Thirteen years ago I was told by a healthcare professional to, "Take this pill. It may or may not alleviate some symptoms but you will continue to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety for the rest of your life." This “life sentence” created a lot of hopelessness and despair as I struggled with cycles of depression lasting several weeks with each episode.
I thought I had no control over my emotions until I discovered the power of nutrition seven years ago. It started with a desire my husband and I both had to change lifestyle. We bought a Vitamix blender and made green smoothies. Some smoothies did not taste good and looked like swamp water. But with practice we learned what vegetables and fruits to combine to make a yummy smoothie. An unexpected bonus to drinking all those smoothies was that I started feeling better mentally.
I believe that every dis-ease in the body is linked to vitamin, mineral and nutrient deficiencies.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information,
“Few people are aware of the connection between nutrition and depression while they easily understand the connection between nutritional deficiencies and physical illness. Depression is more typically thought of as strictly biochemical-based or emotionally-rooted. On the contrary, nutrition can play a key role in the onset as well as severity and duration of depression…. Protein intake and in turn the individual amino acids can affect the brain functioning and mental health. Many of the neurotransmitters in the brain are made from amino acids.”
Dopamine and Serotonin are both made from amino acid building blocks. If you are missing these building blocks your body cannot make enough dopamine and serotonin which “...is associated with low mood and aggression in the patients.” An amino Acid deficiency is just one example of how mood is linked to our diets. So it is not a chemical imbalance that causes depression but a nutrient deficiency. You can go here and use a free $50 gift card using the “HappyHealthyLifestyle” coupon code. The Super Aminos 23 are 100% plant based, organic, and non-GMO.
Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet is full of food-like substances that are devoid of real nutrition. Anything that is highly processed is cooked at high temperatures which destroys vitamins. Vitamins are then synthetically added back into the food but our bodies do not absorb synthetic vitamins very well.
I have stopped buying processed foods when I go to the grocery store with the exception of cereal. My kids and husband still want cereal for breakfast. Now when I shop I buy almost all of my groceries in the produce and bulk foods sections. A few people like to make fun of the way I choose to feed my family. (According to my daughter’s friend we just eat rabbit food, lol). But if a mom knew what foods trigger depression, irritability, anxiety, mood swings, autoimmune diseases, degenerative diseases, cancer, tumors, and many, many more...I know that lifestyle choices would change. I changed my lifestyle and I experience a lot less days when I feel depressed and anxious.
I have noticed that sugar, food dyes, and MSG are huge triggers for depression and anxiety. About a year ago I bought my favorite chocolate bar and I remember thinking, “I’ve had a really good week. I probably shouldn’t eat this.” Sure enough, that sugary treat triggered a depression cycle. Sugar causes inflammation not just in our nervous system but in our joints as well. Pay attention to how you feel after eating sugar both mood-wise & physically. I was in my late twenties when I first experienced arthritic knees that would pop as I climbed stairs. This symptom disappeared when I drastically reduced the amount of sugar in my diet. Being human, I sometimes will give into cravings and when I do my knees will let me know right away how unhappy they are!
As I have researched extensively about nutrition and applied this new-found knowledge to my own diet, I have experienced healing. Because of these and many other experiences over the years, I have become absolutely convinced that there are natural ways of healing the body. I have visible proof of my own healing, as is evident in this smilebox video. I have noticed, as have my family and others, that there is a change in how I feel emotionally.
It can be extremely overwhelming to go from the canned soup casseroles of the Standard American Diet that I used to feed my family to the healthier lifestyle choice of whole food nutrition. One person who has helped me with my transition is my good friend, Wendy Thueson AKA ‘Raw Chef Wendy’. She has an amazing book and online program called Reasonably Raw, which contains step-by-step instructions on how to prepare healthy meals, snacks and desserts that look and taste amazing! She helps families and individuals incorporate more uncooked plant-based whole foods into everyday life.
As I have attended her classes and prepared her food I discovered that I now like sun-dried tomatoes. I love her raw marinara sauce recipe that includes sun-dried tomatoes. Healthy food does not have to be bland and boring! Wendy is amazing with knowing how to combine the right spices to make yummy and healthy food.
Please visit www.rawchefwendy.com to learn more.
I know that hope and healing is possible to those who suffer from depression and anxiety. It does not have to be a life sentence. I help my clients "choose happy," maintain healthy lifestyles, let go of negative emotions; change old thinking patterns; learn healthy coping skills; and improve their relationships through reestablishing trust with self and loved ones. You can contact me through email at ambermartinwellness@gmail.com
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