BEST FOODS FOR DEPRESSION

A lot of people who suffers from depression rely on favourite foods including pillowy pastries, salty chips and chocolate kisses. Nutritionists say that if you truly like to make your mood better you must take different options. The director of nutrition at Duke Integrative Medicine of Duke University, Beth Reardon, says that we are reacting for what we are assuming to make us feel better, however we frequently wind up that we make ourselves experience worse situations in the long run. Eating the wrong foods may result to physiological reactions that can exaggerate symptoms like cravings, irritability and lethargy.

The following belongs to the right foods to boost the brain’s neurotransmitters and stabilize mood swings and blood sugar.

Nuts, seeds and legumes

                  

These tiny bits have lots of magnesium. Examples of these are black beans, peanuts, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

Magnesium is a mineral naturally found in seeds, legumes and nuts. Moreover, it promotes production of the “feel good” brain chemical serotonin. Magnesium also helps in overall energy production. Nuts are also a rich in healthy fats and proteins.

As a whole food, they are good substitutes to processed foods, provided you want unsweetened and unsalted varieties.

Foods with salt and sugar coatings don’t offer added health benefits and they may lead to overeating since they setup brain cravings for a lot of salt or sugar.

Read here for more.about Magnesium contents of nuts and seeds:

Ancient grains

Ancient grains are rich in complex carbohydrates. Examples are millet, barley, teff, Quioa, amaranth, rice(black, red, brown), oats, rye, sorghum, corn (corn on the cob, polenta, cornmeal), chia, buckwheat, Wheat Products (couscous , bulgur, wheat berries or wheat kernels, wild rice, Wheats, ancient (Kamut , farro/emmer, spelt)

Complex carbohydrates take longer times to be digested thus they won’t result in spikes in blood sugar which is the cause of roller-coaster moods. Moreover, complex carbs increase the brain’s serotonin levels.

Given that all whole grains are helpful, the supposed "ancient grains" are more beneficial according to Reardon, since they are more difficult to be processed and man-modified. On the contrary, refined, processed and packaged foods made with sugar and wheat flour can be quickly digested causing spikes in blood sugar.  Once this happens, the body will have severe secretion of insulin, thus transferring plentiful of sugar into cells so blood sugars plummet. And the end result includes overeating, intense cravings, fatigue, mood swings and poorer concentration.

A lot of ancient grains can be prepared like rice or pastas are done and served as side dishes or as a base for chicken or fish. A number of ancient grains are alternative for whole grains for those who have gluten intolerance and wheat allergies though barley has gluten.

READ MORE FOODS FOR DEPRESSION.