Life Without Blues

Depressed people often develop a sweet tooth due to the chemical process that is taking place in the brain during depression. But sugar has higher glycemic index, than starchy foods like pasta, rice or potatoes. Therefore, eating a candy will cause blood sugar levels to peak higher, boosting the serotonin level in the brain, then if we had a bowl of brown rice.

Chocolate is a perfect short-term drug against depression, as it thought to contain psychoactive substances such as anandamines (^?), caffeine, phenylethylamine (^?) and sugar.

Is sugar really that harmless and can be taken as much as you want when you feel down in the dumps? Nancy Appleton, PhD, clinical nutritionist compiled a list of 146 reasons in her book Lick the Sugar Habit on why we shouldn’t consume sugar at all. Here are just a few of them:

• Sugar can decrease growth hormone -the key to staying youthful and lean
• Sugar feeds cancer
• Sugar can weaken eyesight
• Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein
• Sugar contributes to diabetes
• Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease
• Sugar can impair the structure of DNA
• Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases)
• Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of yeast infections
• Sugar contributes to osteoporosis

The only good thing about sugar is that it tastes good and makes us feel good. Temporarily.

Are there other alternatives to sugar? Yes, but most of them are neither safe, nor useful.

• Asparthame turns into formaldehyde in the body if heated above a certain temperature.
• Saccharine caused cancer in rats when given to them over a long period of time.
• Xylitol is quite expensive and can lead to diarrhoea.
• Honey still raises the level of blood sugar, which makes is unsuitable for diabetics.

However, one of sugar alternatives, stevia (^?), has been used for centuries by American Indians to treat diabetes. Stevia is a perennial shrub of the aster family, native to Central America and now cultivated in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, United States, Israel, Thailand and China. The leaves contain several chemicals called glycosides, which taste sweet, but do not provide calories. The major glycoside is called stevioside. Stevia doesn’t increase blood sugar levels which makes it safe for diabetics and contains antioxidants, as recent studies showed.

Stevita Co. Inc., Spoonable Stevia, 16oz Jar, great for baking!

Low-carb diet might not be as healthy as it was previously thought. There’s a cetain proof of higher risk of clogged arteries and heart attack in the long-term in those who is on a low-carb diet.

And what about patients who suffer from depression?

Researches at MIT discovered that the brain produces serotonin only after a sweet or starchy carbohydrate meal that mustn’t be eaten in combination with proteins. So eating pasta or graham crackers, natural rice or whole-grain bread will allow the brain to make serotonin, but having steak and potatoes or a hamburger will prevent serotonin from being produced. Sometimes people still feel hungry after they have eaten a high-protein meal, which means that their brains are not making enough serotonin to shut off their appetite.

Most women on a low-carb diet miss carbohydrates the most after the second week of dieting. As women have much less serotonin in the brain that men, low-carb or serotonin-depleting diet will deprive them of the happiness-chemical making.

When we have carb cravings it means that our brain sends signals that we need certain food to stabilize our mood. As we experience a mood change usually in the late afternoon or mid-evening, that’s when we feel like eating something sweet or starchy. Our body regulates itself as long as we listen to it and make the right food choices.

If we don’t nurture our brain properly, irritability, restlessnes and grumpyness is something we have to deal with. Furthermore, munching on fatty foods like bacon or cheese makes us tired, lethargic and apathetic.

“When you take away the carbohydrates, it’s like taking away water from someone hiking in the desert,” Wurtman said. “If fat is the only alternative for a no- or low-carb dieter to consume to satiate the cravings, it’s like giving a beer to the parched hiker to relieve the thirst — temporary relief, but ultimately not effective.”

That’s why it is crucially important not to skip breakfast and include smart carbohydrates into your menu plan.

More posts:

Tip #1. Good Mood Breakfast

Technorati Tags: carbohydrate cravings, clinical depression, low-carbohydrate diet

Asparagus was cultivated by ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and used as medicine and a vegetable. Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda use roots and rhizomes as diuretic (elevates the rate of urination) and as a treatment for urinary tract infections.

Asparagus is a perennial member of the lily family. The spears we buy are the shots from an underground crown. It takes up to three years for crowns to develop enough to begin producing shoots, but once they do, they can produce for up to 20 years. There is a slight difference between white and green asparagus, as white asparagus appears to be milder and less crunchy than the green one. White asparagus when grown, is kept deprived of light and cannot produce chlorophyll, thus it doesn’t have the green color.

This vegatable has an exceptional value as antidepressant since it stimulates the brain activity and rejuvenates the nervous system. Asparagus also helps our body fight cancer, lowers cholesterol, prevents urinary tract and bladder infections as well as kidney stones, heart disease, colon cancer, liver disease and spina bifida, and it is top of the list of alkaline products.

Asparagus is a particularly rich dietary source of gluthathione. Gluthathione is a protein composed of three amino acids: cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine. This is thought to be the most valuable detoxifying agent in the human body. Gluthathione has also been called the “master antioxidant” as it enhances the actions of lesser antioxidants such as vitamin A and vitamin E within the body. Dietary gluthathione intake protects us against certain forms of cancer in addition to potent anti-viral properties. Gluthathione is also a regenerator of our immune cells.

Another ingredient that makes asparagus so special for a healthy diet is rutin. Rutin is a bioflavonoid that is highly concentrated in asparagus stalks. Some studies have proven rutin to increase the strength of capillaries and regulate their permeability, as well as improving circulation to the lower limbs, by increasing the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

My suggestion is to serve steamed green asparagus sprinkled with olive oil and fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. As simple as that.

Here is a short video teaching you how to cook asparagus with onions and red peppers.

Top 5 Foods That Fight Depression

Technorati Tags: asparagus, Foods That Fight Depression

Some experts state that an adult currently consumes about 14 times more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are the other essential fat in our diet, but it is found in abundance in most oils we consume (soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, and peanut oil). Our goal is to bring this consumption closer to an equal intake or, at most, only 3 grams of omega-6 fatty acids for every 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed oil and flaxseeds are the only source of alpha-linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid found in flaxseed oil, canola oil and walnuts) that does not also provide omega-6 fatty acids. So, here’s what you can do if you are a vegan or a vegetarian:

• Use microalgae oil as a replacement for fatty fish consumption
• Use flaxseed oil or flaxseeds (ground or crushed) as your source of alpha-linolenic acid. Do not heat the oil when you use it.
• Avoid processed foods and deep-fat-fried foods rich in trans and omega-6 fatty acids and replace plant oils with olive oil or rapeseed oil.

Technorati Tags: omega 3 for vegetarians

Depression is a common sign of folic acid deficiency; at least eight studies have shown that patients with depression have lower levels of folic acid than other populations. the average American only manages to consume 60 per cent of the US Recommended Daily Allowance for folic acid every day. How can you improve your diet? Eat at least twice a day one of the foods from the list:

• Spinach and green leafy vegetables. Spinach can be eaten raw as salad. Just sprinkle the leaves with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and here is your treat!
• Whole grain breads. A slice of brown bread tastes fantastic with a bit of olive oil.
• Green asparagus. Lovely veg! It’s spring (asparagus) time now!
• Baked beans. That’s a fantastic side for a lean steak or grilled fish.
• Tomato juice. I loved as it is or with a bit of seasoning: black and cayenne pepper or a pinch of curry powder.

High-folate foods support red blood cell production and help prevent anemia, help prevent homocysteine build-up in your blood, support cell production, especially in your skin, help prevent osteoporosis-related bone fractures, help prevent dementias including Alzheimer’s.

Now go and get your bunch of spinach!

By the way, there is a great E-Book on how to manage your depression and get better without antidepressants. It is called Heal Depression Naturally. Really worth reading!

Technorati Tags: folic acid for depression, folic acid source, folic acid sources, food for depression

Numerous studies showed that there’s a connection between carbohydrates intake and serotonin (mood-boosting brain chemical) production, which means that eating foods high in carbohydrates like breads, cereal, pasta, raises the level of serotonin in the brain. When serotonin levels rise, we feel a calming effect and become less anxcious. However, a study conducted at the Clinical Research Center revealed that the brain makes serotonin only after a person consumes sweet or starchy carbohydrates, but these carbohydrates must not be eaten in combination with protein.

The findings by University of Cambridge scientists shows that serotonin helps the brain regions involved in self-control do their job. They also suggested that changing the diet can significantly can help the serotonin levels to fluctuate naturally. A number of experiments showed that aggression and frustration levels were higher in people who skipped breakfast.

Here are a few breakfast recipes to make your day.

Here is a very comforting recipe of Cardamom Rice Pudding that you can cook for breakfast.

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 3 cups vanilla soy milk or just skim milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 cardamom pods
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons honey

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Bring the water to a boil in a medium sized ovenproof saucepan. Add the rice, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until rice i cooked al-dente (not quite soft yet). In a large bowl, whisk the soymilk or milk, sugar, and salt. When the rice is cooked add the soymilk mixture and cardamom pods. Cover and place in the oven for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven, uncover, and remove the ccardamom pods. Stir in the vanilla, ground cardamom and nutmeg. Pudding will be slightly liquidy but it will thicken as the pudding cools down. Distribute among 8 bowls, drizzle each with 1 teaspoon of the honey. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I usually add some chopped dried apricots to the bowls when I serve the pudding. It smells so nice and can really brighten your morning.

Technorati Tags: carbohydrate breakfast for depression

Craving for carbohydrates? You are not alone. Many people snack on food containing carbs, especially in winter. This is that kind of food that helps you fight depression and feel better in general, in other words, comfort food. Carb cravings in winter appear as a result of so called “winter blues” or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). After having a high-carb snack you might feel better in about 20 minutes, which means that your serotonin or “feel-good” hormone kicks in that is also boosted when you are on an antidepressants. The carb cravings associated with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and usually hit in fall and winter or any time of the year if you are stressed or depressed or in any kind of emotional turmoil.

The problem with carb cravings is that if you give in to it you might gain lots of weight.

Some tips on how to maintain balance between fighting depression and not gaining weight:

1. As the carb cravings get worse as the day goes on, try and eat your greens and proteins at breakfast and lunch and for dinner choose pasta, rice or potato.

2. Try to cook stews and soups with plenty of carbs, like potatoes and vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, ocra, celeriac).

3. If you are having a high-carb dinner, serve some salad leaves or fresh vegetables, like bell pepper, carrots or cucumbers.

4. Have a light carb snack in the afternoon, like a bowl of cornflakes or whole-wheat cupcake.

5. Every time you are having your meal try to enjoy it and eat slower than usual.

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Technorati Tags: carbohydrates, carbs, comfort food, diet, fight depression, healthy