Food and depression: 8 rules of what and how to eat when recovering from depression.

Feb 26 2015 Published by under Action, Change, Choice, Decision, Inspiration

Food and depression: 8 rulesLast week I promised to share with you what I consider a good diet when suffering with depression.

Please bear in mind that this is what I personally follow to keep my energy levels up and even, and my brain healthy, creative and vibrant.

These are my rules and I do not claim that everyone should/must/ought to follow them. Neither can I claim that if you religiously follow them, your depression would miraculously be lifted after a week or so.

I have studied nutrition for a few years now and I am very lucky to be learning from my amazing mentors who understand nutrition well and are based in four different countries across the globe (UK, USA, China and Russia).

I encourage you to use my rules as your tools. Use the best, discard the rest!

 

So, here are my rules of what and how to eat when recovering from depression:

 

  1. Eat 5-6 small meals a day.

Food gives us energy: the very thing that depression takes away from us. So, it is vital to provide your body (especially your mind) with a regular and consistent supply of energy.

Just beware, that eating too much food in one sitting can deplete your energy (You have probably experienced it after a huge dinner). Digesting food is energy-consuming. Therefore, keep your portions small and eat often (every 3-4 hours during the day).

Note: a small portion should fit in the palms of your folded hands forming a bowl, without spilling over.

 

  1. Do not attempt to go on a diet or change your food drastically all at once.

Depression recovery is not the right time to diet or lose weight.

Neither is it a time to throw your usual diet out of the window and load yourself with something “trendy”, portrayed by the media as a new magical cure for depression.

Yes, you can add or take away things over time, but doing it abruptly or all at once would send your brain haywire.

It can make you irritable in no time. It can lower your mood further and it can make you feel really bad should you decide to put a stop to this self-abuse.

So, please no dieting!

Warning: If you are a vegetarian or vegan, consider giving it up immediately until your depression is lifted! You job is to feed yourself properly to raise your energy levels to assist your recovery. As far as I know, it is very challenging to obtain all the needed amino acids, vitamins and heme iron, in particular, via vegetarian or vegan diet.

Continue Reading »

No responses yet

Love and Depression: Connecting to your heart

Feb 14 2015 Published by under Action, Attitude, Change, Choice, Hope, Inspiration, Strategy

love & depressionOften depression makes you feel empty, lonely and indifferent.

What can you do to begin to feel the vibration of love through you and all around you once again?

Well, let me reveal you a huge secret that took me years of depression to figure out:

your kind and loving heart is still intact!

It did not stop beating, get depressed or somehow stop working properly. It is still there: a generous, warm and ever so full of love heart!

Your depression somehow interrupted the connection between your heart and your brain, so that your brain can feed you the lies all days long. You get thoughts: thoughts that you don’t care anymore and no one else cares; thoughts that the world can happily exist without you and you can exist without anyone else too… Those venomous thoughts (as I can remember) are plentiful and never ending.

Do you have to believe those thoughts? Do you have to accept them as absolute truth, especially since they have originated in your own brain? Do you need to allow those thoughts to rule your life?  Continue Reading »

No responses yet

Is my depression back or do I need to slow down to go faster?

Feb 13 2015 Published by under Action, Choice, Inspiration, Strategy

slowI woke up full of energy on a sunny Monday morning ready to start a new week and tick a few items off my ‘To do’ list. Everything was as usual: hectic pre-school ceremony to get my daughter ready for school, my winter morning ritual of caffeinating myself and getting into a warm pair of pants ready to heat the seat of my car…

In short, everything was normal…

Except… Continue Reading »

No responses yet

Change your words and punctuation (one way to interrupt repetitive thinking in depression).

Sep 24 2014 Published by under Action, Attitude, Change, Choice

repetitive thoughtsToday’s LiftMyDepression challenge is to play with one persistent thought that occupies the most space in your head.

Depression often generates repetitive thoughts:  the ones that go on and on in your mind no matter where you are or what you do.

Do you constantly ask yourself the same question? (e.g. “Why am I so depressed?”Continue Reading »

No responses yet

Feel depression and do it anyway!

Apr 08 2014 Published by under Action, Choice, Inspiration

feel-depression-do

 

A depressed brain is full of “I can’t” and waiting…

 

Waiting to feel better…

Waiting to have more energy…

Waiting for a better mood…

Waiting for a spark of motivation…

Waiting to care (as in to give a damn about)…

Waiting… Waiting…Waiting…

 

It is hard to do anything when you are in the depths of depression.

Getting yourself to do even the simplest thing like getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, etc. might seem like an attempt to climb Mount Everest.

 

Should you continue to wait?

Continue Reading »

One response so far

Older posts »

}