Depression and Low Mood

What are the symptoms of depression?

Most people can feel unhappy or sad for a few days, but depression affects you persistently for weeks or months. Being depressed usually makes us want to withdraw and hide away from society. We lose interest in ordinary pleasures and activities. Other symptoms of depression include anxiety, chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, headaches, irritability, low productivity and feelings of low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and helplessness. 

Why am I depressed? 

Depression may be triggered by stress or a traumatic life event such as bereavement, divorce, losing a job or financial worries, but it can also be the result of chemical imbalances in the brain, thyroid disorders, nutritional deficiencies, medication and recreational drinking and drug taking… and poor diet.

Few of us are aware of the connection between nutrition and depression, although most of us easily understand the connection between nutritional deficiencies and physical illness. Depression is more typically thought of as strictly biochemical-based or emotionally-rooted. On the contrary, nutrition can play a key role in the onset as well as severity and duration of depression.

What are standard medical treatments for depression?

There are many different types of drugs used in the treatment of depression, including:

• selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs),
• atypical antidepressants
• tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
• and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

Side effects are common in all antidepressants, and for many people, these effects are serious enough to make them stop taking the medication.

How does healthy nutrition help treat depression naturally? 

The idea that food affects our mind is an alien concept for many people. But since our brain is perhaps the most delicate organ of our body, using sometimes as much as 30% of all the energy we derive from food, this should come as no surprise.

While certain foods may not put you instantly in a better mood, a healthy diet may help as part of an overall treatment for depression. 

Can a poor diet lead to depression?

We all need key vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and even a small amount of fat. A deficiency in any one of these nutrients results in our bodies not working at full capacity and can even lead to depression. 

One of the most common causes of depression is a food allergy. Low blood sugar is another. So addressing food intolerances and blood sugar imbalances is key. 

Depression and other mood disorders can often be managed by focusing on a eating a whole food diet, avoiding sugar and other toxins, identifying food allergies, ruling out underlying conditions, correcting nutritional deficiencies and managing stress, as well as the appropriate use of natural supplements and home remedies.

Find out more about the Energy and Mood Program