Tag: diet

A bit about Depression

Todays post, courtesy of Scott, is about Depression.

September 8 was R U OK day; a day organised to create awareness about mental health issues. So with that in mind, we have decided to share this short overview about depression.

Depression is among the most common of all mental health conditions, and impacts many Australians every day. While we all get sad, feel low or lacking in energy at times, people with depression experience these feelings more intensely and for longer.

What is Depression?

The Webster dictionary states that depression is defined a state of feeling sad: low spirits: or melancholy. More specifically it is a mood disorder that is marked by varying degrees of sadness, despair, and loneliness.

It is typically accompanied by inactivity, loss of concentration, feelings of guilt, social withdrawal, sleep disturbances, and sometimes there may be suicidal tendencies. But in reality it is far more complicated than that. It affects how you feel, think and behave, and there are physical symptoms as well.

Experts have been arguing for years over what causes depression and still there is no consensus.

So, what have I learnt from study, observation and experience?

All of our thoughts and emotions are the culmination of an incredible array of interactions of neurotransmitters. Things like serotonin, dopamine and nor epinephrine just to name a few. All of these chemicals are affected by another multitude of things like our vitamin and mineral intake, genetics, epigenetics and our environment.

This means that the food we eat and the drugs/medications we take can have a measurable physiological effect on our mood. Recently scientists are discovering more about the brain-gut connection and our moods.

Genetics and epigenetics means that our biological family and even where we live can also have an effect on our mood.

What simple things can we do?

The good news is that no matter what is going on now or whom your parents were; good mental health is in your hands.

Making time to talk with a mental health professional is a good start, however there are some additional things that can help. With some simple changes to your daily routine, big improvements can be made. This does not mean that things will get easy or that a good diet is a cure all, but it is a start and every little bit helps.

When it comes to nutrition, things can get a little more complicated and a consultation with a naturopath or nutritionist will be beneficial.

Generally the nutrients we need for good mental health include vitamin B6, tryptophan, zinc, iron and folate. What foods can I get these from you ask and what is tryptophan? That is a whole other subject and will be covered in another post.

For now consider making sure your diet is high in green leafy veg, bright coloured fruit and lean meats. Also, don’t forget to drink water; the recommended amount per person is .03 mls per kilo of body weight. It doesn’t sound like much but when you do the sums, you will be surprised at how much you should be drinking.

We hope this information is helpful,

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n Prosper

Which diet is healthier?

Todays post is about which diet is healthier for us.

This weekend I read an article in the paper about the different diets that are getting press lately. This got me thinking. There are so many different opinions and studies regarding diet and health. Many conflict each other and it gets very confusing.

I have looked at few popular diets and found research both for and against.

The Paleo diet

Promoted by several nigh profile chefs and dieticians, this emulates the diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. It is based on the premise that they did not suffer from the same diseases as modern humans.

This diet advocates consumption of unprocessed animals and plants, including meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds.

It shuns processed foods, sugar, dairy and grains, although some of the more modern “versions” of paleo do allow foods like dairy and rice.

5 human studies have been done on the paleo diet so far. All of these studies are done with humans and are published in respected, peer-reviewed scientific journals.

The results of these studies were positive in regards to health improvements and weight loss.

The Vegan diet

The vegan diet is growing in popularity. Advocates claim that it offers various health benefits, ranging from weight loss and reduced blood sugar to prevention of heart disease, cancer and premature death.

Vegetarian and vegan diets can be healthy, but they can lack certain nutrients. You may have to use a little creativity to ensure you get enough protein, calcium, iron, and vitamin B12.

The problem, however, is that no studies exist of populations where omnivores share similar genetic profiles, similar lifestyle patterns, and similar social and environmental factors with a significant number of vegans.

Therefore, most studies on vegan diets are observational. This makes it difficult to know if the benefits observed are actually caused by the vegan diet itself. Of the 16 human based studies that have been conducted. The results of these were positive in regards to health and weigh loss.

Low carb and Low fat diets

Few things have been debated as much as “carbohydrates vs fat.”

Some believe that increased fat in the diet is a leading cause of all kinds of health problems, especially heart disease.

This is the position maintained by most mainstream health organisations. These organisations generally recommend that people restrict dietary fat to less than 30% of total calories (a low-fat diet).

However… in the past 11 years, an increasing number of studies have been challenging the low-fat dietary approach.

Many health professionals now believe that a low-carb diet (higher in fat and protein) is a much better option to treat obesity and other chronic, Western diseases.

The authority Nutrition site looks at 23 studies that compare the 2 diets.

The majority of studies achieved statistically significant differences in weight loss (always in favour of low-carb).

Keep in mind that all of these studies are randomised controlled trials, the gold standard of science. These studies are scientific evidence, as good as it gets, that low-carb is much more effective than the low-fat diet that is still being recommended all over the world.

The 5:2 diet

Then there is the 5:2 fasting diet, which is actually very simple to explain. For five days a week, you eat normally and don’t have to think about restricting calories.

Then, on the other two days, you reduce your calorie intake to a quarter of your daily needs. This is about 500 calories per day for women, and 600 for men.

There are very few studies that test the 5:2 diet specifically. However, there are plenty of studies on intermittent fasting as a whole, which show impressive health benefits.

I have just put together a small sample of the information found on 2 websites. These sites did not have any articles stating that any of these diets were ‘bad’. However, several of these diets are, at the very least, conflicting with each other, eg; Paleo & Vegan.

It is very easy to find ‘bad’ press regarding any diet. At the end of the day, each of us is different and has different constitutions. Maybe the best way to determine which diet is best for us is to listen to our bodies and take note of how we feel after eating different food groups and go from there.

We have decided some time ago, that the best basis for our diet was to restrict our intake of processed foods. We try to consume mostly whole foods and foods that have had very little processing.

We also choose to restrict our intake of wheat and sugar, as we both find we feel better without it.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper

Source – Healthline – National Library of Medicine –

Nuts, Seeds and Omega 3

Todays post is about nuts and omega 3.

A friend of ours was recently sharing that she had been craving nuts and seeds quite a lot in the past few weeks. She asked if we were aware of this being a symptom of anything.

We were not sure but thought it could mean that her body was craving Omega 3.

I decided to do some research and as usual am sharing my findings.

The health world has been focusing on Omega-3 fats as they play a major role in heart, brain and overall health.

So what is Omega-3?

Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), a type of healthy fat.

There are actually three main kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, each capable of providing vital health benefits for the body and mind.

The 3 kinds are – Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

ALA is crucial for normal growth and development. It also helps maintain normal blood cholesterol levels.

EPA helps maintain normal blood pressure levels and reduce inflammation. EPA may also reduce the symptoms of depression.

DHA is important for brain development and function. It can also benefit heart health by reducing blood triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood).

The body can’t produce these essential fatty acids on its own. It is important to make sure you’re getting enough through dietary sources. If you don’t, you could experience the symptoms of omega-3 deficiency.

In addition, there’s currently no standard test to diagnose an omega-3 deficiency, though there are several ways to analyze omega-3 levels.

To date, few studies have investigated the signs and symptoms of omega-3 deficiency. Therefore I was unable to find any studies to suggest that craving nuts or seeds, was an indicator of low levels.

There are however some other recognised symptoms of omega-3 deficiency.

Main symptoms of low omega 3
  • Hair and /or skin is feeling dry – this is because omega-3 fats help retain moisture in the skin, they also help keep your hair healthy.
  • Feeling anxious or depressed – DHA‘s are known to have neuro-protective and anti-inflammatory effects
  • Dry eyes – essential fatty acids play a role in eye health, including maintaining eye moisture.
  • Blood Pressure is higher that normal – Omega-3s are known as the “heart-healthy fats” and are associated with significantly lower blood pressure levels.

It is relatively easy to ensure good levels of these ‘fatty acids’ in your body simply by eating a varied diet.

Main Food Sources of Omega-3s

Plant oils such as flaxseed (linseed), soybean, and canola oils contain ALA.

Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts also contain ALA.

Several types of fish contain omega 3 such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines, anchovies, bass, and cod.

Vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower, are good sources of ALA.

Of course there are several other processed foods and supplements available that are fortified with DHA and other omega-3s.

So, in a nutshell, upping your omega-3 intake helps improve your skin and hair, lower your blood pressure and improve your overall heart health.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper

Sources – U.S. National Institute of health – Healthline– WebMD –