Food to Help Depression

We all have our days when we feel as though nothing is going right. Having an occasional day filled with ups and downs is normal. It's when these days become a more frequent happening rather than an occasional that we need to worry. How do we know if a loved one or even ourselves are depressed? There are several warning signs of depression or symptoms of depression.

• every day tasks seem to be hard to do
• you either eat too much or not enough
• you are more easily irritated than normal
• you begin to have continual
• negative thoughts
• you can't sleep or you sleep too much
• you can't concentrate
• you waffle between felling hopeless and helpless
• you begin to feel as though life isn't worth living

Depression is never pleasant, either for the depressed or the people surrounding them. It is very important to get help. Once you get help you might want to turn your thoughts to your diet. There is a belief that what we do or don't eat effects our mental health as well as the normal causes.

As I said it is very important to get professional help and maybe medication. Changing your diet is to used in addition to the help. There are certain nutrients that are thought to prevent depression, help lessen the symptoms and they are believed to help the effectiveness of the medication.

 Foods rich is omega-3

• tuna
• salmon
• yogurt
• mackerel
• flaxseed
• salad
• cereal
• sardines

Foods high in amino acid tryptophan

• cheese
• bananas
• lean meats
• milk
• chocolate
• peanuts
• fish
• soy
• dates
• turkey

Foods high in B vitamins

• spinach
• beans
• whole grains
• nuts
• fish
• tuna
• chickpeas
• lentils
• eggs
• lean meat
• brown rice

Comples carbohydrates

• whole grains
• fruits
• vegetables
• legumes
• brown rice
• pasta

Ingredients:

1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into 1/2" slices

1 red onion, diced

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

2 tbsp fresh cilantro minced

2 tbsp lemon or lime juice

4 tuna steaks, 6 oz each

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp crazy mixed up salt

Directions:

Grill pineapple slices for 6 to 7 minutes over medium heat on each side.

Chill for 1/2 hour then dice and place in a bowl.

Add onion, peppers, cilantro and lemon or lime juice.

Refrigerate for 1 hour, until chilled.

Brush tuna steaks with olive oil and sprinkle with crazy mixed up salt.

Grill salmn, covered on medium heatfor approximately 5 minutes.

Serve with chilled pineapple salsa.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 boneless turkey breast, cut in halves

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple cider

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp onion salt

1 tsp ground mustard

12 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

2 tbsp flour

1/4 cup water

Directions:

Place turkey breast in a crock pot with the skin side up.

Mix together cranberry sauce, sugar, apple cider, vinegar, garlic, onion salt, mustard, cinnamon and allspice and pour over turkey.

Cook in crock pot on low for about 6 hours.

Remove turkey and strain juices.

Combine flour and water and stir until smooth, gradually stirring in strained juices.

Bring to a boil, and simmer, stirring for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Serve sauce with turkey.

Serves 10.

Ingredients:

2 medium red onions, cut in thin slices

1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tbsp flax seed oil

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp prepared minced garlic

1/2 tsp crazy mixed up salt

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 package fresh baby spinach

2 Macintosh apples, cored and sliced

2 tbsp ground flax seed

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray cookie sheet with olive oil cooking spray.

Place onion slices on cookie sheet and coat with olive oil.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes.

Add chickpeas to the cookie sheet and bake for another 10 minutes.

Mix together lemon juice, flax seed oil, olive oil, garlic and salt.

When well blended stir in feta cheese crumbles.

Place spinach in large bowl and toss with onions and chickpeas, apples, flax seed and sunflower seeds.

Drizzle with the vinegrette you just made.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked brown rice

2 1/4 cups chicken broth

2 tsp dried rosemary

2 tbsp prepared minced garlic

2 cups fresh broccoli

1 tbsp minced onion

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 tsp crazy mixed up salt

Directions:

Spray large frying pan with olive oil cooking spray, add rice and saute until rice is lightly browned.

Add broth, rosemary, minced onions, and garlic and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cove, and simmer for 40 minutes.

Stir in broccoli, almonds, sunflower seeds, and crazy mixed up salt.

Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes until rice is tender and broccoli is tender/crisp.

Serves 6.