.
Drink plenty of clean water daily. 64 oz a day is the right amount for most people. Wter is essential for energy and brain/body functioning.
Create a relaxed atmosphere to eat in. Stress decreases our body's ability to metabolize our food.
Pay attention to how you feel after eating. If you have symptoms afterwards you may have a food sensitivity or allergy. NAET is a great way to eliminate sensitivities and allergies.
Certain medications can cause depression such as oral contraceptives, corticosteroids and others.
Avoid processed soy products. Soybeans are also rich in trypsin inhibitors, which hinder protein digestion. Textured vegetable protein (TVP), soy "milk" and soy protein powders, and popular vegetarian meat and milk substitutes are entirely fragmented foods made by treating soybeans iwith high heat and various alkaline washes to extract the beans' fat content or to neutralize their potent enzyme inhibitors. These practices completely denature the beans' protein content, rendering it very hard to digest. MSG, a neurotoxin, is routinely added to TVP to make it taste like the various foods it imitates. Good soy products are fermented, tradtional Asian soy products like miso, shoyu, tempeh, and natto.
Brewer's yeast may be a good addition to your diet

Back to April 2004 Newsletter