The word ‘Depression’ has become one of the biggest
enemies in today’s life. As per Centre for Disease Control, 1 in every 5 person
in America is battling depression. Worldwide people are facing this problem
owing to stressed professional life, sedentary lifestyles and nearly absent
personal life. In fact in 2004 British Journal of Psychology came out with a
startling finding that placed depression as the 4th leading cause of
disability (this is in context of disability to perform tasks at personal and
professional levels).
This psychological problem is like that evil Joker in
‘Batman series’. A sadist that is slowly killing the person each day where one
tends to lose interest in life, work, food and most importantly sex. The
clinical depression as health experts’ state is the worst form of depression
that lasts longer with the patient’s ending up as silent spectator with no
reaction. One tends to remain lonely and hates being part of social circles, it
is like locking oneself from the entire world. There are no reasons to be happy
and all that one does is cry in despair.
But it is time to see the brighter side of depression.
Hold your breath as there is one thing that people suffering from depression
tend to ignore ‘Food therapy’. Yes this very evil can be fought with a smile by
devouring some really good stuff. Instead of popping pills and spending hours
crying or lying on the bed, get ready to treat yourself. Forget the weight gain
problem, just learn to be happy by eating some really mouth watering dishes to
kick the depression away.
So here is a wish list that you got to fulfill and smile
your way out of depression by eating the best food available in town. Health
expert feel that it is important to eat right and spread the meal five or six
times in a day instead of one heavy meal.
Here goes the list that promises to make you happy and gay (pun
intended):
1. Turkey is the way
Time to ring in those
Christmas celebration once again, Turkey is one dish devoured during this
festival. Those of you who seriously want to kill those depressive strands from
the mind; they should eat Turkey more often which is rich in tryptophan source.
This particular chemical works to stimulate serotonin creation which is
regarded as a natural ‘feel-good-chemical’ produced by the body. So invite
friends at home or head to the nearby restaurants to enjoy your share of
‘feel-good-food’. Turkey has what is said ‘happy hormones’.
2. Fish and fatty it should be
Those of you who love seafood
should dig into it more often since fatty fishes help in combating depression.
It is one of those foods that elevate mood and send happy signals to the brain.
Fish is the one of the richest source for omega-3 fatty acids that has abundant
brain enhancing capabilities and is also good for the entire health of the body
as well. Devour wild salmon, tuna, bluefish and mackerel to help in improving
blood circulation and reducing inflammation, ensuring that you don’t suffer
from any heart problems. Enjoy fish and chips to ward off those depressive
pangs and keep the heart healthy and happy. Have just two serving per week else it might
lead to some other problem.
3. Be on a Low-Fat Dairy diet
Did you know that low fat
milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy products have unique peptides (proteins)
that can offer relaxation of senses and induce a feeling of well-being in the
mind? Well if this piece of information was not known to you then better start
making use of this to counter depression. Enjoy a chilled glass of low fat milk
or a low fat cheese sandwich to feel good and fight gloominess with a power
packed dairy diet.
4. Dig in those dark chocolate bars
This bit of information is sure to bring
a smile on the face. You might wonder that can something as good as chocolate act as a tool
to deal with depression. Well the good news is that dark variant of chocolate
are considered to be a mood booster. When one takes a bite of dark chocolate,
the body release the chemical serotonin that works its way to relax the blood
vessels of the cardiovascular structure in the body. It is said that with
higher percentage of coco is better as chocolate contains endorphins along with
serotonin which give signal to the brain of feeling joyous. Take a bite to feel
relaxed and out of that dejected feeling inside the head. The higher
5. Green tea to greener mind
Green tea is a rage these days
as it is consumed to build stronger immunity and to lose those extra kilos. A
nicely brewed tea (green) does wonders by sending positive stimulants to mind
thereby nurturing a relaxing feeling in the mind. Tea is rich in flavonoids and
it helps in improving mental health and dealing with depression and anxiety by
just sipping on to this concoction every day. Researchers have stated that
green tea is an extremely rich source of antioxidants, but the other fact is
that it has depression-fighting properties can be traced to amino acid known as
theanine. This theanine has stress relieving attributes that offer relaxation
feeling to those who consume green tea.
6. Citrus fruits magical twist
Fruits such as oranges,
grapefruits or lemons should be included in the diet to deal with depressive
traits. These citrus fruits are rich source of flavonoids which are also
referred to as antioxidants are great way of chucking those depression signs.
As per a study that China completed in 2005, it stated that flavonoids can
inhibit the symptoms of mild depression.
7. Include brown rice and potatoes
If you are suffering from
depression then chuck that junk and processed food as refined food is linked to
depression as per a study conducted by University College London in the year
2009. It showed that having brown rice is good as post consumption glucose is
slowly released in the body, leasing to relaxed state of mind. Rich in Vitamin
B and essential folic acid brown rice and potatoes are healthy way of dealing
with this mind related issue.
8. Go green with your diet plan
Green vegetables like
broccoli, spinach, asparagus, lettuce and Brussels are good source of vitamins
that help in fighting depression. Even avocados, mushrooms, green peppers and
pumpkins are known to be amazing source for vitamin B and folic acid. A diet
rich in green colour will help in keeping the depression at bay.
9. Meat rich diet
Often iron deficiency leads to
depression and the best way to deal with it to eat meat or include it in your
diet. It is better than popping pills. Meat as it is widely known that it is a
rich source of iron and should be consumed in healthy way by prepare by
reducing the carcinogens levels. Other vegetarian source are that are rich in
iron are green leafy vegetables, kale, legumes and quinoa. Meat in any form is
good but should be cooked in healthy way using olive oil which is again is a known
to help patients suffering from depression.
10. Go for fibre rich whole grain food
When one talks about food that
help in dealing with depression then whole grain food that are of high fibre
carbohydrates that does good to the entire body. These are food contain complex
carbohydrates that are known to do wonders in enhancing mood swiftly and
improves the set of mind too. Plan the diet in order to ensure that you consume
oatmeal and whole grains stuff (food like biscuits and breads) to pasta (whole
wheat variety) that will help in maintaining a good mental balance.
The above list of magical food list is a double edged
sword as at one end you deal with depression in a healthy way and on the other
side; you end up with a leaner body. With a changed diet aimed at improving the
mind, it can also have constructive impact on the overall health of the body.
Sometimes small changes in lifestyle can turn life into a
better venture. For something as common and deadly as depression it is best to
adopt a healthy diet plan that is rich in vitamins and minerals needed to deal
with signs of depression and other health problems. Eating good food is the key
to dealing with any problem.
Apart from the food therapy doctors and health experts
would recommend patients to be in a group of friends or people who make them
feel good and positive about themselves. It is important to socialize to be
able to overcome the dark shadows of depression. Music too helps in dealing
with psychological problem as it aids in soothing away the tension and taking
mind to a relaxed state. This ensures good sleep and better mood when one wakes
up in the morning.
