How lifestyle changes can help ease depression

Wil Wheaton may be your longtime favorite because of his role as Wesley Crusher on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” or as himself on “The Big Bang Theory.” But what you may not know is that in 2018, the 46-year-old spoke at a National Alliance on Mental Illness conference and declared: “I live with depression and anxiety, the tag team champions of the World Wrestling with Mental Illness Federation.” Chronic depression affects around 8 percent of American adults, and it causes folks to have functional difficulties at work and home more than any other chronic disease, including diabetes and arthritis. Fortunately, Wil has found ways to ease the burden. So can you. If over a two-week period you’ve experienced changes in your mood and are having cognitive and physical symptoms — such as trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, agitation, poor concentration and problems with communication — talk to your doctor about getting therapy and medical attention for your depression. You can take charge of health behaviors and turn your mood around. Nutritional Upgrades A 2017 paper in Psychiatry Research looked at 21 studies from 10 countries and found mounting evidence that eating a diet loaded with “fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fish, olive oil, low-fat dairy and antioxidants and low intakes of animal foods was apparently associated with a decreased risk of depression.” In Dr. Mike’s book “What to Eat When,” he suggests eating mood-lifting, omega-3-rich salmon and ocean trout, and peanuts, which are high in tryptophan, a building block of the positive-mood hormone serotonin. The researchers also found that eating an unhealthy American diet of red or processed meats, high-fat dairy, sweets and deep-fried potatoes was associated with increased risk of depression. Makes sense. Those are highly inflammatory foods and inflammation is related to depression. In addition, a […]

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