1 in 5 suffering from Anxiety and Depression? My five top tips for improving mood - with food!

When I read recently that one in five people in the UK suffer from some form of anxiety or depression I realised how little support there is for people nutritionally when it comes to controlling moods and feelings.  Although emotions often stem from incidents or events in our lives, our reactions to events may sometimes be caused by the foods we eat or the ways in which we eat them.

Almost everyone who comes to the clinic I work in is unaware of what they should be eating to stabilise energy levels and mood.  This simple advice can make all the difference to someone who is feeling low emotionally.  Sometimes this empowering information and knowledge alone can give an emotional boost.

So here are my five top tips for improving mood with food! 

1. Blood Sugar Balance.  If your blood sugar levels are fluctuating throughout the day then your mood will join them on the roller coaster.  Avoid caffeine, sweet snacks, simple carbohydrates (especially refined ones), fruit smoothies (always add protein and fat e.g flax seed and coconut oil). Try to balance your plate with 1/3 protein with each meal.

2. Vitamin D.  Research shows there may be a link between depression and vitamin D deficiency, no wonder the UK are suffering.  The good news is summer is on the way so get out in that sunshine for 15 minutes a day without sun cream - then whack some on to protect your skin for the rest of the day. 

3. Magnesium.  This is also referred to as our relaxing mineral, it may contribute to feelings of calm in the muscles and help to keep our mood more stable too.  Apparently 6/10 women are depleted in this mineral!  No wonder the day feels stressful!

4. Essential Fatty Acids.  Our brain is made up of about 70% fat.  If you are depleting your body of essential fats in the hope that it will help you lose weight?  Think again.  If your brain is not supported and your hormones cannot transport effectively around the body then your mood may suffer.  Choose oily fish 2-3 times a week, flax seeds and supplementation of high grade fish oils to get your quota if you think you may not be getting enough.

5. Hydration.  If you are not getting enough water, it is unlikely your body is getting what it needs to function and release toxins.  Adults are recommended to drink 1.5-2 litres of hydrating fluids a day (water, herbal tea, juice diluted (1-juice to 4- water), so get measuring! 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jun/19/anxiety-depression-office-national-statistics

How can I feel more positive?

There is nothing more irritating than someone who tells you to be positive all the time.  

Life is a rollercoaster that is meant to come with highs and lows.  If you don't have the lows, you cannot recognise the highs and appreciate them in all their greatness.  So, you cannot stop the low points, but you can take control of how you view them, you can embrace the lows and appreciate them in all their greatness too!  After all, it is in times of sorrow and despair that we learn about ourselves and practice picking ourselves back up.  It is also in these darker times that we take time to reflect and move forward and get rid of things that are not serving us anymore.

There are a million theories about how to feel good and how to learn acceptance.  Some of them work for one person and some work for another.  Some can work for a month and some stick with you for a lifetime.  There is never any harm in reading around the subject of self advancement; it gives you a nice little wardrobe of reassurance in times of change.  I will not recommend one mode of thinking over another, it will depend greatly on your spiritual beliefs and your personality as to which approach will suit you.  

We are in charge of the way we feel about any event in our lives.  This does not mean we have to remain positive all the time, but it should mean that we take responsibility for our own moments of depression.  We cannot choose other's actions, but we can choose how we feel about them, and we can gain tools and methods to control how we react to them and other external events that occur in our lives.  We can make the choice about how we react to things that happen in our days. 

 The best trick is to focus on what is good in your life, not the things that make you feel dreadful.  Focus on the good that can happen, and not the bad that has.We only get one and it would be a great shame to waste it feeling angry or sad about something we cannot change.  Our feelings can change and we should focus instead, on that.

What does this have to do with nutrition?  Everything.  If you want to eat well and look after yourself, you first have to look at your body and your health with a smile.  Do not focus on your lumpy middle, but on your lovely legs.  Forget the chocolate cake you ate for dinner (why did I eat that, I am such a failure?!) think about the green smoothie you will have for breakfast.  Tomorrow is always another day and your body will be patient as your mind trains itself into good habits.

The wrong foods can also affect our moods massively, making shifting our thoughts to more positive ones harder.  Having low energy levels due to blood sugar slumps can also lead to irritability and mood swings.

The body has a tremendous capacity to heal and change, so be kind to yourself mentally and your body will smile in reply.

Josie

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How to fight the flu season...

The seasons are changing in most places around the globe in November, some transitions being more extreme than others.  Here in Samui the monsoons have hit hard this last month.  Although we are still in shorts and t-shirts here in Thailand, it is the equivalent of winter and everyone is falling ill with colds and flu. 

Whatever your climate, a change in the season hits us all with pressure changes in the air, the temperature shifting and perhaps a rain shower here and there.  This is a time where we have to pay attention to our diet more than ever, our bodies are so susceptible to illness and we are more likely to be huddled in dark places together, with the windows pulled tightly shut (a breeding ground for colds and flu).

So, how do we boost our immune systems in times of change?

We all think of orange juice immediately and load up on Vitamin C tablets, which is a great start.  However, there are loads of other brilliant ways of getting our immune systems impenetrable.  The best one is prevention of your immune system getting low in the first place. The best thing to do is start to get your body strong as you go along. If you were working too hard or partying too long as the winter approaches you are not in a good position to fight back.

Keep Strong As You Go Along - The Tips To Keep You Topped Up.

1. Here comes the green smoothie again, try and get one in every day of the year and your body will always be in a position of strength nutritionally.

2. Super foods.  Spirulina, goji berries...the list goes on. An immune BOOST INJECTION as you approach the cold.

3. Sleep.  We need healing sleep, under no circumstances miss out.  

4. Nourishing grains. Quinoa, brown rice, lentils.  Mix in with soups, dahl, stews and broths. Power food.

5. FRESH FRUIT and VEGGIES in all shapes and forms, some raw, some steamed. 

6. Supplements.  If you work too hard and your diet is lacking, then there is a place for supplementation.  

7. Laughter.  Keep it light, don't let winter blues get you down.  Feeling low is also the immune system's enemy.

8. Stay wrapped up.  I know this sounds obvious, but your Mum was right, keep that neck covered up.  This is maintenance for all seasons, hot then cold is never good, whatever the weather.  Air-con, central heating, it's all playing havoc with our bodies as we go in and out.

9. Balance.  We need an equal balance of work, play, rest, relaxation and spirituality in our lives.  If this is out of whack...good health is hard to achieve

10. Set boundaries at work.  Try to keep your work life balanced - over working is a recipe for a weakened immune system.

Josie

How to de-stress, lose weight AND work?

At an international detox centre I work with people who have hectic lifestyles and endless stresses - so I spend time thinking of ways to make a nourishing diet and lifestyle possible wherever you live. I advise people from all countries and climates with a wide variety of jobs and varying domestic arrangements and I can normally find something achievable for each of them as long as they are willing to put in a little effort.


It is unreasonable to try and change overnight. I think it is best to decide which area needs the most work and make one or two goals which are easy to implement; take baby steps. For example, if exercise is your weakness, decide to walk for half an hour a few evenings a week or go to the gym twice a week. Then, when you have achieved that goal, you can try to 'up that' to three sessions or add another form of exercise like yoga. If you do not manage your goal at first, ask yourself why?


1. Do not fall at the first hurdle, keep asking yourself questions about why, when, what and how it will work? Was it too much too soon? Was it too hard to get to the gym in time? Did you find it too hard to motivate yourself to do an exercise video - would a class with an instructor be better? Can you afford a personal trainer to get yourself going? Can you find a child minder to make time for yourself? Be your own lifecoach. Don't give up, ask yourself why and how? Try not to make excuses, instead attempt to find solutions.

2. If your diet is lacking, start by adding a green smoothie to your day, begin by adding good stuff rather than taking bad stuff out. Then once this is in place, add a salad once a day and take away something you know is bad for your health (e.g daily diet coke).


From my experience the best results come when you make a slow and steady change. It is so easy to lose motivation and slip back into old habits when you try to cut out EVERYTHING and try to do EVERYTHING. It is simply not achieveable and starts a cycle of 'I will start again tomorrows' and encourages feelings of failure and guilt. Horrible things, we want to avoid!


Tips for Fast Ways to Get a Nutrient Rich Diet


Superfoods - a little goes a long way.

Green Smoothies - prepare in the blender the night before and then whiz before work.

Supplements - a multivitamin to fill in the gaps.

Green Juices - before breakfast or dinner get your vitamin fix.

Raw Foods - keep snacks cut up in the fridge ready to grab.

Preperation - raw food snacks/brown rice salads in tuppaware for lunch night before.



Best of Luck.

Josie