Clinical Depression is one of the more difficult disorders to treat naturally. The causes of depression are vast and understanding the root cause can be the greatest help in the healing process. Depression is a mental disorder that in turn affects the physical body. There are many foods and herbs that can be helpful for a depression diagnosis, as well as foods that can exacerbate symptoms. One of the best treatments is to eat mood stabilizing foods.
Here are some food substances to avoid if you are dealing with depression:
1. Refined white sugar
There is an endless list of why refined sugar and processed sugar replacements are very harsh on the depressive system. The brain depends on even and balanced supply of glucose and when your blood sugar has spiked, a sugar-crash is not far behind. People often love the high of sugar, but tend to forget about the crash that comes later on. A depressive episode can be caused by the sugar-crash. If the brain is busy crashing and peaking, it is not regulating to emit the right doses of serotonin. Sugar replacements, such as Equal, and Sweet and Low, systematically block the supply of serotonin, otherwise known as the good feeling hormone.
2. Trans fats
Many studies have concluded that those with higher levels of trans fats are forty-eight percent more likely to develop depression. Trans fats appear in processed and manufactured food and a big indicator that there’s trans fats in food when you see the ingredient “partially Hydrogenated oil”. The FDA has banned trans fats from the grocery shelves over the next three years, which is a great step in the right direction. These unnatural fats create biological changes in the body, that not only increase the risk for depression, but for heart disease and diabetes as well. The daily allotment in the nutritional standard set by the FDA is “0.” To avoid eating trans fats, it’s recommended to shop the periphery of the grocery store only.
3. Alcohol
Alcohol of any kind is considered a depressant. Even though many people get elated, uninhibited, and care-free, the lasting effects are negative. Alcohol turns directly into sugars, which spikes blood sugar levels in the body, much like consuming refined sugar. This sets a person who is already dealing with depression up for crashes. The short term effects of drinking seem to diminish and sedate emotions that are too difficult to deal with. Alcohol is labeled a depressant in the drug family because it can create a vicious cycle when paired with depression. It can also effect anti-anxiety, antidepressant medicines that are being taken.
