Do You Suffer Depression?

May 4, 2011 - PRLog -- Medi-sign Target:  sunshine, walking & all yellow foods

(This will be part 1 of a 4-part series, with the remaining 3 parts to be posted over  the next 2 weeks.)

What you eat can either lift your mood or sink your mood.  Moreover, what you don’t eat can have as great an impact as what you do.

In your brain there are 200 billion brain cells called neurons and everything you do, from thinking and feeling to taking a walk, is influenced by neurons.

In a study in England, researchers gave people with clinical depression 200 micrograms of folic acid, the amount in about 3/4 cup of cooked spinach, or a placebo.  After one year, those taking the folic acid saw their depression lift significantly.  In some cases their depression was lifted by as much as 40 percent.

Is life without your morning bagel not worth living?  Does your passion for pasta know no bounds?  Eat up; your moods will thank you for it.  Eating whole wheat and whole grains are the best.  Diets high in carbohydrate-rich foods have been shown to increase brain concentrations of the amino acid tryptophan.  The tryptophan then is converted in the body to mood-boosting serotonin.  Green leafy vegetables can also boost your serotonin  levels.

This could be why many people view their comfort foods as those high in carbohydrates.  These foods can help ease feelings of depression, anxiety, and fatigue.  For others, not eating carbohydrates may leave them grouchy and depressed.

For more on this subject, visit http://dontolmanusa.com/self-care/depression/

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Don Tolman is author, public speaker, trainer, imaginist, entertainer and experimental nutritional-eating researcher.