Mental Care Facts & Health Tips

Occasionally you will hear of someone who has been diagnosed with depression. Depending on the type of depression, the affected person could lose or gain weight besides other symptoms. Drug manufacturers and medical doctors say that depression is a result of an imbalance in serotonin – a neurotransmitter in the brain. This means that, in order to ease depression, you should take drugs that increase serotonin levels. However, it has not been proven scientifically that drugs increasing serotonin levels really work.

Nonetheless, there are other treatment options for relieving depression without taking drugs. A good diet is one of them. This is because; the majority of depression symptoms are related directly to mineral and vitamin deficiencies or rather poor nutrition. Unfortunately, there is no specific diet, which works for depression. Nevertheless, taking a healthy diet forms part of the overall depression treatment.

Top foods for fighting depression

Omega- 3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 is known to have numerous health benefits and scientists have shown depression is associated to a deficiency in Omega-3. These scientists have shown that societies who take ample Omega-3 are less likely to suffer from depression than those who only take a small amount of Omega-3.  Omega-3 is commonly found in fatty fish such as mackerel, sardines, tuna, shad and anchovy and so on. You can also get the fatty acids form flaxseed and walnuts.

Carbohydrates

All the carbohydrates that you take in are broken down into essential sugars for proper functioning of the brain. Carbohydrates are said to improve a person’s moods by increasing serotonin levels. However, you should limit your sugar intake to smart levels to avoid increasing your blood glucose, which consequently aggravate or cause depression symptoms. To do this take less of sugar and more of fruits and vegetables especially cabbages.

Cabbages contain folic acid and vitamin C and are known to keep you from stress, infections, heart diseases, and some types of cancer.

Protein rich foods

Foods having high protein content such as chicken, tuna, and turkey are said to boost dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain; as a result, you boost your alertness levels and are able to concentrate more. Other great sources of proteins include beans, peas, lean beef, fish, poultry, milk, yogurt, soy products and so forth.

Peas are also a good source of Vitamin B1, which is essential for healthy nerves.

St. John’s wart

This plant has been used for years as a dietary supplement for treating depression. Although, there is no scientific evidence of its effectiveness in treating mild depression; some studies have shown that it is quite effective in the treatment for major depression.

Other foods

Brown rice, which contains Vitamins B1, B3 and folic acid, is a good low-glycemic food. It releases glucose to the bloodstream and prevents mood swings and low sugar levels.

Whole grain oats – contains Vitamins B1 and B6. They help in lowering cholesterol levels and avoid blood sugar in the body.

Others are selenium rich foods, foods rich in vitamin D, liver, dark chocolate, chillies, bananas and so forth.

Divorce rates are on the rise these days. There are many reasons why couples decide to part ways. Incompatibility, cheating spouses, financial differences, and infertility are some of those reasons why husband and wife part ways. But many couples nowadays cite seemingly ridiculous grounds for a divorce. One such reason (which we will discuss at length here) is the problem of having an overweight spouse!

This may seem absurd to those who are into a blissful marriage. But the fact is that an increasing number of people today have moved away from their spouses because their spouses are grossly out of shape. But then, is it morally justifiable?

It may not be morally justifiable, but a marriage is not just a blend of hearts and minds. Physical beauty of their partner is a really important consideration for most people, even though they might not admit it. Human inclination towards physical beauty is the basis of most sexual relationships.

For a marriage to click, it is important that the husband and wife have a happy sexual life. A satisfying physical relationship can bring a couple really close for life. But because physical fitness is of utmost importance for sexual performance, being overweight can be a great problem. If your spouse is going out of shape, you may feel that this is definitely not the person you married!

It is not hatred. It is definitely not loathing. But you cannot prevent yourself from feeling repulsed at the sight of your obese spouse. Repulsion inspires detachment, detachment causes differences and differences drive the final nail in the coffin of your marriage – divorce!

It is natural if you do not crave for physical proximity with your spouse when the mere sight of your spouse reminds you of King Kong! It is also natural for you to feel guilty about your own repulsions. But what is important is how you save your marriage. You cannot behave as an escapist in the first place. If you love your better half, this is the time to express it. Make your spouse feel loved, wanted and important, instead of filing for a divorce.

But at the same time, don’t let your feeling pile up inside you. Express your feelings without hurting your spouse by choosing your words and actions carefully. You can talk about the various health hazards associated with obesity and urge your partner to lose weight. Talking about how obesity is coming in the way of romance, may be counterproductive.

Evince urgency in your quest to convince your spouse. Once your spouse has acknowledged the desperate need to shed weight, have them join the gym, maintain a low-calorie diet, do fitness yoga etc. Visit the gym with your spouse whenever possible. Buy workout DVDs and magazines for your spouse. If your partner has sacrificed gorging on certain foods, you should also give such foods a miss, as a show of support.

Do all that you can, to display your interest and care. There should be a sense of involvement on either side since marriage is a symbiotic relationship. Be patient, loving and inspiring. This will surely get your spouse back to normal shape, and you back to your spouse. And remember, divorce should not even cross your mind once!

Eating disorders affect thousands of people each year. The majority of sufferers are young females, though men, boys, and older women also suffer from eating disorders. Any unhealthy eating pattern that one permanently participates in could be considered an eating disorder. Many people have an eating disorder for quite a while before they realize it. Here are some common eating disorders explained.

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa is probably the most widely discussed eating disorder. It is the eating disorder that results in the most obvious physical changes for the sufferer. Though sufferers of bulimia may maintain a normal body weight, anorexics are unable to maintain a normal body weight because of their refusal to eat.

Anorexia Nervosa is characterized as a complete refusal to keep body weight above 85% of what is considered normal. Anorexia Nervosa typically involves extreme calorie restriction in one’s daily diet. Many sufferers of this illness go through phases of bulimia.

Anorexics typically have extremely low self esteem. This disease is common in those who are considered “perfectionists” by outsiders. Though many anorexics have an intense fear of gaining weight, a lack of control over life seems to be the determining factor in what creates an anorexic. Anorexia often occurs in the lives of young adults who are struggling with stress and anxiety. They feel that they have no control over their lives and are spinning out of control. Living on an extremely low calorie diet and maintaining an abnormally thin figure becomes a way of controlling their environment.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia is characterized as the binging and purging of food. Many anorexics also go through phases of bulimia. Bulimics may purge through vomiting or overuse of laxatives.

It is important to note that simply purging food would be more a characteristic of anorexia, where the sufferer will sometimes make themselves vomit or overuse laxatives to completely empty the system after a day of barely eating. Bulimics purge after an episode of intense binge eating and this is a very important characteristic of their disorder.

Recent research indicates that there is likely a genetic factor involved in bulimia though it is likely triggered by an environmental catalyst. Bulimics are often people who are overwhelmed by the emotions of everyday life. They have an incredibly difficult time dealing with intense emotions and seek out a means of punishment for what they feel they have failed at. Bulimics may be suffering because of how they feel toward themselves or how they feel toward an event that has occurred.

Compulsive Overeaters

Though anorexia and bulimia are the two eating disorders that seem to get the most attention, eating disorders are not simply related to weight loss. Eating an abnormal amount of food on a regular basis is also considered an eating disorder.

People who use food as a means of hiding their emotions or seem to have a food addiction are considered compulsive overeaters. Compulsive overeaters are sometimes called emotional eaters.  Though many people eat when they are feeling down, compulsive overeaters take it to the extreme. The underlying cause of compulsive overeating, like all eating disorders, is a lack of self esteem. Compulsive overeating is very common in sufferers of sexual abuse.

Reference Something-Fishy