How to treat depression

Summary: Foods for depression is a brand new article that shows some healthy ways to stop the depression issue naturally at home.

Depression can be due to a chemical imbalance in our brain called neurotransmitters.
Studies showed that the brains of those suffering from depression look different as being viewed with MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

If the depression is caused by a medical trigger, there are several reasons why a medical expert is the one that can provide a great help in conquering this mental health issue.

. How To Treat Depression – Healthy Foods To Eat
Coping with depression means more than just opting for the proper medical intervention. Since depression could be triggered by emotional, physical, and social issues, a full treatment plan needs to consider all these trigger factors.
There are never two ones with depression feeling like each other, and what may work effectively for a single person may not work for others. Most of the time, the best method to cure this health issue involves a combination of positive lifestyle changes, self-help, and professional help. In the first section of the entire article today will give you a list of some useful natural ingredients and foods to eat to reduce signs and symptoms of depression without using any type of medication:

1. Asparagus
Making use of folic acid is an important key to fighting depression. A low folate level is related to symptoms of depression. People often opt for pills to increase folate levels, but not many of them know that asparagus contains high levels of tryptophan and folate.
Tryptophan could produce serotonin inside our brain that stabilizes our mood effectively. Thus, asparagus is a wonderful vegetable that can help in improving our moods as it has both tryptophan and folate. 

2. Turkey
This bird is carved mostly in India as a celebration for Christmas, but did you know that in addition to being a great source of nutrition and protein, turkey can also make people happy? Earlier we mentioned that asparagus’s tryptophan content can help to fuel happiness and this route is an ideal way to beat off symptomsof depression. If you are a hard-core carnivore, then this food item would be a perfect tryptophan source for you. It can produce serotonin that can help in balancing and improving our moods.

3. Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is a powerful antioxidant that can help to prevent premature aging and improve blood as well. Cocoa is a hidden source of phenylethylamine, dopamine, and serotonin. Top 3 well-researched neurotransmitters, cocoa helps a lot in controlling depression and always going along with the feel good agent. Dark chocolate provides a lot of advantages from weight loss to spicing up human sexual life. In fact, chocolate is among the most common gifts for most couples when the Valentine’s Day is coming. Pour dark chocolate over nuts or fruits or drink a cup of chocolate. Do not forget that the magic of cocoa will always lie in dark chocolate. 

4. Oysters
As we mentioned before, some certain foods can help to stimulate glands to release certain properties improving our mind and body. In this case, oyster is actually an ideal food source of selenium, iodine, zinc, all of which help the functions of the human thyroid gland. And this gland is responsible for healthy weight management and is very useful for stimulating happiness.
5. Red Beans
Consume beans without cooking the right way or soaking can lead to flatulence in some cases, but they are also excellent protein sources for vegetarians. Concretely, red bean contains antioxidants that are far richer than any berry. Amino acid in iron and proteins can help a lot in fighting brain disorders. A happy brain is a healthy brain.

6. Salmon
Why is salmon considered a famous ingredient with nutritionists? Salmon is well-known as an abundant Omega 3 fatty acids source. Omega 3 fatty acids can help to reduceblood pressure, reduce inflammation, and reduce cholesterol inside our body. The fats content of salmon is very healthy and necessary for the brain and the nervous system. Healthy fats from salmon can help a lot in improving our brain, and keep the brain healthy, and allow us to smile throughout the day.

7. Beetroot
Beetroot contains a lot of vitamins and nutrients that are responsible for eliminating depression:
- Uridine
- Magnesium
- Folate
These properties can help a lot to enhance our moods as they can work effectively as neurotransmitters.

8. Banana
The next time you have a depression attack, remember to consume a banana right away. Banana is a healthy tropical fruit that can help to increase our energy levels, support our cells development, as well as promoting the overall health of our nervous system. If you are depressed, stressed, angry, irritated, then you are low in vitamin B, and banana is the right item for you to get a full, healthy daily dose of B vitamins.

9. Sweet Potato
Vitamin B6 and Beta-carotene are found in sweet potato. These 2 components are responsible for the human mind and Vitamin B6 can work effectively like a mood booster. Vitamin B6 would be used to treat people suffering from mood disorders.

10. Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt can be found with ease in India. The awareness, emergence, and demand for Greek yogurt have gone up in the last 1 year. This food item is very abundant in protein and can work well as a probiotic. You should choose full-fat Greek yogurt to consume because the fats contained in curds can act like a brain booster.

11. Grass Fed Beef
Organic is a word that is often used to promote ideal health. It can be also said that eating grass fed meat would be much healthier than opting for factory bred cattle. When the cattle are grass fed, their fat content would be healthy and can boost the mood. Professionals believe that cattle bred naturally are healthier.

12. Blue Potato
Last but not least, blue potato is an ingredient that seems mythical but it is true. Blue potato does exist like carrot and purple cauliflower. If you find a blue potato, you will feel happy. You will be happy not because you found this food, but blue potato contains anthocyanins – an antioxidant that can help to prevent brain inflammation. This property can help to relieve you of depression and stress. Before we forget, it can also improve our memory.

II. How To Treat Depression – Useful Methods
In this section of the article, we will discover some of the best and simplest methods to treat depression at home besides making use of foods.

1. Exercise
Exercise can help a lot in relieving depression, possibly by altering serotonin and norepinephrine – the two mood-regulating brain chemicals.
It can also release the endorphins responsible for the ‘runner's high’ someone may be experiencing.
P. Murali Doraiswamy, MD, professor of behavioral and psychiatry sciences at Duke University School of Medicine recommended people to exercise for 20 to 30 minutes 3 – 5 times per week. Aerobic exercise is the best (such as brisk walking on a treadmill) but the combination of many different exercises at some degrees is better.


2. Light Therapy

During the dark, short days of the winter season, many people are likely to something known as “seasonal affective disorder” – one type of depression.
Maybe using the light therapy is one way to reduce symptoms of this issue, in which people will need to sit near a brightly lit box that may mimic outdoor light. In general, this therapy would start with daily sessions of fifteen minutes and could increase to up to 2 hours per day. The practicing time would depend upon the intensity of the light and the severity of the issue, which a doctor can determine. Although this therapy cannot totally treat depression, it can help to reduce some hateful symptoms due to the condition, sometimes after just 2 – 3 days.


3. Mood Diary

Many researchers suggested that this therapy that can teach us how positive thinking can help to reduce depression.
Dr. Doraiswamy recommended people not to write in a diary every day if it feels like a difficult work; once-per-week entries would be simpler to stick with.
Dr. Doraiswamy recommended that people should keep their own mood diary as it would be an effective tool used to train someone to keep the positive thinking track happening in their own life and do not allow any single negative event to wear down them.
A mood diary can help to keep negative events in perspective and could also serve as a reminder that there used to be happy things in your life.

4. Support Groups
Dr. Doraiswamy said that support groups used to be standard in the psychiatric setting. However, they are not used as regularly in the nowadays, although they are a great way that can help a lot in treating mild depression forms.
These groups offer a community of support, information about depression, as well as the chance to learn from those coping with the same problems.
As a replacement for those not interested in talking about this mental health issue, Dr. Doraiswamy recommended finding a group that can share interests whether it is meditation or a book club.


5. Use Fish Oil

Fish oil supplement provides omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found high in fish, such as herring, albacore tuna, and salmon.
Researches on this supplement are inconclusive, but it is thought that a certain-time lack of this fatty acid (for example, during the postpartum period) can lead to depression and mood swings.
In regions where the intake of omega-3 fatty acids foods is high, people tend to have low risks of depression. 


6. Meditation

A promising study suggested that meditation may play an important role in inhibiting the relapse of depression. The study concentrated on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy that combines cognitive behavioral approaches with traditional meditation.
In 2 researches, people used antidepressants to treat depression until their symptoms disappeared. Then 1 group continued taking the medications while another made use of the meditation therapy.
The relapse rates of depression in those taking antidepressants (about 30%) were similar to those using meditation, and lower than people on a placebo (about 70%) in 1 research.
The 2nd research found that 60% of the group on antidepressants alone relapsed, compared to 47% of the meditation group.

7. Saffron
The saffron plant may be ideal for more than a useful herbal ingredient to season Middle Eastern foods.
A research in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology suggests that saffron could help to raise the levels of serotonin and other chemicals in the human brain. The small research, which looked at 38 people over 1.5 month, discovered that saffron was as efficient as fluoxetine (Prozac) in relieving the risks of having depressed feelings.
Participants taking saffron also saw fewer side impacts than those taking fluoxetine, such as sexual dysfunction and sweating.


8. Yoga

Striking a pose can help to reduce stress and depression symptoms. Research have exposed that in both people with major depression and emotional distress, practicing yoga can help a lot in reducing depression, anxiety, hostility, stress, as well as improving energy, well-being, and sleep quality.
Although there are not too many researches on this topic, yoga could be an easy, low-risk tool for boosting the healing process of depression.


9. St. John's Wort

This is the last but also a very important tip on how to treat depression that readers should not look down. In fact, St. John's wort is one of the most researched supplements for depression. This yellow-flowered plant could be used in forms of pills, teas, and extracts.
The National Center for Alternative And Complementary Medicine analyzed nearly 40 researches and discovered that it may be as useful as antidepressants for mild cases of depression (without leading to any side effect like other medications).

This article is an entire list of the best tips on how to treat depression naturally at home that everyone can make use with ease. If you want to ask something about the content of this article, do not hesitate to leave your comments on the section below.


Author Bio: Huyen My – Writer and Blogger, who has over 5 years of experience in Beauty & Skin Care industry. I work for VKool.com and AllRemedies.com - reliable resources assisting people to resolve their health and life issues, as a content coordinator for categories including Health & Beauty. I also focus on fitness, women’s issues, relationship, and lifestyle. Find more of my articles on Facebook or Google plus
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