According to the statistics from BeyondBlue, approximately 3 million Australians are living with either anxiety or depression. That's a staggering statistic - that's roughly one in seven people living in this country are suffering from anxiety or depression, or both.
I saw an interview on The Project featuring Jeff Kennett - and offered some fantastic insights into the organisation BeyondBlue, and into anxiety and depression themselves. He spoke about the importance of getting help, and speaking to someone if you were concerned about the condition of yourself or of someone close - then he spoke of the importance of teaching people suffering with depression and anxiety how to look after themselves properly. He specifically spoke about teaching sufferers to eat and exercise properly...and I guess that's where this blog springs from...
Rather than re-hash definitions - if you want to know more about anxiety or depression, click on the links and read BeyondBlue's comprehensive site. There are also self-tests on the site to discern if you should seek further help...
I'll state this now to avoid confusion - nothing I write about here is a cure for anxiety or depression, what I'm covering here are everyday things you can to help manage the symptoms...
Anxiety
Foods to eat:
- foods that contain tryptophan - which is a precursor to serotonin, the "feel-good" hormone in our bodies: these include turkey, milk, bananas, oats, seaweed, nuts (especially almonds) and sesame seeds
- foods that contain thiamin (Vitamin B1) - which is a mood stabiliser: these include beef, legumes, pork, rice and nuts
- protein - which helps your body produce dopamine and norepinephrine ("anti"adrenalin)
- foods high in Omega-3 oils - Omega-3 oils are anti-inflammatory, improve overall mood and increase a person's ability to overcome substance abuse
- stay properly hydrated - your mood can be dramatically altered even by mild dehydration
Foods to avoid:
- sugar
- refined carbohydrates (white sugar, white flour, etc)
- processed foods
- sugar
- caffeine
- fried and fatty foods
- sugar
- alcohol
- food colourings and flavourings
- sugar
- gluten
- sugar (am I getting the point across, or should I throw this in a couple more times??)
Exercise is beneficial for anxiety in many ways:
- the release of "feel-good" hormones such as serotonin and dopamine
- aids the body in eliminating immune depressing chemicals in our systems
- increasing body temperature, which tends to have a calming effect on our nervous system
- distraction - either through concentration on the activity itself, or via social interaction
As far as what exercise is the best for anxiety, my honest answer is to choose something that you enjoy and feel comfortable with. Placing extra stress on your body by doing an activity you do not enjoy, or that is not suitable for you, is really not the aim. The more regular the exercise program, the more consistent the reduction in anxiety levels.
Depression
Foods to eat:
- nutrient rich foods - a depressed body is not a completely psychological or emotional happening, your immune system can become affected
- foods high in anti-oxidants - free radicals in the body can contribute to depression or premature aging: these include apricots, broccoli, carrots, peaches, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato, blueberries, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, strawberries, and tomatoes
- foods rich in protein - for the same reasons mentioned in the anxiety section
- foods rich in B vitamins - especially B1, B2, B3, B6 and B9: these include brown rice, oats, cabbage and eggs
- food high in Omega-3 - again, for the same reasons as above
- food rich in iron and vitamin C - there is no theory behind this yet, but it seems that most people who suffer from depression are iron deficient...vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron
Foods to avoid:
- caffeine
- sugar (yep, again)
- high fat foods - especially deep fried foods
- sugar (did you really think I was going to miss that opportunity??)
- alcohol
- while not a food, it has been shown that smoking and certain prescription medications (antibiotics, barbiturates, amphetamines, pain killers, ulcer drugs, anticonvulsants, beta-blockers, anti-Parkinson's drugs, birth control pills, high blood pressure drugs, heart medications and psychotropic drugs - just to name a few) have negative effects on depression
Exercise:
In the case of depression, more moderate exercise (think aerobic exercise like cycling, swimming or running instead of lifting weights) has been shown to benefit. There are studies that shown that exercise is just as successful in controlling depression as all the anti-depressant medications on the market today - I'd venture to say that it's probably cheaper too. It is also recommended that a depression sufferer should exercise outdoors, as vitamin D (synthesised in the body via sunlight) has also been shown to have positive effects on depression.
As always, if you want to know more: the.chiro@mail.com
