Depression?

Question

My question is do eating habits such as a high sugar diet effect affect a persons mental state, as in how they feel.
Does exercise like aerobics, running walking or dance have any effect on depression?
I am wondering if there are natural ways to deal with treating depression or iif it is just put the patient on some type of medication?

Answer 1

Exercise, reduction of stress in your life, and proper nutrition are all things that can naturally help with depression.

However, in some cases, natural solutions are not enough and medication is needed.

Answer 2

What we eat affects the seratonin level in our brain. Sugar affects hyperactive children and comfort foods make us feel better. Exercise does have a positive effect on depression. There are many studies that recommend good diet and exercise as a help with depression however, there are times that medication and therapy are needed. I always recommend that people try the natural route such as healthy foods, excercise, good lighting etc before they resort to medications. A good therapist can make a big difference in helping someone work through depression.

Answer 3

The answer to your question depends primarily on the type of depression you are talking about. Most are a chemical imbalance in the brain, and the medications used these days are quite good with few side effects. Zoloft is a good one to try. Healthy amounts of exercise certainly do help, but counselling and meds are a better place to start as they clear the mind to start the healing process. A high sugar diet is not good for anyone, but i don't think it has an impact on ones mental state, but more their hips.

Answer 4

Eating (lots) of foods high in sugar will initially give you a boost in energy, which may in turn make you feel better--but, then as your blood sugar rebounds, you may crash.
Eating a well-balanced diet (fruit, vegetables, milk, grains and meat) is your best bet.
Exercise, particularly aerobics, has a profound affect on your mood---it raises the levels of endorphins (the chemical that makes you feel good) If you have a chemical imbalance this will HELP your depression, but it may not totally eradicate it. See this article http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/better-side-effects/exercise-helps-depression-as-well-as-meds-says-new-study-302155.php
Some natural remedies, without resorting to the Anti-Depressants include:
St. John's Wort, Tryptophan, Sam-E
These can be purchased at most health food stores.

One thing you did not mention is sleep. You need to get at least 7-8 hours sleep--a good quality sleep--even if it means going to sleep earlier.

Answer 5

i think natural way is the best way to deal with depression. The concept of a pill fixing a problem in you system only means further reliance to the pill.
i believe all of the above u mentioned helps. Personally, i've been a year and a half out of drug rehab....and depression was killing me (almost litterally). I excercised every night, ate fruits and vegtables. But i must admit, what did the most wonders for me was reading. I started reading alot just to keep my brain from wondering into that gray zone, and it has gotten me to the point where i can read a book in couple days....i was one of those Cliffnote readers before. Well, i also took pills, but that made me feel drunk and act goofy from suppressing my anxiety. It feels better to be able to do it on ur own instead of a therapist or medication. There are so many pills out there and my guess is the only reason why doctors are so quick to prescribe pills is due to the demand from drug company lobbiest.

Answer 6

Foods can cause or treat depressions.

Chocolates have components that are mood supressors, and thus can cause mild bouts of depression.

The cornerstone of a cure comes in developing a belief that will aid in over coming the problem.

For me, it was when I read Psalms 30 ... " You have kept me alive that my soul should not dwell in sheol."

I have suffered mild bouts since then, but I have also began to employ a passage from a song of faith :" Now sings my soul, my Savior, My God to thee. How great Thou art, How Great Thou art."

This has helped me reign in some of my fustrations.

Know also that technology can help increase or decrease depression. Cell Phones can increase it, and depending on personality type, the Internet can increase or decrease it.

The most important factor is having people around who understand that the bouts of depression happen, and be available to talk with (just to listen) about what is going on. Don't really try to solve their problems, but rather listen to them going through the problems themselves.

Employing a propper diet and exercizing will help, but they are hard to get into if conditions dont help. A person who has a little too much girth will not be less depressed if they try to jog and someone along the way laughs at them. If they don't have a place they can do that which they need to do, and feel safe doing it, the depression will get worse.

A person who does not have someone to help with the day to day things such as cleaning house or buying groceries will have worse risks and less ability to do these things.

Last of all, never belittle the way they feel. The worst of all is being made to feel stupid for feeling so isolated. Realize that it is not all about you fixing things. If they feel bad about not being able to pay bills, it does not help all the time for you to pay the bills for them. It would some times be better to push them to get a better job, or work harder at the one they have.

You have to gage this with the individual. You wont get it right if you don't have the ability to gather information without relying on being told everything. Feeling bad about something is sometimes worsed by feeling bad when telling some one about it....

Remember this too...

High sugar can cause hyper activity, but it can cause hypo activity. Changing from a High Sugar diet can also cause problems. Paying attention to this as you go will help alot.

Answer 7

My doctor really pushes exercise, he is his own good example of wellness. He lost a lot of weight by working out and encouraged me to include exercise. So I was able to join a class 2 X a week with co-workers and I lost one dress size. The best part is that I feel better too. But I take meds and exercise. Doing both has worked well for me because I only have to take one med instead of 2 or 3 like I did before.

Answer 8

Eating improperly will cause stress especially ones with high sugar and contain caffeine. If possible avoid it. Exercises are good and a major depression reliever. Below are some tips to handle depression. It will works. Believe me.

Make yourself busy. We all need to feel like we're involved in something significant. We need to participate in something outside ourselves. You might consider volunteering at a local women's shelter or food pantry. That will elevate your mood as well as your self esteem.

Exercise is good for us, but physical contact is equally important. Exercise affects brain chemicals, and the healing touch of physical closeness does too. If you're depressed, hug somebody - anybody, everybody! A hug is good medicine. It reduces stress and tension and it boosts your immunity to illness. Hugs raise self esteem and lower blood pressure. They feel good and make people happy. And they're free! Hugs are the universal language that communicates love and acceptance. They're healthy for the "hugger" as well as the "hugee."

Take up a sporting activity like walking, cycling, tennis, golf, water sports, riding, gliding, sailing, football, badminton. Something with a personal achievement goal. Spectator sports do not count and have little value for the purpose of defeating depression. Like alcohol (with which they are often associated) and television, they are simply ephemeral distractions. Depression cannot exist when the adrenaline is surging. Try bungee jumping.

Avoid substances that are unknown to cause mood swings or depressionlike alcohol, caffeine, chocolate and high sugar foods.

Learn to laugh. It really will make you feel better. Visit a local joke shop or toy shop. Buy books and magazines that you find entertaining and amusing rather than just educational. hire a funny video and invite one or two friends round to enjoy it with you.

Build up your self-confidence. People who suffer from depression often lack self-assurance. Write an advertisement for yourself listing all your good qualities. Carry your advert with you and look at it whenever you’re feeling down.

Have a pet. The pet, however, be it a parrot, a cat, a mouse or a dog do not have this problem. They love their ‘master’ unconditionally and this is fully reflected through their behavior. It is much easier overcoming depression and making your way back to normalcy when you are faced with the exceptional love of a pet (or more). It was observed that people whom pets were given want to become better, want to become useful, want to love back and hence slowly escape the clutches of depression and return to their old selfs.

Talk to someone about it. A problem shared is a problem halved. Have you ever felt better by getting something off your chest? Of course you have. Did talking about a problem in the past help to put it into perspective and perhaps make it easier to deal with. I would guess you have probably been there too. Depression is no different. Find someone you can trust and get talking about it. Friends, family, your doctor, support groups both online and off....You might even find that someone comes up with an idea you have never thought of which just might work for you.

Answer 9

Too much sugary stuff and too much sugared diet can greatly affect the mind - it's activated to high mood and restless state that may give rise to bouts of anxiety, tension and brain that's in hyper-active state........

Hence, it's best to cut down intake of sugar whenever possible because high sugared diet is connected to depressive mood as well.

Yes, aerobics (or cardio exercise) like running, walking or dance can help to relieve depression as it enhances self-confidence and provides a sense of accomplishment and mastery, which in turn elevates one's overall outlook in life.

Get a more in-depth effect of exercise on depression here: http://www.perfect-body-toning.com/effect-of-exercise-on-depression.html

Right now, the conventional way to treat depression is thru mediaction.

But I do think there are natural ways to overcome depression - exercise is one of them plus having one's life outlook grounded in the right perspective is another.

Also, look for other factors that may contribute to depression, like anemia, blood sugar imbalances, candida overgrowth, chromium, zinc and/or magnesium deficiencies or toxic overload.

Go out to enjoy sunshine (in the morning). The sunlight has got theurapatic effect on the mind.

Increase intake of omega-3's, B-complex vitamins, fish oil supplements, multivitamins and minerals.

Answer 10

You have hit on two key factors. There are other dietary factors besides sugar. See if your library can get you a copy of "from fatigued to fantastic"... it's a decent primer.

another big dietary factor is good fats/bad fats ratio... look into omega 3. supplement fish oil.

depressed people should eat only health food until they can be confident that they are not diet sensitive. for the most part that means fresh whole vegetables and fruits, and filtered water to drink. look for a list of 'superfoods'.

routine cardio exercise helps quite a bit. consider mild sleep disorder or lack of sunlight, too.

Answer 11

hi...yes you can affect effect depression with diet and with exercise and with....watching or reading something which makes you skew your thinking in a positive manner...laughter is the best medicine...I know I need to get out and walk and see friends...no drinking...that is a depressant...why pour one chemical on top of a chemical mess as it were...hmmmm....chemical imbalances can be corrected without the use of medication...think of medication as a shortcut...sometimes people need that quick relief...but if you don't then do what you feel is right...and by all means...try chocolate on this treatment plan...it releases endorphines that create a sense of well being...just don't over do...