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How To Fight Depression With Superfoods?
Many natural products promise to fight depression without the side effects of drugs, but is this really possible? And can nutrition help improve symptoms of depression? Here we answer all these questions…
We must not play with fire: depression is a real illness. It is a mental disorder that can have dramatic consequences for people's health and life. When dealing with such health problems, you should contact a professional and do not opt for a do-it-yourself approach. Trying to fight depression alone can be dangerous for various reasons: we could be led to believe that the problem can be solved very easily, but without seeing results in the short term, and this could worsen our condition. So what can we do to fight the symptoms of depression?
If you think you suffer from depression, talk to your doctor and give yourself the best care you are offered! After consulting a professional, you can also help yourself with natural remedies. But first of all we must make an important distinction and establish what is meant by depression.
Depression is a mood disorder that causes intense states of sadness, dissatisfaction and inability to experience pleasure in normal daily activities. People who suffer from it tend to have negative and pessimistic thoughts about themselves and their future. Many of us may easily recognise ourselves in this description, but this does not necessarily mean that we are depressed. We can, however, suffer from a depressed mood. The two conditions are very different: a depressed mood is temporary, and can be part of a person's normal life experiences. A love that has just ended, the grief of a loss, a failed exam, or even a rainy day, can cause a period of depressed mood, even if it is prolonged.
In these cases, when the depression is not severe and does not require any medication, we can resort to natural remedies to enliven our mood. Mood swings can also be caused by conditions such as hormonal changes and unhealthy habits such as altered sleep patterns, sedentariness and food deficiencies.
Nutrition, as always, plays a very important role in our health, even in our mental health. Serotonin, for example, is produced largely from the intestine at night. This is the so-called good-mood hormone, which allows us to maintain a state of calm, tranquillity and helps to feel happy. Without adequate rest and proper nutrition, our body is not able to produce enough serotonin, and therefore keep us happy, fighting the depressed mood.
There are many foods able to promote good mood, such as those containing tryptophan, which stimulates the production of serotonin, but also foods rich in Omega-3. These good essential fats stimulate the production of serotonin, and according to an American study they are useful for combating the symptoms of depression. Even some fungi seem to be useful for regularizing sleep and fighting depressed mood, and in particular we talk about Reishi mushrooms. Here are the best superfoods to fight depression:
Cacao: all our cacao products are rich in tryptophan and help to stimulate the production of serotonin. They come from the Criollo Cacao of Peru, the best quality in the world, and are raw processed to keep their beneficial properties intact. They are also Fairtrade certified, so by buying them you will be happy in the knowledge that you are supporting the native producers of this wonderful superfood!
Omega-3: our Chia Seeds and Hemp Seeds are the best natural plant sources of these important fatty acids! Find out how to best use them with our recipes!
Turmeric: a recent study revealed how curcumin, an active ingredient of turmeric, can help fighting depression. It’s a versatile spice you can use to prepare healing drinks and many more recipes!
Reishi: used for millennia in Chinese medicine, these mushrooms are now the focus of many studies for their fantastic beneficial properties, including the ability to calm the nervous system, improve sleep and mood!
