Posted by Janice on November 29, 1999, at 22:41:37
In reply to Nutrition, posted by Noa on November 29, 1999, at 16:32:49
> I am moderately aware of the basics in nutrition, but don't know much about some of the nitty gritty of how different nutritional elements affect depression, etc. Sometimes I am curious about whether eating better or taking supplements would help. My nutrition has been neglected a lot in recent years, because I have not cooked for myself at all, and have relied on processed foods, carry out, etc. Now, the extreme of thinking like my friend who told me I was depressed because all I had eaten in 3 days was a pizza, seems outlandish to me, but in the big picture, he has a point. Over the long run, my neglect of proper eating habits might be making my depression worse.
>
> So I bought a book. It is a bit overwhelming, too much info to take in. But I am picking up some things that pique my curiosity about myself. First, I think I don't get enough B vitamins, because I don't eat meat or poultry, and only sometimes do I eat fish. Second, I definitely have not gotten enough fresh greens, etc. and am probably low on Folic Acid. I also wonder about other deficincies-zinc, fish oil, for instance. I don't feel ready to go the supplement route, and think I should probably just start changing my eating as much as possible to include more fresh fruits, vegies, etc.
> There are some conflicting issues--on being, fish is not recommended for people with water retention, because of the iodine. But it is recommended for depression, because of the fish oil.
> Some basics I can start with are reducing the caffiene, I think, and eating more fresh vegies. I also need to eat less fat, of course, as my cholesterol is too high.
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> Has anyone out there had experience in getting a handle on their nutrition, and does it help with depression, anxiety, etc? It is a bit overwhelming to read this book (by an MD and a nutritionist) because they are like many natural healing folks that suggest so many supplemental herbs, etc. and are into the idea of lots of food allergies, which I don't think is so farfetched, but is probably more than I can handle right now. Should I consult a professional? Are there ways to test whether you are deficient in something? Has anyone worked with a psychiatrist who knows something about nutrition, and works with patients about that?Hi Noa,
I started working on eating properly 6 months ago; and learning to eat well certainly is a process and the amount of information is overwhelming. So far I find it is worth it, definately!I wanted to keep it simple so I called Health and Welfare Canada, who sent me a compact information package. I aim to eat reguarly with healthy snacks inbetween meals, and aim for the bottom of the servings. Pretty modest goals. It really does help. I also take supplements, which haven't changed the way I feel in any noticable manner. The eating well and regularly really helps. I have also seen a nutritionalist a couple of times to get my diet assessed and answer some questions i had collected. Janice.
poster:Janice
thread:15939
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991123/msgs/15970.html