Unfortunately, there’s no one diet plan that can make you happy by fighting depression, anxiety and other physical causes that lead to a lack of happiness in your life. But, there are ways that you can fight the inflammatory condition of depression by changing your lifestyle to include clean foods.
A diet that supports a happy lifestyle includes one that fights a “leaky” gut, low omega-3 levels and promotes hormonal balance. Many diets today are too rich in carbohydrates that cause quick highs and inevitable lows and this roller coaster effect can cause the problem of depression and anxiety to heighten.
Here are some tips on eating your way to a happy life by eating the clean foods that promote mental and physiological health:
- Choose a Mediterranean Style Diet – A Mediterranean type of diet is rich in folate and Vitamin B12. You can find these nutrients in lean or low-fat animal products such as dairy, legumes, fruits, green vegetables and nuts.
- Choose a Nutrient-Rich Diet – Nutrients include minerals, protein, carbs and vitamins with a small addition of fat. Our immune system will suffer if even one of these important nutrients are missing from our diets.
- Choose a Diet with Antioxidants – Without the essential anti-oxidants we need, our brains can suffer free radical damage, cause depression and have a devastating effect on our bodies.
- Choose Foods Rich in Vitamin D – Studies have shown that those people who are deficient in Vitamin D have a much greater chance in developing depression Vitamin D receptors in the brain are necessary to promote well-being.
- Choose Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Those who are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids are more prone to depressive disorders such as fish, flaxseed and dark green leafy vegetables.
Basically, a clean food diet will limit inflammatory causes of depression and will include the building blocks that are essential for brain (neurotransmitter) health. Also, choose foods that are natural and never processed to get the full benefits from clean eating. Processed and chemical-laden foods can clog your system and create a good atmosphere for depression and anxiety.
It’s not always easy to eat clean, but even though it isn’t totally realistic, you can begin to weed out processed and fast foods from your diet and lean toward a cleaner and more nutritious diet plan that will help keep depression at bay.
