Rise Above Depression (4 of 5)
The 4th self-empowering way to lift your mood naturally without drugs or therapy
With the ongoing goal of bringing you into a higher state of health and wellbeing, I continue the series by giving you another solid tool to elevate and clear your mental state.
In Part 3 of this series we explored the many ways that moving your body through exercise, work, and play positively impacts your mood.
Part 1 outlined the power that practicing gratitude has on feeling good. And Part 2 detailed some of the main ways that the natural world supports an upbeat positive mood and attitude.
You are aquiring an ever-expanding palette of practices which can help you maintain a good mood, stable energy, and a positive mindset. I hope you are feeling excited and empowered to realize just how many things you have at your disposal to effect lasting change in your life.
Today I present to you the most important piece of any healthy lifestyle: food!
A whole foods diet is the foundation for robust mental health. It seems so simple, yet we have really gone astray of what actual vital food is and what our bodies need to function optimally. By all means let’s get back to our ancestral roots and make it a habit to…
#4 – Eat Real Food
Food truly is the best medicine. Food is the foundation of every great treatment plan and health program because it is so critical to health. Good foods heal while bad foods create disease. Choosing foods wisely can make all the difference when you are depressed.
Nutrient-rich foods help the brain build cells and biochemicals, detoxify waste and toxic substances, and function optimally. Whereas nutrient-poor, heavily processed, foods create inflammation and toxicity in the brain and actually get in the way of your brain’s functioning. It’s as much about adding foods to your diet that support your body’s processes as it is about eliminating foods that disrupt, obstruct, or challenge your body negatively.
With all the diets out there, how do you choose what’s best for your mental health? Keep it simple: eat whole foods that are fresh and as close to their naturally-occurring form as possible. Make them organic, non-GMO (genetically modified organism), pastured/grass-fed, and humanely-raised as much as possible. Source them from local farmers or grow your own whenever you can. The foundation of your diet should revolve around protein, fats, and vegetables at every meal.
One of the most important nutrients required to keep the brain healthy is protein. All of the neurotransmitters and enzymes that are responsible for your mood are made from amino acids that come from proteins. Plus, proteins are needed to make, repair, and detoxify cells.
Good protein sources include meat (grass-fed), fish (wild), eggs (pastured), legumes, and nuts.
Fat is a second nutrient critical for brain function. The membrane of each of your cells is made of a row of fats called the phospholipid bilayer. The brain itself is 60% fat. Fats in the brain help with inflammation, immunity, gene transcription, energy production, and cellular integrity. Essential fatty acids like omega 3’s must be obtained from your diet.
Good quality fats include nuts and seeds, eggs and grass-fed meats, organic (raw where available) dairy, coconut oil, avocados and their oil, and olive oil. Avoid trans-fats, deep fried, and seed oils (canola, sunflower, safflower, corn, etc.).
Vitamins, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and minerals are necessary for protecting the brain against damage, acting as cofactors in enzyme pathways, optimizing neurotransmitter function, healing and regenerating cells, and producing energy. Your body most easily uses these nutrients when they come from food, with the best sources being fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Synthetic nutrients added to packaged foods and found in vitamin supplements can be utilized by your body, but not as well.
For produce choose from a WIDE variety of different colors, e.g. leafy greens, purple berries, orange squashes, red beets; and textures, e.g. crunchy celery, crisp peppers, juicy tomatoes, soft figs; and flavors, e.g. bitter arugula, sweet apples, sour lemons, savory herbs. There are hundreds of different fruits and vegetables to experiment with and they each offer a unique nutrient profile.
The brain is the biggest consumer of energy of any organ in the body. It needs a constant supply of glucose (or ketones) to do all that it does. And believe me, the brain does A LOT. Eating regular meals supplies your brain with a variety of nutrients and keeps your blood glucose stable to feed your brain. Low blood sugar may occur when you skip meals or eat nutrient-poor or high sugar foods. It is a stressor for your body and creates a situation where your brain will need even more nutrition to counter the stress.
As important as eating good foods, is avoiding bad ones. Make it a goal to greatly reduce or completely do away with highly processed foods, heavily sweetened food and drinks, artificial sweeteners, deep-fried foods, artificial colors and flavors, and excessive caffeine and alcohol.
Nutrition for your brain plays a huge role in mood regulation. When you eat healthy, well-balanced, regular meals that have at their foundation an ample supply of protein, fats, and nutrient-rich vegetables, you will support both your brain and your body to function optimally. The result awaiting you is a well-regulated mood with more ups than downs.
In the final post of this series next week, prepare to go deep within yourself. There is a wellspring of opportunity right in your own mind that is ripe for bringing about an impressive shift in you. That’s right, we’re going to look at your mindset. What might happen if you welcomed in a new one?