Depression is a big issue for several people today, and can create difficulties for not only the individual impacted, but the people around them as well. I am a big supporter of the notion that through proper self care, you can avoid a great deal of health conditions, including depression. The current trend seems to be that antidepressants are being recommended with no consideration as to whether or not they are the right solution for the person. Are you feeling down? Here's a pill so you don't have to feel sad. Forget about the real reason for your depressive mood. Antidepressants are frequently used as band-aids for unpleasant feelings, and are given away like candy. But these drugs are not without some serious side effects, so before you decide to fill that antidepressant prescription you were given after seeing a doctor for 5 minutes, take a good look at yourself, and see if you can handle the condition without resorting to a magic pill. A few natural methods exist that you might want to try first that don't have the side effect of increasing your thoughts of suicide.
To start off, what you need to comprehend is whether or not your unpleasant feelings are situational. Are there details going on in your life so that it makes sense that you're feeling down? Do you find yourself currently going through a lot of stressful situations? Divorce, death of a loved one, health problems, financial worries, or essentially any stressful events in your life might contribute to depression. There are a few researchers who think that using antidepressants may prevent the brain from being able to process through the crises in a persons life. The fluctuations of your emotional state are a part of life, so don't cheat yourself by hiding them with a pill.
Have you heard of the secret treatment for depression that has been shown to be as effective as, if not superior to drugs like Zoloft? It's as simple as plain old aerobic exercise. A number of studies show the great results physical activity can have on a person who is experiencing depressive disorder. A basic rule is to perform roughly 2.5 hours of medium intensity aerobic exercise each week. Spread out over five weeks, that's only thirty minutes per day. You should do an exercise that increases your heartbeat, so taking an easy walk probably isn't going to cut it. Jog, swim, ride a bike, just find some sort of exercise you get pleasure from doing. The more you like it, the easier it's going to be to keep with a schedule.
Vitamin D quantities inside your body can have a huge influence on your emotional well-being. There's an illness called Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD) which is really just a term for depression that only affects people at a specific time of the year, i.e. autumn and winter. Interestingly enough, the rise in SAD highly correlates to the seasons of the year when the majority of people aren't able to get enough sunlight, and therefore their vitamin D concentrations decrease. One study performed in 1999 concluded that improvement in serum vitamin D amounts was significantly related to improvement in depression scale scores. So if you're similar to 85% of Americans and are inadequate in Vitamin D, start taking a daily supplement. I recommend starting with 4,000 IU for females, and 5,000 IU for males. However it is recommended to get your serum levels checked out, and then alter your dose appropriately.
In addition to exercise and vitamin D, another thing that may impact depression is diet. A large number of dietary factors exist which may play a role in depression, but some of the principal ones are Omega 3 fatty acids, folic acid and Vitamin B12, and consuming inadequate fat in the diet. If you have been following a low-fat diet, you may be suffering from some unpleasant effects when it comes to your emotional well-being. When I hear somebody tell me they are following a low-fat diet, what this commonly suggests is that they are replacing the calories from fat with calories from carbohydrates. Fat is essential in regulating your hormones, and diets low in fat may cause a shift in serotonin's balance in the brain.
Most people most likely don't get sufficient Omega-3's in the foods they eat. Unless you're eating plenty of fish, or grass-fed beef, you could probably use an Omega-3 supplement. The ones you should be using are EPA and DHA, which are mainly derived from fish oils. Plant based supplements do exist which contain ALA, however most health advantages have been attributed to EPA and DHA. It is true that your body can change ALA into the other two, however for a lot of people, it's not very effective.
There is some evidence that upping your intake of vitamin B9 (folate) and B12 can help depression as well. Depending on what varieties of food you eat, you might not be acquiring enough of these vitamins. B12 can be tough to get, especially if you don't eat animal products. Supplementing with these can be an easy way to guarantee your body gets the amount it needs. A study in 2005 suggested consuming 800 micrograms of B9, and 1mg of B12 daily to help treat depression.
Depression can be a serious issue for a number of men and women. But my advise is to try some natural strategies to curing your depression as your first step. Anti-depressants may be useful in some instances, but considering each of the potential side-effects they can lead to, think about them as an alternative choice if everything else has failed, rather than your first option in treating your depression.
To start off, what you need to comprehend is whether or not your unpleasant feelings are situational. Are there details going on in your life so that it makes sense that you're feeling down? Do you find yourself currently going through a lot of stressful situations? Divorce, death of a loved one, health problems, financial worries, or essentially any stressful events in your life might contribute to depression. There are a few researchers who think that using antidepressants may prevent the brain from being able to process through the crises in a persons life. The fluctuations of your emotional state are a part of life, so don't cheat yourself by hiding them with a pill.
Have you heard of the secret treatment for depression that has been shown to be as effective as, if not superior to drugs like Zoloft? It's as simple as plain old aerobic exercise. A number of studies show the great results physical activity can have on a person who is experiencing depressive disorder. A basic rule is to perform roughly 2.5 hours of medium intensity aerobic exercise each week. Spread out over five weeks, that's only thirty minutes per day. You should do an exercise that increases your heartbeat, so taking an easy walk probably isn't going to cut it. Jog, swim, ride a bike, just find some sort of exercise you get pleasure from doing. The more you like it, the easier it's going to be to keep with a schedule.
Vitamin D quantities inside your body can have a huge influence on your emotional well-being. There's an illness called Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD) which is really just a term for depression that only affects people at a specific time of the year, i.e. autumn and winter. Interestingly enough, the rise in SAD highly correlates to the seasons of the year when the majority of people aren't able to get enough sunlight, and therefore their vitamin D concentrations decrease. One study performed in 1999 concluded that improvement in serum vitamin D amounts was significantly related to improvement in depression scale scores. So if you're similar to 85% of Americans and are inadequate in Vitamin D, start taking a daily supplement. I recommend starting with 4,000 IU for females, and 5,000 IU for males. However it is recommended to get your serum levels checked out, and then alter your dose appropriately.
In addition to exercise and vitamin D, another thing that may impact depression is diet. A large number of dietary factors exist which may play a role in depression, but some of the principal ones are Omega 3 fatty acids, folic acid and Vitamin B12, and consuming inadequate fat in the diet. If you have been following a low-fat diet, you may be suffering from some unpleasant effects when it comes to your emotional well-being. When I hear somebody tell me they are following a low-fat diet, what this commonly suggests is that they are replacing the calories from fat with calories from carbohydrates. Fat is essential in regulating your hormones, and diets low in fat may cause a shift in serotonin's balance in the brain.
Most people most likely don't get sufficient Omega-3's in the foods they eat. Unless you're eating plenty of fish, or grass-fed beef, you could probably use an Omega-3 supplement. The ones you should be using are EPA and DHA, which are mainly derived from fish oils. Plant based supplements do exist which contain ALA, however most health advantages have been attributed to EPA and DHA. It is true that your body can change ALA into the other two, however for a lot of people, it's not very effective.
There is some evidence that upping your intake of vitamin B9 (folate) and B12 can help depression as well. Depending on what varieties of food you eat, you might not be acquiring enough of these vitamins. B12 can be tough to get, especially if you don't eat animal products. Supplementing with these can be an easy way to guarantee your body gets the amount it needs. A study in 2005 suggested consuming 800 micrograms of B9, and 1mg of B12 daily to help treat depression.
Depression can be a serious issue for a number of men and women. But my advise is to try some natural strategies to curing your depression as your first step. Anti-depressants may be useful in some instances, but considering each of the potential side-effects they can lead to, think about them as an alternative choice if everything else has failed, rather than your first option in treating your depression.
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To find out more information on treating depression, or if you want to find a Fort Collins chiropractor, come check out Essential Motion Chiropractic.
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