Eat Yourself Happy
Hi boys and girls!
I’m a week and a half in to the 30-Day Challenge and feeling pretty good about my accomplishments thus far.
I’ve gone since Tuesday, July 24th without mindless eating at night! That’s a personal best!
As I battle the emotional cravings at night (which I detail on the Strong Inside Out Facebook page), I’ve realized that I am starting to become more connected to actual hunger cues (over habitual trigger-induced ones). I eat when I am hungry, instead of eating when I’m bored, anxious or depressed.
Much of my habits of nighttime eating come from my past: I used to eat to feel better when I was in the depths of my depression.
When you’re feeling down, there’s nothing like a bowl of sugary cereal to munch on while watching Heroes… and the subsequent energy spike/drain and chubby midsection.
As I’ve started feeling stronger for giving up this “coping mechanism” in favor of healthier ones, I’ve started considering the relationship between diet and depression.
So I started doing some actual research and have come across some extraordinary findings. Researchers are discovering that [*gasp!*] what we eat is related to how we feel.
The way we eat could help make us feel better, or drive us deeper into darkness.
A lot of SIO readers struggle with depression, stress and anxiety. Since these issues are strongly related (the same or similar parts of the brain are effected for all three), it’s my hope that today’s post can help some of you start feeling better from the inside out.
The Heavy-Hitters
Depression is not caused by just one thing. There are often times many factors that go into the condition, but for today’s sake, we’re going to concentrate on the causes that can be bettered by diet.
These are the elements of your diet that could be triggers for depression, or make it much worse.
B Sufficient
If you’re lacking in B vitamins, you could have the cause of your depression solved right there. I know that, when I was B-deficient, I felt worse than I did when I started eating meat again because I am so active.
Make sure you get a well-rounded diet full of varying whole foods.
B vitamins are higher in meat products such as beef, pork, and chicken, but can also be found in eggs, citrus fruits, leafy greens, and rice.
Oh my Omega-3s
Researchers have started to deem depression as an inflammatory condition. There are many steps you can take to eat your way into a more neutral state (as we’ll talk about below), but one of the hardest hitters for anti-inflammation nutrients is Omega-3s.
Omega-3s (specifically DHA and EPA) are all the rage right now, and for just cause.
They promote brain health, prevent heart disease, improve insulin sensitivity, and give you super magic power to shoot lasers out of your eyeballs.
…well, not exactly lasers, but the list of benefits is so extensive that I thought that would be the natural place to go with this.
You’ll find Omega-3s in fatty fish like salmon and tuna. Because you’re never really sure what you’re going to get nowadays, I like to purchase wild salmon whenever possible to limit ingestion of antibiotics and pesticides.
Not a fish fan? Try a fish oil supplement; it’s the only supplement I take daily and as a personal trainer, that should say a lot. I take Carlson Lab’s lemon flavor liquid fish oil. (it really doesn’t taste fishy!)
The No-No’s
Processed Foods- A diet rich in processed and fatty foods has been linked with a higher instance of depression. Skip the stuff in a package and start making from scratch instead!
Coffee- Now now. Not everyone metabolises coffee in the same way as I talked about in The 6 Rules I Live By when I confessed my addiction to coffee. For some, it acts as the best anti-depressant that’s not full of chemical nonsense. For others, it can leave you jittery and feeling even more stressed/anxious. Go by how YOUR body feels, not by what other people tell you you should feel.
Alcohol- ALCOHOL IS A DEPRESSANT. I REPEAT: ALCOHOL IS A DEPRESSANT. As much as it may help you feel better in the moment because of its calming qualities, it can lead to a lower mood all the time. Keep your alcohol consumption to a minimum, and try not to drink to the point of wasted.
Sugar- Sure, you get a sweet sugar high when you eat that candy bar, but the imminent crash can leave you feeling worse than before you ate it. Keep these instances to your 10% and you should be a-ok.
The Recommended Diets
There are a couple different diets at the forefront of depression research. Here are the most promising ones in my mind.
Mediterranean Diet
Research came about after scientists found that there is a significantly lower instance of depression in Mediterranean countries than here in America and in other countries that rely on heavily-processed foods.
A group of scientists in Spain studied 10,094 individuals over a span of 4 years and found that those following a Mediterranean diet were 30% less likely to develop depression. Another group of researchers in London had the same results with a smaller group of people at five years (30% of 3,486).
It’s hard to ignore such promising results, right? So let’s get down to it: What is the Mediterranean Diet?
The Mediterranean Diet consists of plenty of fish, veggies, fruits, olive oil, whole grains and nuts, and is usually whole in nature (rather than refined or processed). To help you remember, I’ve drafted up this image for your pinning pleasure:
Interested in learning more? Click here and here.
The Anti-Inflammation Diet
Since depression is now viewed as an inflammatory condition, it makes a lot of sense to treat it with diet. After all, our diet can actually put us in an inflamed state!
In fact, I would recommend an anti-inflammatory diet for almost everyone. Unless you have severely low blood pressure and poor healing response, anti-inflammatory could very well be beneficial for you!
So what goes into an anti-inflammatory diet? Well, it’s a lot like the Mediterranean Diet, actually.
The standout stars of the anti-inflammatory diet are fatty fish and fish oils, nuts, healthy monounsaturated fats, vegetables, fruits and little to no carbohydrates.
In fact, the anti-inflammatory diet is more about what’s NOT in it: dairy, soy, corn, processed or refined foods, simple sugars, trans fats, and grains… yep, even the whole kind.
More great info can be found here and here.
*****
Of course, there are a lot of other factors that go into depression, stress and anxiety, and you should always listen to your body when it comes to diet because every one of us reacts differently to foods. Hopefully now you have at least one action to check off your get-happy list:
Start Eating Happy!
As always, feel free to leave me any comments or questions here and I’ll get back to them as soon as I can!
photo credits: laughing, eggs, kale, Mediterranean diet background, Anti-inflammation background
What is considered severely low blood pressure, and what do I do if I have it (well, apart from going to a doctor)? I’m asking because my blood pressure is generally lower than normal
Hey Judith! Since I’m not a physician, I would recommend going to your Dr. before starting any kind of diet if your blood pressure is low. Often times he/she will just have you add more sodium to your diet and have you take caution when exercising (getting up and down quickly could be dangerous for you).
Low blood pressure is classified as under 90/60, but it varies per person because every body responds differently to exercise and diet. Listen to your body and go to your Dr. to check your levels.
Hope that helps!
Hi amy. I just want to say that your posts are always so helpful. And your wanting to help people really comes across. I feel that alot when i read them. I agree wholeheartedly with what you are saying. I have definately found that what i eat affects how i feel and try to eat organic most of the time wuth my meat and veg plus my fruit and porridge. I need to get my drinking water sorted though. Ive stopped smoking for a few months now and notice that its better if i dont drink alcohol as i really struggle the next few days with my thoughts. We do have a role to play in getting better. For me starting anti depressants really helped. That then exercising and diet. Any way keep up the good work. X
Thank you, Cheryl, from the bottom of my heart. I’m really glad that drive to help comes across to you. :)
I am never one to say that everyone should be off antidepressants. I think that they are extremely helpful for many people and sometimes they’re the best solution. An a bonus: Eating this way can work along with the anti-depressants so that they’ll be even more effective!
I’m so happy to hear that you reached out for help. I hope you’re feeling better already!
I think I am going to try to keep in mind the Anti-Inflammatory diet. I would like to try to see if I can eat myself happy. I am not into eating fish at all, but I am sure there are other substitutes. I really want to feel pure joy. I want to be happy. It makes sense that what we eat contributes to our mental health too!
Hey Paula!
Do you hate every type of fish? There’s also fish oil which doesn’t taste fishy (I use Carlson Labs).
Check out those links under the anti-inflammation diet to see if it’s right for you!
Regarding alcohol: it’s really suprising how many people think of alcohol as an anti-depressant. Yes, alcohol makes you feel better for a while. But the aftereffect is just devastating. I’m not saying about head- (stomach-) aches next morning, but about depressing state of being.
Actually, I have an alocohol drinks from time to time (for example, when one of my friends throws a party). But the rule I’m trying to follow is no alcohol when I am upset. If my friend invites me to have some beer, I’d better reject the invitation if I don’t feel like drinking. Otherwise, it may lead to a really dramatic drop of my mood.
Alex recently posted..Aug 2, One more article revised
I had to make that rule for myself, too, Alex. I think it’s a good rule even when you do choose to drink, to keep it moderate. I know for me, a lot of the problems came from overdoing it.
Thanks for chipping in to the conversation here, Alex!
Yeah, my alcohol rules are 1) Never when I’m upset and 2) NEVER two days in a row.
I enjoy alcohol, but there is a family history of alcoholism and I have an addictive personality. I set up these rules as a teenager (shhh, don’t tell ^_^) to keep me out of trouble and they’ve served me well.
Shadlyn Wolfe recently posted..All A-Board!
Good rules to follow there, Shadlyn. Don’t worry: no judgments here! :)