The Link Between Depression + Diet
Depression. Just reading the word reminds me that I never thought it would be fully gone, a demon I assumed I had to battle my entire life.
Depression is paralyzing. It’s not being able to move, it’s the severed nerves between the limbs and the brain. It’s the inability to drink, eat, smile, laugh, or comprehend reality. Depression isn’t “I have given up” or “I am just so sad/ hurt/ betrayed”, none of those. It’s more “what is the point of even living”. It’s the inability to see or accept any good as a reason to put one foot in front of the other.
But here’s why depression gets such a grip on who we are… there’s an ego that comes with it.
The ego will voice the notion of you almost feeling like the world doesn’t understand you, you’re too complicated. You think so differently or your intellect is something that gets overwhelmed by the pettiness of others. Depression is not just feeling sad, it’s an ego driven, irrepressible, debilitating mental disorder.
I’ve struggled with depression my entire life. I believe there are some not so fine lines amongst anxiety, bipolar, and other mental illnesses, because for me, I was also manic. I had periods of time where I couldn’t sleep more than a few hours a night, I would online shop and get myself deep into debt in a matter of minutes, and I wouldn’t be able to stop talking even though people would physically pull away… you may even know some people like this. It may even be you. Panic attacks plagued my own childhood so much, that at one point, I was prescribed anti anxiety meds and put on a 24/7 heart monitor. A few psychiatrists diagnosed me with ‘bipolar 2 disorder’, OCD, and ADHD. But because I was able to seem happy to others, no one truly knew how to help.
As I got older, my mind began to alter. One of my psychiatrists put me on a high dose of Adderall and for a few years, which kept me in a more manic state and subdued my depression. It wasn’t until I developed a nervous eye twitch and even worse anxiety attacks that I decided to get off, and that’s when the real fun began.
severe ‘time anxiety’
panic attacks triggered by brisk walking or driving
bouts of deep depression
OCD tendencies
nervous breakdowns
If you’re reading this, just know there is a light at the end of this tunnel. Most of the time while we’re in it, we don’t care about the tunnel, or the light, or anything, we’re perfectly fine sitting in the dark… and when we’re in the light, we always think that the tunnel is farther away than it actually is.
On one of my lighter weeks, I enrolled in nutrition school. I thought if I threw myself into my passion, it would somehow help my mental state. And low and behold, it was the place where I learned how to defeat all my demons, by figuring out that they weren’t mental at all.
Chemical imbalances, mental states, past traumas, heredity, can all be excuses for depression, but speculation cannot beat science!
Low serotonin has been linked as a major cause of depression and anxiety. It’s the “feel good” hormone that gives us the ability to feel happiness. 90% of all serotonin is made and stored in your gut, not in your brain. All of our feelings, hormones, and chemical reactions depend on good bacteria living in our digestive tracks.
A few things that can deplete good bacteria in our guts include:
Lack of prebiotic foods in the diet
Antibiotic use
Eating too much of the same foods (lack of variety)
Cigarettes and Alcohol
Not getting enough quality sleep
When it comes to wellness, everything is connected. So don’t think just because you went on antibiotics a few times, you became profoundly depressed, there are many more factors at play.
Stress for example, whether it’s physical, emotional, or psychological, greatly diminishes stomach acid, that we need to break down our food into small, absorbable nutrients for good health. Slow digestion means that food sits in our gut for much longer than it should, putrefying, and further feeding the bad bacteria. When the bad bacteria gets out of control, it causes unruly sugar cravings, disrupts hormone balance, induces lethargy, etc.
And again, it’s not all nutrition. There are so many healing modalities that help with anxiety and depression, some of my own favorites are restorative yoga, meditation, petting all the animals, spending time in nature, or just talking with someone who really wants to listen. And I will always suggest getting professional help on top of tweaking your diet to your bio individual needs.
Bottom line is that I was never fully honest with myself about my internal struggle, so my advice is for you to first come to terms with the fact of needing help. Acceptance of wanting to change and making happiness a priority is how you ultimately take your health back into your own hands.
Because of my experience, I felt it was my life purpose to help make sure no one had to feel this alone again. I created a program called the GUT BRAIN RESET that helps women recover from anxiety and manage their mental state through mindset shifts, proper nutrition, and lifestyle changes while learning about their own bodies and inner health. Click the link to learn more about how to awaken your own inner healer and finally feel like your highest self.
*I am not a doctor, I simply have healed myself using food as medicine and an alternative approach as a Certified Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, so my story should not be taken as medical advice. If you struggle with depression or anxiety, please consult with your primary care doctor before making any decisions about your health. There are some who choose to or need to be on prescription medicine because some of us need more help than others, and that’s ok too.
