food and mood

I've been struggling the last several days after a week or so of feeling OK. I've started reading a few books about the effect of different foods on depression, and met with a nutritionist a couple of times this spring, working on learning to better manage my mood swings. (I'm also on meds, and seeing a psychiatrist and therapist.) Its a process, but I'm starting to (sometimes) make better food choices, and I do see a correlation between how I feel and what I eat. I have lettuce growing in my garden now, so I'm taking a big salad with some fresh fruit to work tonight. The nutritionist's advice was basically to eat lean proteins throughout the day, eat complex carbs, make sure I get enough omega 3's and B vitamins, and avoid simple sugars like the plague. (Not rocket science, I know... but tough for someone like me who likes dessert! It is especially hard when I feel like crap, because eating healthy usually seems to require a little more planning.)

Has anyone else out there had experience in managing their depression with diet? What has worked for you? How do you keep up the healthy eating when you are struggling?

thanks,
garden gal

Hi - I am really interested in what you wrote. I haven't had any dietry advice, but am aware that my eating goes off track at times. I have had some success with magnesium supplement, but you have inspired me to actually go and investigate what foods contain high levels of magnesium. What differences have you noticed in your mood when your eating isn't so great?

What a great path you are following! I have noticed I do feel better when I eat better, but haven't studied it specifically. It goes along with regular hours, more regular sleep, better relationship with hubby (he's less crabby when well fed, LOL!). Kind of like the whole picture is better. Exercise goes along with that too.

Thanks for your responses! SoupDragon, in answer to your question, when I'm eating crappily, I notice that I'm more tired, and also have more seemingly random mood crashes (where I go from OK to feeling horrible in the space of a few minutes, without any obvious external cause)... probably related to blood sugar. I also will crave sugary foods more, which likely just continues the cycle. When I'm at work, I usually eat relatively unhealthy cafeteria food. Last night, I brought a garden salad and fresh fruit, and I noticed that I was more alert and less exhausted than usual at the end of my shift. I'm also finding that having high protein snacks (i.e., trail mix or a cheese stick) helps keep my energy level frrom crashing.

I've also been reading that drinking lots of caffeine is actually bad for your energy level... that it causes a brief energy spike, and then a crash. I'm not ready to go there yet... I do like my coffee in the morning! I guess, for me, it is a process of making small changes here and there, instead of abruptly changing everything at once.

That's just what the experts recommend: small changes, so they can be incorporated into your life easily, rather than grandiose, large-scale changes that will be hard to sustain.

hey there garden_gal I have thought about this and tried things out relating to diet and depression. I've never seen a nutritionalist, so I have no 'official' advice.

For ME (I'm sure it's different for everyone):
~Caffeine has had a variety of effects. Earlier it used to be the only thing that kept me OK at times. More recently it's had too many negative effects. Its like deep in depression I needed that extra kick. And now, recovering from it the side effects are worse than the positives if that makes any sense.

~Dairy sometimes messes with my mood so I have to be careful

~Berries/fruit: I find having these instead of dessert or plain sugars does WONDERS for me. Just for the record. I enjoy berries, especially blueberries and strawberries as much or more than ice cream, and I feel better throughout the day when I eat them.

~chocolate used to have a very positive effect on my (dark only, high quality stuff). It doesn't as much anymore =( but when I was deeper in depression it definitely helped my mood a LOT.

Also, for me B12 is really important and I'm taking supplement for it. It's really important to watch your vitamin intake and make sure you're getting what you need because imbalance/deficiency can affect mood. So for B12 you'd need red meats, flax seed among other things :P

Those are my thoughts - you are on a good path!

Also for me exercising does wonders have you tried 30 minutes aerobic stuff about 3 times a week? =)