Beat the Blues with food.

33 Replies

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Updated from 6 months ago ❤

Is depression on the increase? Is medication the answer? Sometimes.

Depression is not caused by just one factor but can WE help ourselves by eating well?

Can we help control our depression by diet?

A new trial from Deakin University http://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/media-releases/articles/world-first-trial-shows-improving-diet-can-treat-major-depression  has shown for the first time that improving diet quality can treat major depression.

Just cutting out sugar, caffeine and drinking more water can have a huge effect on our moods.

Well, I don’t know about you but I love good food…

I love proper food, meals the whole family can eat and not pick at, meals I can knock up quickly for one or for 6 people. Food which is not expensive and I can easily obtain or grow myself even if I only have a window box.

1.Dark, leafy greens:

Spinach

Thai Spinach:

The healthiest greens on the planet are Kale, high in Vitamins,  folate and potassium with Collard greens, Spinach, Broccoli and sprouts following close behind they all promote good brain function.

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But I don’t like greens.

Just how many times have we heard that and not just from our kids but from some adults also…

Well, let’s introduce them gently and a little sneakily…lol

Mix lightly steamed, thinly sliced collard greens into your mashed potatoes.

Layer your lasagna with spinach which is low in calories and high in vitamins.

Better cooked than raw although great in salads. For the best sprout recipes ever sprouts with garlic, chilli..ha ha snuck that one in…lol

  https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/20/our-10-best-brussels-sprouts-recipes  You will never notice you are eating greens.

2.Fish:

Salmon, trout, mackerel, snapper all high in omega 3 oils, they can be grilled, baked or steamed. Packed with protein, vitamins and potassium all healthy for your well-being. As long as you source and buy fish responsibly sourced and not farmed… fish is very good for your health and well-being.

Thai Salmon Trout.

salmon

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Ingredients:

180 gm Trout or Salmon fillet.( per person)

For Topping:

1 spring Onion finely chopped.

2/3 stems Coriander chopped finely…I use the stem as well.

1 red birds eye chilli finely chopped help promote the release of pleasure-boosting endorphins in the brain.

1 tbsp Fish Sauce.

A cheek of lime.

Mix ingredients together.

Put fish on foil and spoon topping on reserve some topping to add when serving. Seal foil and put in the oven on 180 for 10/15 mins until cooked.

Serve with steamed rice, boiled new potatoes or over noodles.

3.Walnuts:

walnuts-1891141_1920

  7 a day may be all it takes to improve your health. The walnut is a little powerhouse packed with Vitamin E, folate, melatonin and omega 3 oils all of which support good brain health.

 

4. Tomatoes

SAM_6908

 

Packed with lycopene and antioxidants that reduce stress and repair damaged brain cells eating a tomato a day is said to reduce the blues by 52%.

My favourite recipe for sun-dried and beautiful tomatoes and here is how you do it yourself….. https://blondieaka.wordpress.com/2015/06/06/yesterday-i-was-clever-so-i-wanted-to-change-the-world-today-i-am-wise-so-i-am-changing-myself-rumi/

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Just words of caution tomatoes are acidic and as with anything moderation is advised because it may cause heartburn in some individuals.

5.Beans:

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 Packed with nutrients copper, folate, magnesium, zinc and calcium.You can use beans in a lovely chilli, salads, add tinned beans to soups and stews. Make a chickpea hummus to dip your veggies in. Beans are a very versatile food  and so healthy for you as this post from the Sally and Carol Cooking from Scratch series  will show you HOW

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6.Berries: 

cranberries_background_200742

Some of the healthiest food on the planet, juicy, brightly coloured, sweet or sour, fresh or frozen add them to smoothies, yoghurt, a compote on porridge, pancake batters or in salads.

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These foods are easily available everywhere and will help decrease depression and work alongside prescribed medication.

Does Junk food shrink your brain??  http://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/media-releases/articles/does-junk-food-shrink-your-brain

This study thinks it just might!

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Salmon, Tomatoes and Spinach photos are from my personal photo collections.

All other images are Pixabay and no attribution is required.

 

33 thoughts on “Beat the Blues with food.”

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  3. marisselee

    Actually, a lot of illnesses can be managed by managing the food we eat. I would rather eat my way to recovery than pop those pills in my mouth…and I am in the business btw (pharmacy). Lol! Shared via Twitter.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓
      1. marisselee

        I run the business for 10 years now (formerly I worked in sales and marketing)…my cousin is the licensed pharmacist. We live in the same house and she is one of my soul sisters. I am not a fan of conventional medicine and conventional treatment. I am in a wrong industry I know. Lol!

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Madelyn Griffith-Haynie, MCC, SCAC

    It seems that those old wives told truthful tales about food as medicine.

    Food has and will no doubt always matter a great deal. Neither brain nor body run well on garbage. Science is beginning to turn a skeptical eye even on the value of vitamin supplements for most of us.

    As far as food vs. medication where depression is concerned, they work in TANDEM.

    Since serotonin production begins in the gut, the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, SSRI’s (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) won’t even WORK if your diet is deficient in nutrients that fortify the gut biome to create its precursors (building blocks) — especially if you’ve ever killed them off with a course of antibiotics prescribed for something else.

    For anyone wondering: Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain) believed to be a major player in regulating mood. SSRIs block the reuptake and break down of serotonin in “catcher” brain cells, which makes more serotonin available for longer.

    That’s how they work – but if there’s not an ample supply of something to work ON, they won’t. Plus, good food simply TASTES good – at least until we develop an artificially induced taste for junk food.

    Thanks for this important post, Carol.
    xx,
    mgh
    (Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
    ADD/EFD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
    “It takes a village to educate a world!”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓
      2. blondieaka Post author

        Thank you, Madeline we are both enjoying doing the series and the second ( series) will be on more exotic fruits and veg) but shhhhh don’t tell anyone…lol

        Like

  6. Malctg - The Foureyed Poet.

    Hi blondieaka. No matter how careful we watch our weight and diet. Just what chemicals are in the air and water? How many microwaves are we bombarded with every day? I just take a day at a time! life is too short to get paranoid! Thank you for liking “Blank! and The Year!” Peace and Best Wishes. TheFoureyedPoet.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓
    1. blondieaka Post author

      I am not paranoid I just do what I am comfortable with or you could become paranoid and I made that decision years ago …I still love your poetry it always resonates with me 🙂

      Like

      Reply ↓
  9. andriaperry

    Diet is a huge part of most diseases we have this day and time, its really hard to get out of the grocery store box and into the produce isle. But I have to say that mental illness is also a chemical imbalance on the body. Where some people can manage with diet and exercise, like you and me, some HAVE to take medication and have to go to therapy, not a food in this world can make some think they are loved when they feel there are not.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓
  11. Doctor Jonathan

    This is a wonderful post. Depression is not caused by a pharmaceutical deficiency. There are many factors that contribute and therefore require a multi-directional solution. Food is a MAJOR contributor to physiological changes that dramatically effect emotional feelings and expression. It is NOT the TOTAL ANSWER (in most cases,) but places the individual on a better path toward RESOLVING and RESTORING BALANCED HEALTH to the body.

    Like

    Reply ↓
  13. marianbeaman

    When I feel down, I go to my kitchen and cook. It relieves tension and supplies the family with good food. Last evening, it was a pork chop/apple recipe with corn and peas. I try to have salmon and trout from the meat market twice a week. When I cook, I know what’s in the food we consume, not so in restaurant food.

    I try to sip water all day long too. Your photos are appetizing, Carol.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

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