Food and Your Mood: A Guide to Improving Your Depression with Diet and Lifestyle Changes

By Ysabel Aymerich RD LD/N

What you eat and how you live do affect your mood. The types of foods you eat and your lifestyle can both be a reflection of your emotions and key factors in managing those emotions. Diet and lifestyle changes can have a surprisingly positive impact on managing emotions such as depression.

Knowing the science behind why certain foods are beneficial for improving depression and learning about lifestyle changes to better manage your mood, make this book an empowering read.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667846583

Book preview

Introduction

It is said that no one knows what you’re going through unless they walk in your shoes, so how would that work for the millions of people dealing with depression. Depression, unfortunately, is not something you can see, so for all of those who deal with this undercover enemy, it is a lone soldier’s battle. Even when family and friends are aware of the situation, it is your own struggle to deal with on a constant basis. All that many do is to find ways to manage this challenge one day at a time with the perseverance to reach a point where the symptoms are improved.

The rollercoaster ride of depression can be an exhausting existence, and many times, I have wondered if there is more than one way of making the situation better for the long term. For many people, the solution has been medication, and for some, it has worked, but for many others, there was still a sense that all was not well. Today there are many forms of treatment for depression beyond medication; there are alternative modalities, lifestyle changes, diet, and many more that offer relief and hope for a better life and future. The key is to find ideas and advice that is grounded in science and has been shown to work. There are a lot of scam treatments and countless people that take advantage of those desperate for relief. Making sure to research your decisions well and always discuss with your healthcare provider before you implement any treatments or make changes on how you manage your specific type of depression.

This book will address the delicate subject of depression, not in an overly scientific or medical context, but as a definition of what it is and how diet, nutrition, and lifestyle can greatly impact it. My goal is to offer others a variety of choices in dealing with the daily struggle of depression. Providing tools and choices to find what works in finding relief and a sustained sense of happiness. This opportunity can open the door to a new outlook on life, one of feeling empowered to take control of what many times can feel is a situation out of our control. What works wonders for some could offer no relief for others, so having the courage to try new and different things can be an adventure with a great reward at the end.

By using this book as a guide, it can be the first step towards feeling the fog of depression lift and seeing that there is hope for happier days. There can be a huge sense of empowerment when you take control of how you eat, live, and manage your challenges; the complete lifestyle paradigm change can make what seemed unattainable a reality. Living a life where you have hope and happiness can make all of the difference in your world. Have faith in your abilities to make lasting changes, and you will find the light at the end of that very familiar tunnel.

In wellness and hope,

Ysabel

Chapter

One

Chapter 1:

What is Depression?

The diagnosis of depression or major depressive disorder is a mood disorder. Different than just feeling blue …clinical depression is believed to be caused by imbalances of chemicals in the brain. To be diagnosed with major depressive disorder, you must experience at least five depressive symptoms, once a day, for at least two weeks. Symptoms include being less interested in most activities you once enjoyed, feeling worthless or guilty, feeling tired and lacking energy. Major depressive disorder can be highly recurrent, with at least half of the people who experience one episode having one or more additional episodes in their lifetimes. How long your depression lasts depends on lifestyle factors and whether or not you receive prompt treatment. Individuals with major depression may experience a partial or total remission, where they experience no symptoms at all. Researchers found that the risk factors for recurrent episode of depression can include family history of depression, cognitive patterns and stressful life events. 1

The 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) defined major depression as" a period of two weeks or longer during which there is either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure and at least four other symptoms that reflect a change in function, such as problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration, self-image or recurrent thoughts of death and suicide. An estimated 16.2 million adults in the United States has at least one major depressive episode. The prevalence of major depressive episodes was higher among adult females (8.5%) compared to males (4.8%), highest among of individuals aged 18-25 (10.9%) and 10.3 million U.S. adults aged 18 or older has at least one major episode with severe impairment.2

Depression is a debilitating disorder estimated to become the second cause of morbidity worldwide. Around 150 million people suffer from depression worldwide. The limited efficacy of antidepressant therapy, as well as the major negative consequences of this disorder, has stimulated additional research in order to determine