Superfoods That Fight Depression & Improve Mood

We’ve all had the blues once in while. But when they happen on a more frequent basis, it becomes cause for concern. But there are ways to adjust your diet to help stabilize your mood. It’s imperative to eat meals at regular intervals in order to keep your serotonin levels in check, a chemical in the brain that has a calming effect. Good nutrition is your best defense for managing depression, without resorting to potentially toxic drugs.

 Healthy foods for your brain & mood. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Carbohydrates are linked to serotonin production and lack of carbohydrates may cause changes in your mood. Here are more food ideas to help you combat depression and kick those blues.

Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon and mackerel are always a great choice for dinner. Omega-3 fatty acids also help prevent heart disease and stroke and may help prevent some cancers. Plus, salmon contains selenium, an important antioxidant mineral. Be sure to choose wild salmon at the grocery store or local fish market, since it contains more omegas than farmed, or Atlantic, salmon.

A recent study indicated that people who suffer from depression also have lower levels of the antioxidant vitamin E. Olive oil, walnut oil, and other healthy fats and oils tend to have high vitamin E content.

Dark green vegetables like spinach and peas are high in folate, a key player in the production of serotonin. They’re also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Fresh is always the best option, as canned versions tend to have lower nutritional value. Legumes are also high in folate and protein and low in fat, and are an excellent option for those who are vegetarian or on meat-restricted diets.

More good mood foods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chickpeas are rich in fiber, iron, and vitamin E. For a simple snack, combine a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas with some minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, and olive or canola oil in your blender or food processor. Add salt, pepper and other spices as you wish. The resulting hummus makes a healthy and hearty vegetable dip.

Chicken and turkey are both rich in vitamin B6, which plays a role in serotonin production in the body. They are both a good source of selenium and other vitamins and minerals, too. You should always eat free-range, pasture-raised poultry to support the health of the planet, and minimize antibiotics and other toxins in your diet.

And please, if you’ve been dealing with the symptoms of depression for a while, contact your doctor to discuss available treatment options and find a natural and healthy solution that works for you.

Why We Need A New Definition of Healthy

Okay, rant time!  :-)   I know I haven't ranted in a while, but this morning's outing to the local Kroger got me all fired up....

After picking up some strawberries and organic butter (on sale for under $4 - yay!), I headed for the other side of the store, and found myself behind a fellow shopping with (presumably) his two sons. One was small - riding in the cart - the other was maybe 4 or 5 years old - cute little blond-headed boy. He apparently had been asking his dad if he could get a little treat (I didn't see what it was). All I heard was his dad's response:
"No, you can't have that - it's not good for you."  Followed by - almost as an after-thought:

"Most things that taste good aren't good for you."

WHAT??  I almost interrupted right there, but I thought better of it. What good could come of confronting a well-meaning dad trying to educate his children?  I really couldn't think of anything to say at that moment that would have made a positive difference, so I held my tongue, but inside I was stewing all the way home.

What a horrible thing to teach your children!

First of all, you're teaching your kids from a young age to feel guilty about eating things they enjoy (way to plant the seeds for a future eating disorder, dad!)

But even worse, you're predisposing them to dislike (probably before even tasting) anything they would think of as "healthy."

"The Healthy Eating Pyramid" (Yes, believe it or not, that IS a can of pop at the top right...) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Basically that one statement will install a belief in those children that could very well lead to a short and unhealthy life - unless they are able to later overcome this early programming and learn to make choices based on reality on their own.  (Which many do, and I think, hopefully, more and more lately.)

In my mind, I was less timid, and confronted the guy with a simple, "That's not true!" Then I would have held up the package of butter - "Look at this organic butter - it's 10 times healthier than the regular stuff, AND it tastes better too!" Then I envisioned an argument ensuing about whether or not butter itself is healthy. (Which it can be - in case you were wondering, in reasonable amounts, as long as it's from properly fed and cared for animals that eat what they're designed to eat (grass), and aren't pumped full of hormones, chemicals, and junk. Clean animal fat is a natural substance which supports a number of functions in the human body, and is the most compatible type of fat with the human body - after all - it's the closest thing to our own fat - which makes up most of our brains, the marrow of our bones, and the walls of every cell in our bodies).

But what good would that have done? The dad's own programming (probably from his own parents, not to mention the non-stop media garbage) would most likely have prevented him from even comprehending the truth of my argument.

I find it incredibly sad and frustrating that all the mainstream (and mostly well-intentioned) efforts out there towards "health" are heading in completely the wrong direction. And it's REALLY easy to see this! If all it took to be healthy was to strip the fat out of everything, we would be the healthiest nation in the world! Instead, after 20-30 years of "low-fat," "low-sodium," "reduced-everything", we find ourselves with the highest rate of cancers, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, (the list goes on) than ever before in history.

At some point, don't we have to take a step back and say, "Okay, obviously this isn't working...."???   Maybe we were wrong?  Maybe eggs aren't evil, and processed (and sugared) grain isn't the actual basis of a healthy diet??

And back to the dad's comment for a moment - as I've mentioned before, REAL healthy food is the best-tasting food there is!!!  In fact, if you really think about it, the junk "foods" that are out there are packed full of artificial flavors - just to make us think they taste good!  Because in actuality, the processed, washed, bleached, dried, ground, separated, cooked, and re-formed into patties/nuggets/flakes/puffs "food" that we think of as "good-tasting-not-healthy food" really tastes like crap! Which is why they add all the artificial flavorings, colors, coatings, etc. - to trick our bodies into thinking this tastes good - therefore it must be good for me!

Guess what? There's a reason that stuff tastes good.... God made us that way - so that our bodies would know what is good for them, and what they need. Our taste buds recognize when something is ripe (it's sweet) - meaning at the peak of nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, etc., rich - meaning containing fats that naturally help sustain our bodies and brains, or simply good-tasting - meaning it's something that's okay to eat, and not poisonous (things that are naturally poisonous to us usually taste bitter, or simply "off", to our taste buds). Natural, whole, real foods that God made for us to eat are the tastiest stuff on earth!

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The problem is, we stripped everything out of these real, good, whole foods, for the sake of convenience and profit, and now they taste like crap, so we add chemical additives to them that taste sort of like an imitation of what the actual food would taste like, so that we'll eat them....

HOW DOES THIS MAKE SENSE????!

Is it any wonder that we ended up where we are now? That of all the mammals on earth, we are the only species who live an average of 6 1/2 times our age at puberty (every other mammal lives 11-20 times)? We're also the only species that messes with its food.... go figure.

It's time to take a look at where we are, and how we got here, and realize that to survive as a species we need to change direction (not just when it comes to health, but also our care for the environment, our management of our resources, etc. - but these are for another blog post! :-)  Or visit our website for some ideas and solutions in these areas as well: www.newholisticliving.com.).

We need a new definition of healthy that doesn't rely on the USDA food pyramid (aka USDA pile of crap - pardon my French). We need to get back to basics, and back to eating the food that God gave us to eat - and stop pretending to be God ourselves and trying to make His food "better" - it can't be done!! Our bodies were designed by Him, and He created what these bodies are meant to eat.

Real Food = Whole Food = Natural Food = Fresh Food = Real Health.

What do you think? Agree? Disagree?  Got ideas of your own?  Feel free to share below, and if you liked this rant, you may also find these posts of interest:

Why Healthy Food Tastes Good
How to Get Healthy By Shopping Local
Organic Foods for Improved Health?
All About Aspartame
Raw Food Diet Series (1st post)

Flush the Fat With Smart Food Choices

If one of your New Year's Resolutions is to lose some weight this year, this resource may help flush some of that stubborn fat from your body.

Flushing the fat? As crazy as the concept might sound, The Fat Flush Plan can help you reshape your body while detoxifying your system. This low-carbohydrate, three-phase diet regimen was created by nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., C.N.S.

Cover of The Fat Flush PlanPhase 1 of the plan, called The Two-Week Fat Flush, lasts 14 days and is designed to jump-start weight loss. Phase 2, The Ongoing Fat Flush, helps you continue to lose weight, and Phase 3, The Lifestyle Eating Plan, focuses on maintenance.

The Fat Flush Plan was designed to increase metabolism, flush out bloat and boost the fat burning process. At the core of the plan is the commitment to promote a balanced lifestyle and encourage simple healthy habits that seem to have gone by the wayside in our modern and hectic everyday life. Every aspect of each phase of the plan is focused on accomplishing this goal: helpful essential fats, amounts of protein, antioxidant-rich vegetables, moderate amounts of fruits, calorie-burning herbs and spices, cleansing diuretic beverages, exercise, journaling and even sleep are addressed.

The Two-Week Fat Flush is based on an average of 1,100 to 1,200 calories daily, and is designed to jumpstart weight loss for dramatic results. It will transform your shape by accelerating fat loss from your body's favorite fat storage areas - your hips, thighs and buttocks.

The Ongoing Fat Flush is the next step for those individuals who have additional weight to lose but who also want to pursue a more moderate cleansing program and enjoy a bit more variety in food choices while still losing weight. This part of the program is designed for ongoing weight loss, with approximately 1,200 to 1,500 calories each day. This is the phase that will be followed until you reach your desired weight or size.

The Lifestyle Eating Plan is your maintenance program for lifetime weight control. This phase offers over 1,500 calories daily, providing a basic lifelong eating program designed to increase your vitality and well-being for life. You’ll add up to two dairy products and up to two additional friendly carbs. Phase 3 friendly carbs include more choices from a variety of starchier veggies and nongluten hypoallergenic grains. Foods are always introduced one at a time to make sure there are no allergic reactions and you’re your body tolerates the food well.

If you've had trouble losing weight and want to get on a healthy plan that will help you get started, but also provide ongoing support to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle, you may want to check out Louise's program. Several resources are listed below, and you can also find more at Amazon.com.

The Fat Flush Plan: