The mood depends not only on health and external circumstances, but also on the functioning of the endocrine glands: the pineal gland and hypothalamus. The hormones produced by them contribute to the regulation of sleep, the state of the immune system, emotional mood and resistance in stressful situations. A special place in this situation is occupied by neurotransmitters, a group of chemicals in the brain that are responsible for transmitting information between neurons. They are synthesized thanks to amino acids. For their education should take care of the constant intake of certain nutrients. The most famous neurotransmitters are serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine and gamma-aminobutyric acid.
Food Against Depression: How Is It Possible?
As the old saying goes: "We are what we eat." Although many take her lightly, she is very truthful. Our nutrition can have a significant impact on behavior, thinking, and reaction speed. Take, for example, omega polyunsaturated fatty acids (3 and 6). Without them, a person will feel tired, overwhelmed, unmotivated, will not want to do anything. Of course, this situation does not arise immediately, but only after months, but, nevertheless, there is nothing pleasant in it.
But first, let's look at the mechanism of influence. From the list at the very beginning of the list, serotonin and dopamine have the greatest effect on the human mood. And they should also be guided in the selection of food. Fortunately, if you ensure the supply of everything necessary for their synthesis, then there should be no problems with other hormones.
What is dopamine?
This hormone contributes to a sense of pleasure in those cases when we perform actions that are pleasant to us. An example is the absorption of food, listening to music, playing sports. It is thanks to him that people are motivated and feel satisfied. By the way, thanks to narcotic substances like alcohol, heroin, opiates, cocaine and nicotine, dopamine levels increase. Therefore, a fairly popular opinion is the statement that the deficiency of this substance is behind the harmful addictions.
A decrease in dopamine leads to a decrease in memory, leads to a decrease in concentration of attention, a decrease in vitality (also known as vital activity). Also, the lack of dopamine turns into a loss of initiative (I want to sit and dream). A serious deficit in general can lead to an inability to perform active actions. But it must be remembered that its excess causes hedonistic behavior.
What is serotonin?
This hormone is synthesized from tryptophan (an amino acid that comes with food). It depends on him the regulation of mood, the ability to suppress feelings of anxiety, as well as appetite and libido. If there is a deficiency of this substance, then this turns into social disorders, phobias, sleep disorders, memory, endocrine and cardiovascular functions. Also, low levels of serotonin lead to anxiety, depressive mood, migraines, decreased energy, sleep disorders, manic or obsessive states, feelings of irritation and tension, arouse cravings for sweets, memory impairment, concentration of attention, aggressive and angry behavior, slows down the movement of muscles and speech .
In addition, its deficiency contributes to the occurrence of alcoholism. The fact is that alcohols allow a short-term increase in its level. Although in the future they lower it. In excess, the hormone calms and leads to a decrease in sexual arousal, contributes to the emergence of feelings of well-being and bliss. But its extremely high level is dangerous. But, fortunately, it is impossible to achieve such a situation only by eating food - only with the abuse of antidepressants.
What are healthy foods?
Antidepressant food is a fairly common and easy way to normalize your condition (if the situation is not really critical). It should be borne in mind that the necessary hormones are not contained in it. With food, only the chemical elements necessary for their synthesis can be obtained. The minimum program is products containing tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine, vitamins and zinc. In the long term, meat, eggs, cheese, bananas, milk, yogurt, oily fish, nuts (preferably walnuts), cereals, soybeans, and beets help against stress and depression. For the occurrence of the necessary chemical reactions, it is necessary to take care of the presence of folic acid and iron. Here are some antidepressant foods to consider when serving first.
In addition to them, individual specific points must be taken into account. So, for example, estrogens (female sex hormones) lower the amount of serotonin. Because of this, in the premenstrual period, some experience mood swings. In menopause, this leads to significant problems. Therefore, during these periods, special emphasis should be placed on wholesome food. Additionally, good lighting and moderate exercise help improve the situation.
What to eat?
The list of antidepressant products includes:
- fish;
- sea kale;
- meat and low-fat dairy products;
- fruits;
- bitter chocolate;
- vegetables;
- honey.
It is worth noting once again that the recommended products do not contain the indicated neurotransmitters. They are produced by the human body. Let's look at this list in more detail:
- Fatty fish. First of all, herring, sardines, mackerel, salmon, salmon, cod. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that regulate the exchange of serotonin. It can also be found in nuts, seeds, avocados, unrefined vegetable oil. It is enough to eat two hundred grams of oily fish twice a week and the body will be provided with everything necessary.
- Meat and low-fat dairy products. They are the leading sources of substances that stimulate the synthesis of tryptophan and tyrosine, as well as vitamins of group B. It is better to eat chicken, turkey, lean pork and veal, egg proteins. This group of products allows you to improve mood and prevent the development of depression.
- Sea kale. Perhaps it is disgusting to many, but if you consider the best antidepressant products, you can’t get around it. Sea kale boasts that it is rich in B vitamins, on which the work of the adrenal glands depends. But they are responsible for the production of adrenaline, the lack of which causes chronic fatigue. The product is also the best source of organic iodine, as well as many other trace elements that allow you to normalize the thyroid gland. But she also has an effect on our mood. It is better to use not a pickled, but a dried product. In addition, it can be cooked at home or grind on a coffee grinder to use as a seasoning and a substitute for table salt.
We continue to make the list ...
Antidepressant products that still need to be mentioned are:
- Fruits, especially bananas. They contain tryptophan and vitamin B6. In addition, in bananas there is also an alkaloid harman, which contains the so-called drug of happiness - mescaline. It allows you to cause a feeling of euphoria. To support the strength, it is recommended to eat one banana in the form of mashed potatoes, that is, mashed and drenched in boiling water.
- Bitter chocolate. It is made from cocoa beans that contain phenylethylamine. It promotes the production of endorphins. These substances increase mood. In addition, they also have magnesium, which helps relieve stress.
- Buckwheat and oatmeal. They are rich in tryptophan. In addition, they also contain complex carbohydrates. Slowly absorbed, they normalize blood sugar levels and help regulate insulin levels. Why is it needed? The fact is that it is insulin that is involved in the transport of tryptophan to the brain, in which it is processed into serotonin.
- Vegetables. Particular attention should be paid to green leafy tomatoes, chili peppers, garlic, broccoli, beets, cauliflower and celery. They allow you to provide the body with many vitamins and minerals. Beetroot contains betaine, a wine-like compound that has a significant effect on a person’s hormonal status. Capsaicin in chili peppers irritates our brain and stimulates the brain to produce endorphins. In addition, garlic should be mentioned - it contains a lot of chromium, which has a strong regulatory effect on the formation of serotonin. Also useful are tomatoes, which are real stores of nutrients.
- Honey. Unlike sugar, it has B vitamins, folic acid, iron, chromium, manganese, and about 180 different biologically active compounds that increase energy and help produce the right hormones.
What to cook?
As you can see, it is not necessary to use synthetic antidepressants. Food with the right selection of menus can successfully normalize the position of the body. But in order to feel this, you need to build the right diet. What should the right menu look like? Something like this:
- Breakfast. Oatmeal with raisins, nuts, dried apricots, a cup of cocoa, sprouted and washed grains.
- Lunch. A cup of green tea, 2-3 cups of dark chocolate, oatmeal or rye bread, orange.
- Dinner. Vegetable soup, garnished with buckwheat or brown rice, a slice of fish or chicken, tomato salad (or bell pepper) with vegetable oil, chili, green tea or mineral water, rye bread.
- An afternoon snack. Nuts, dates, raisins, chocolate chip cookies, yogurt.
- Dinner. Cheese or feta cheese, juice or kefir plus vegetable stew of stewed asparagus, peppers, kohlrabi, tomatoes, celery root and herbs. Before going to bed, you can also drink hot cocoa. As an alternative - a glass of milk with honey.
But this is not the only right option, from which it is impossible to retreat. You can use buckwheat, risk, soups from them, just raw vegetables. If there is imagination, then with the possibilities and options for the execution of problems should not arise. Separately, it is also worth highlighting the use of mood-affecting herbal preparations. Medicinal plants that have a sedative effect on humans, can reduce emotional stress. And it deserves a detailed review.
Drinking from herbs and the effect on smell
Anti-depression products are not always required to be in the form of food. The best example of the veracity of such a statement is herbal decoctions. What opportunities does Mother Nature offer us? If a person experiences stress, then oregano, lemon balm, hops, St. John's wort, as well as leaves and valerian root are used.
In conditions when the moment is missed and apathy and depression have developed, the approach must be changed. In such cases, it is useful to brew tea from wild rose, hypericum, leaves of wild strawberry, raspberry, currant, mint and oregano. In this case, it is necessary to let the drink brew for two hours. This soothing tea will relax. The combination of St. John's wort with valerian is also effective. It is worth consuming them for at least one week, completely replacing regular tea. So you can feel a noticeable improvement in the emotional state.
An infusion of mint and hop cones is also interesting. It acts like synthetic tranquilizers. But it does not cause such effects and is completely safe for human health. To prepare it, mix mint and hop cones in equal proportions and steam the mixture with a glass of boiling water. Wait half an hour, strain and ready to eat. You can optionally add a spoonful of honey or a slice of lemon.
To normalize sleep and weaken neuropsychic stress, you can make an herbal pillow. For her, it is necessary to prepare the following collection: lemon balm, oregano, lavender, hop cones. All of these herbs fill a pillow made of linen or cotton. The finished product is placed at the head of the pillow.
As you can see, betting solely on natural antidepressants in foods is not necessary. You can pay attention to aromatic essential oils. Ylang-ylang will allow you to relax and relieve stress, cedar and lavender help to cope with fears and anxieties. So there are natural antidepressants in foods, herbs, and many more elsewhere. The main thing is to seek and wisely approach the solution of assigned tasks.
General cooking rules and recipes
The peculiarity of the products in question is that they can often be consumed raw. For example, tomatoes are easy to wash and can already be eaten. But for greater convenience, it is recommended to cut them. But in relation to some products (for example, buckwheat, rich in iron), the use in raw form can be problematic. In this case, the food must be cooked. This is an important point! The fact is that cooked foods are generally healthier than fried foods. This also applies to those that are antidepressants. Let's look at some quick and easy recipes:
- Cereals. They are filled with water or milk and cooked for five minutes over moderate heat. After cooking, you need to let it brew and you can add honey or raisins as you wish.
- Boiled eggs. Fill with water and bring to a boil. After which they boil for 3-10 minutes, depending on the desired final state.
- Fish. It is necessary to clean it from scales. Then you can make corned beef or fry it. In the first case, it is dried from water, densely filled with salt (it is desirable to achieve a ratio of 1: 2), in this position it stays for two weeks, then it is aired for another five days. At the first and third stage, it should be stored in a grid that does not allow flies to get to it.
Gender Nutrition Features
Are there specific antidepressant products for people of different sexes? Is it possible to choose something more suitable for women and men? Is there a particular food that is preferable to eat? Not really. You just need to provide a healthy and nutritious diet, from which the body will receive everything you need.
Although under certain circumstances it is possible to increase the amount of antidepressant products in the diet. For women, this is especially true in the premenstrual period, as well as when carrying a child. In such cases, a properly selected diet will minimize discomfort and endure a healthy baby. At the same time, it is necessary to select such food so that it can be consumed with pleasure. For example, if you do not like broccoli, then it can be exchanged for buckwheat and tomatoes.
During cooking, you can consider replacing salt with seaweed. To use it in its pure form is problematic. But in the form of salad or sushi, it can be eaten without any problems. This is especially important when it comes to antidepressant products for men. After all, it just so happened that great responsibility is entrusted to the stronger sex, it is necessary to make decisions on which the welfare of the family depends. And for this it is necessary to have a sober head and a clear mind.
Therefore, healthy food needs special attention to the stronger sex. But you do not need to go to extremes and begin to calculate the consumed amount of trace elements and vitamins with a calculator. Enough to provide a varied diet, allowing you to get everything you need in sufficient quantity.
Is medical supervision required?
In the general case, when the above antidepressant products are used, the presence of medical supervision is not necessary. After all, food that is useful and necessary for the human body is used. And in this case, there is no need to attract an additional specialist. In the event that there are health complications, it will be difficult to do without consulting a doctor. This is especially true for diabetics, as well as people with digestive problems, kidneys and liver.
It is also advisable to consult a specialist in case of allergic reactions.In this case, it will be necessary to pass tests to establish the cause. You will also have to choose another product, or use anti-allergic agents. Although, if there is a desire, time and money, you can turn for advice and make a list of consumed dishes for a particular person, taking into account the lifestyle, loads, age. Also, the doctor, taking into account specific features, can make a list of prohibited products.