StoryTime: Goodness over Meds
I love hearing people’s stories! You have one, we all do.. so please email me.
This one came today, from a dear friend. He shares his
Read More »Eat Your Way Out of Depression
I have a confession, and I’ll just jump right in and tell you about it. I speak humorously about it here, but it’s a serious issue for many of us. Please don’t read this as complaining.
Read More »Healthy Gut, Happy Face
There are times when we need to take Antibiotics. I had to just last week for a kidney infection. I always feel like I’ve failed in taking care of myself when this happens,
Read More »Down and Out
Certainly in these days we all find ourselves feeling down, frustrated, stressed, and maybe even calling it depressed. For many depression is a real, chemical, neurological condition. My heart goes out to you. I can’t imagine living continuously with that pain.
I’ve recently read an article by Dr. Mercola where he quoted some action steps that may help overcome depression naturally without taking prescription drugs. I’d like to list those and give my own comments following.
In my own life, I feel like to fight depression regularly. Call it personality or circumstances, I battle constantly to keep a positive attitude and outlook. The primary thing that helps me is my belief system in Christ and seeking Him first. For many, I know it’s different, so I hope to not offend. I just want to share from the filter I’m coming from. I believe that at the moment I gave my heart to Christ, His Holy Spirit came into my life and gave me all that I needed spiritually to handle the circumstances that came my way. He has promised me to give me love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, forgiveness, kindness, gentleness and much more (Galatians 5:22-23) When faced with a difficult circumstance, in that moment, I can ask the Holy Spirit for help and He promises to give me what I need for that emotional or spiritual problem. The whole Christian life resides in me and in you at the moment you’ve asked Him to come into your life. He will give you JOY, He will give you PEACE. Just ask. But for those of us who struggle further, physically, chemically, I believe the following are great tips and vital to our well-being.
So, with that said… Here are Dr. Mercola’s thoughts:
Address your stress — Depression is a very serious condition, however it is not a “disease.” Rather, it’s a sign that your body and your life are out of balance. This is so important to remember, because as soon as you start to view depression as an “illness,” you think you need to take a drug to fix it. In reality, all you need to do is return the balance to your life, and one of the key ways to doing this is addressing stress.
“Most of the research that I’ve been reading recently indicates that stress is the most important common factor in producing depression of all kinds and in turn affecting neurotransmitters.” Dr. Gordon says.
The article above mentions a couple of options that may work for you, such as meditation or yoga. Sometimes all you need to do is get outside for a walk. But in addition to that, I also recommend using a system that can help you address emotional issues that you may not even be consciously aware of. For this, my favorite is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). However, if you have depression or serious stress, I believe it would be best to consult with a mental health professional who is also an EFT practitioner to guide you.
Eat a healthy diet — Another factor that cannot be overlooked is your diet. Foods have an immense impact on your mood and ability to cope and be happy, and eating whole foods as described in my nutrition plan will best support your mental health. Avoiding sugar and grains will help normalize your insulin and leptin levels, which is another powerful tool in addressing depression.
Support optimal brain functioning with essential fats — I also strongly recommend supplementing your diet with a high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fat. This may be the single most important nutrient to battle depression.
Get plenty of sunshine – Making sure you’re getting enough sunlight exposure to have healthy vitamin D levels is also a crucial factor in treating depression or keeping it at bay. One previous study found that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who had normal levels. Vitamin D deficiency is actually more the norm than the exception, and has previously been implicated in both psychiatric and neurological disorders.
These four primary things — exercising, addressing emotional stress, eating right, and getting regular sun exposure — will make you feel at the top of your game. Whether you want to overcome depression or just want to stay healthy, these are the lifestyle changes that will get you there.
My personal journey as I mentioned above, has been mostly spiritual, but nutrition and exercise have definitely played a HUGE part in overcoming some really difficult times. I remember carrying my son into the gym when he was about 12 months old. It would be -15 degrees where we lived in Iowa, and I would be crying frozen tears. After about 45 minutes of cardio or a great class with other moms, I would walk out into that tundra and think “it’s not so bad”. What changed? My circumstances were the same, the winter was the same, but my chemical makeup had changed. I had been crying out to God for help and couldn’t get past my feelings, but after some physical exertion, the endorphins kicked in. Now, I’m adding the supplements, and I’m so excited to see them help me.
I am not saying that anti-depressants are bad or wrong, but with all my heart, I would encourage my friends to seek out some of these good supplements, exercise, prayer and counseling before turning to them.
If you’re interested in a great book, The Satisfying Life by Bud McCord outlines a lot of the principles that I mentioned above and is based on John 15.
I hope you find some PureGoodness moments in your life today.
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