How a healthy body can create a healthy mind! How to help combat depression without the pills.

It's a hard time in your life, and sometimes you don't even know the reason why you feel the way you do. It's this unexplained feeling of sadness and the struggle to motivate yourself just to place your feet on the floor in the morning. You feel detached from the world and loved ones. You have moments where you're distracted when you feel okay for the interim but the minute you stop the black cloud re-centres itself overhead and you are right back to the feeling of loneliness, fatigue, even moments of rage and a mind that just wont shut itself off!

It's called depression and you're not alone. I've been there and so have 350 million other people in this world. It costs Australian business's billions each year and 4 million aussie patients received mental health-related prescriptions last year alone. Everyone knows, on some level, that depression is an important societal problem, and the numbers are starting to come in at an alarming rate.

I've been personally touched by this in multiple ways, from my own battles after personal traumas, to the loss of my beloved father almost 3 years ago (who seemed to be an unlikely candidate of suicide by those that knew him). He was a fire-fighter, and he and three of his colleagues took their own lives within two weeks of each other a month after responding to a job classed as "traumatic".

More recently I've attended two funerals of work colleagues in my own field as a flight attendant within the space of two weeks, and am still left with those terrifying questions I asked myself when my father passed, "What if I had...?".

The truth is there is never solely ONE reason why, it's always a combination of factors that come into play that drives oneself to not want to necessarily end their life, but just to make the pain STOP!

It's a war, some days you do lose the battle but the thing you need to remember is there are ways to fight back harder... you can WIN the war!

"Never forget how far you’ve come. Everything you have gotten through. All the times you have pushed on even when you felt you couldn’t. All the mornings you got out of bed no matter how hard it was. All the times you wanted to give up but you got through another day. Never forget how much strength you have learned and developed."

The fitness pro and author Bill Phillips once said “FOOD is the most widely abused anti-anxiety drug, and EXERCISE is the most potent yet under-utilised antidepressant.”

We must hold the intention of making healthy changes INSIDE and OUT.

So how do we do that exactly?

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Regular exercise (especially aerobic) can help greatly improve your mood if you are someone who suffers from depression as it helps release endorphins (which act as a communication channel between the brain and the nervous system). Endorphins react to external stimuli and emotions in a way to manage worry, fear and anxiety and are also a contributor to the feeling of happiness and pleasure. Regular exercise also reduces your perception of pain as high levels of endorphins create a sense of euphoria making it a great way to help manage pain without medication. Psst, hey you... want some dope? Working out welcomes dopamine (the reward and motivational neurotransmitter our brain produces to nudge us along) Like your mother back in high school trying to get your butt into action, dopamine is your motivator, but this time you're guaranteed to feel better for it after your efforts. When your levels of dopamine increase this impacts our physiology and behaviour to problem solve effectively and stay focused. Low levels of dopamine can be harmful as this contributes to sometimes perceiving our circumstances negatively. Working out also helps improve your natural immune system and It also lowers blood pressure and helps boost self esteem. In a case study of 3 groups it showed that the exercise treated and antidepressant treated results were the same (with effects actually lasting longer in the exercise treated group). 20-30 mins, most days is best. ————————————————————————----------------------------------------------------------------------

Yoga is another winner!! In a case study of women with depression who took yoga classes twice a week, it showed that they had a significant decrease in depression with the added bonus of improving their mindfulness, balance and flexibility. Engaging in mindfulness training by intentionally changing the brain to increase the ability to focus and manage ones attention, benefits those with depression. It allows you the ability to make clear, calm considered decisions and the freedom from feeling overwhelmed by what can be a normally rigid and chaotic mind.

Yoga is great because it incorporates so many elements that help combat depression, stress and anxiety. It is a natural way to increase serotonin production (your happy hormone), while conserving your energy as it's gentle, calming and fluid movements keep your cortisol hormone (stress hormone) low. Cortisol is important for helping your body deal with stressful situations, as your brain triggers its release in response to many different kinds of stress. However, when cortisol levels are too high for too long, this hormone can hurt you more than it helps. Over time, high levels may cause weight gain and high blood pressure, disrupt sleep, negatively impact mood, reduce your energy levels and contribute to diabetes.

This is why doing this calming form of exercise is so beneficial, The increased serotonin levels while doing yoga, combats fatigue, insomnia, feelings of worthlessness and unexplained sadness. There is such a thing as a 'Yoga High', which is caused by the higher levels of endorphins post practice and oxytocin (the hormone produced during sex and intimacy).

Oxytocin is fantastic for managing inflammation and with emotionally reducing fear and increasing a sense of trust and security, empathy and generosity.

So put on your yoga pants, grab a girlfriend and get your heart rate and your mouth moving! Nothing like a chat over a coffee and some nutritious food after a class to get you in a better head space. This creates a sense of belonging through social bonding by sharing a common interest and allows you the opportunity to get what's bothering you off your chest!!!

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Take a hike!

Simply walking has numerous benefits. In one study, walking fast for about 35 minutes a day, just five times had a significant influence on mild to moderate depression symptoms. Just getting outside can boost your mood as sunshine stimulates our serotonin levels, research also shows that oxytocin is directly activated and controlled by Vitamin D.

This may be why an imbalance of these hormone levels can influence our mood in a way that leads to depression in winter, the winter blues. (I believe this I notice a huge difference to my mood when locked inside). Other benefits of walking are lowered disease risk, strengthening your heart and giving you energy!!!

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So we established what these amazing hormones can do for us naturally,

Dopamine stimulates pleasure and alertness. Serotonin stimulates peacefulness and sleep and Oxytocin "the love hormone" stimulates trust and plays a huge role in pair bonding.It is also an antidote to depressive feelings. You can hack into your happy chemicals with your diet.

Every meal should include protein to ensure a continuous supply of these amino acids to the brain. They are proven to boost your mood​, here's the break down of which does what.

Tryptophan- the anxiety calmer, sleep promoter (Plant sources: chocolate, oats, dried dates, sesame, chickpeas, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, spirulina, and peanuts. Animal sources: milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, red meat, eggs, fish, poultry)

Tyrosine - the metabolism booster, anti-depressant. (Plant sources: peanuts, almonds, avocados, bananas, lima beans, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds, spirulina. Animal sources: Chicken and turkey, milk, cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese)

Phenylalanine - the pain reliever. (Plant sources: soy foods, seeds and nuts, beans and lentils, whole grains. Animal sources: Lean beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, fish and seafood, eggs, diary)

Cysteine - the detoxifier, protector (Plant sources: red peppers, garlic, onions, broccoli, brussels sprout, oats, wheat germ, sprouted lentils. Animal sources: meat including pork and poultry, eggs, dairy)

Methionine - the anti-depressant. (Plant sources: brazil and other nuts and seeds, black and soy beans. Animal sources: beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, parmesan and like cheeses and diary)

Glutamine - the sugar and alcohol addiction-fighter. (Plant sources: vegetables like beans, beets, cabbage, spinach, carrots, parsley, vegetable juices and also in wheat, papaya, brussels sprouts, celery, kale and fermented foods like miso. Animal sources: beef, chicken, fish, dairy products, eggs)

These amino acids found in protein foods which, with vitamin B6, make dopamine and serotonin in the brain. ​

Studies have also shown that omega-3 oil can reduce symptoms of depression. So oily fish like salmon in your diet is good or simply taking a daily supplement. Vegans can get similar results with flaxseed oil, walnuts or chia seeds.

Vitamin C is another easy way to optimise and increase your levels of oxytocin. Fruits and vegetables such as green peppers, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage are high in vitamin C. No surprise its found in mental health supplements. Just 10 grams daily will definitely improve your mood and help reduce stress and anxiety. Magnesium is absolutely essential for the proper functioning of your nervous system and optimal neurotransmitter activity.

Eating magnesium-rich foods on a regular basis, including spinach, chard, pumpkin seeds, almonds, avocado, dark chocolate and bananas. Besides supporting your oxytocin levels, magnesium can also reduce your anxiety, and help your overcome trauma, withdrawal and addiction.

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Even though you might think a boozy night out with your mates may be just what the doctor ordered to lift your spirits, alcohol has a depressant effect on the brain and can actually result in a rapid worsening of your mood. The body also requires important nutrients to process alcohol, so if you're a regular consumer you can end up suffering from vitamin deficiencies which can heavily impact your mood and overall health.

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Studies link depression to dehydration because 85% of brain tissue is water. As an adult we need to aim for 2 litres a day with higher amounts on hot days

and if exercising. This is because we can lose up to 2.5 litres of water a day through skin perspiration and through the kidneys as urine. Dehydration causes energy generation in the brain to decrease which can cause extreme irritability, loss of concentration and reduced mental functioning.

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Its time to stock your happy hormone pantry, grab a friend, and work through your issues by working out. Remember... "Never think for a moment you're alone with your struggles. You're not a mess. You're human."

Om Shanti 🙏🏻

xB

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