Natural Remedies for Depression
Diet and Lifestyle

Are you looking for an effective natural remedy for depression?

Don't overlook the importance of your diet and lifestyle. Changes here can make all the difference to your problems with depression.

If you are unfortunate to be suffering from depression, you must be feeling really down…

Depression can be triggered by a major ‘life event’, such as:

• death
• divorce
• relationship breakdown
• loss of job
• money worries
• etc…

It might equally be triggered by something seemingly small and insignificant, though.

There are certain factors in your life, which might make depression more likely. But this also means that avoiding these factors can prove to be one of the most effective natural remedies for depression, and can help you to avoid becoming depressed in the future.

Whether you try these natural remedies for depression on their own, or together with other treatments, depends on the severity of your depression. You should consult your healthcare provider to find out which is the best option for you…

Take a look at these short video clips, for more information about depression...

To start the video player, simply click on an image...

Always remember to consult your healthcare provider before taking any decisions regarding your health.

Diet and Foods

• This is why it is important to eat healthily.
• This means avoiding:
  • processed foods
  • fatty or fried foods
  • sugar
  • refined carbohydrates – such as cakes, pastries, biscuits etc.
  • caffeine – for example, in coffee and tea
  • any food you have an allergy or intolerance to
• You should also check you don’t have deficiencies in:
  • Vitamin C
  • B Vitamins
  as these can contribute to depression.
• Try this simple and affordable test, which I find very effective. It will identify the main physical stresses on your body, as well as any food intolerances or allergies and any vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
• This can help you identify the true factors which might be contributing to your depression - and improve your overall level of health too, which can only be a good thing!
• Eat plenty of:
  • fresh fruit and vegetables
  • whole grains
• Fish oils are a good supplement to your diet. Try Omega 3 supplements, or eat plenty of oily fish, such as:
  • salmon
  • mackerel
  • pilchards
• Oats are meant to be another food which helps to lift depression. These can be used as a medicinal herb for depression, or included in your diet. So, eat up your porridge now!
• One of my favorite natural remedies for depression has got to be chocolate.




• Chocolate contains natural substances that release endorphins in the body, and release serotonin.

  These are natural substances that help to improve your mood, and helps your depression to lift.

• Unfortunately, this is not just a licence to scoff chocolate. Not just any chocolate will do!

  Many commercial milk chocolates are too full of unhealthy sugars and fats (and not enough chocolate!) to be of much help to your health.

• Instead, choose a quality, dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content. I like 2 squares (at least!) of dark chocolate a day – just to keep me happy!
• Seriously though, dark chocolate has actually been proven in trials to improve mood, and help relieve depression.

Smoking

• It has been discovered that there is a link between smoking and depression.
• It is thought that the link is in the genes, leading to a ‘personality type’ who is more likely to smoke and get depressed.
• Stopping smoking may not be a direct link to relieving depression – but will certainly improve your overall level of health, which will in turn, benefit your depression.

Alcohol and Drugs

• Alcohol, and many drugs, are natural depressants. It is for this reason that they are best avoided if you have any tendency towards depression.

Exercise

• Strangely enough, one of the best natural remedies for depression, is exercise. Exercise has actually been proven to have a beneficial effect on depression.
• Exercise does not have to be too energetic. A small amount of gentle or moderate exercise 3-5 times a week, will have quite an effect.
• Just start at a level you are comfortable with – even a gentle stroll.
• Combining relaxation with gentle exercise is very effective. Try yoga, or tai chi.
• If possible, try to exercise outdoors and somewhere green. A walk in the park, a wood or on a beach, is proven to have the best effect on depression.
• Getting outside for at least 30 minutes a day, will also help to increase the amount of sunlight you get. This will help anyone suffering from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). (A daylight box can also help with this.

Improving Your Mood with Lifestyle Changes

Quite often, these can be pretty simple lifestyle changes – small things can make a big difference!

Little things which you can try to incorporate into your daily life are:

• It can be really helpful just to talk your worries and concerns over with someone – a friend, family member or trusted colleague.
• If you feel more comfortable, you can talk to someone on a professional level with counselling. Ask your doctor to refer you.

Expressing your feelings

• If talking is not your thing, try expressing your feelings in another way.
• This could be by:
  • letting yourself cry
  • scream
  • shout
  • or just writing down your thoughts or feelings

Think positively

• Depression can sometimes be caused or exacerbated by getting into a negative frame of mind.
• Unfortunately, once you get into a negative frame of mind, it can be quite difficult to change.
• Try to change your mindset to think positively and appreciate the positive in your life.
  • You can try making up your own positive statements about yourself and your situation. For example:
    • I am strong and confident
    • I am loveable
  • Try repeating these to yourself every day – perhaps in the mirror.
  • Or write the statements down, and put them where you see them often – mirror, computer etc.
  • If you need a little extra help with this, try hypnotherapy or CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy).

Relaxation

• Relaxation is very important, in any aspect of life. But it is one of the most important natural remedies for depression.
• Try to remove unnecessary stresses and strains from your life.
• Try to include some relaxation remedies in your plan to conquer depression. This has to be whatever suits you best:
  • meditation
  • yoga
  • massage
  • visualisation
  • art
  • music
  • etc…
• Try to find a relaxing activity which you really enjoy - spending more time doing this will really help you to conquer depression.

Of course, there are plenty more natural remedies for depression that you can try…

• Medicinal herbs for depression
• Other holistic depression natural remedies

You may want to try these in connection with conventional remedies, which can, at times, get to work a lot quicker, and have you feeling better within a couple of weeks.

Recommended Resources

Return to the page on understanding symptoms and treatments for depression.

Consult your doctor for a personal plan of combining natural remedies for depression with conventional depression treatments.

What works for you?

Do you have any tips and experiences in finding natural remedies for depression, to share? Tell us about your experiences...

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