The Powerful Relationship between Nutrition, Mental Health and Depression

If you are feeling stressed, tired and lethargic, uninspired, moody, scrambled, irritable, anxious, depressed (on or off medication) or mentally challenged in any way, it is time to review the foundation of mental health: your nutrition.

More than 1 in 6 people suffer from mental health challenges and depression? Depression is expected to be the second leading cause of disability for people of all ages by 2020. About 66 percent of all suicides are caused by this depressive disorder.

Depression is not simply “the blues” or a “bad hair day”. Depression is a whole-body illness—it involves the body, nervous system, moods, thoughts, and behaviour. It affects the way we eat and sleep, the way we feel about ourselves, and the way we react to and think about the people and things around us.

Symptoms of depression include fatigue, sleep disturbances (either insomnia or excessive sleeping), changes in appetite, headaches, backaches, digestive disorders, restlessness, irritability, mood swings, quickness to anger, loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies, and feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy.

Depression may be triggered by tension, stress, a traumatic life event, nutritional deficiencies, poor diet, the consumption of sugar and fat, lack of exercise, chemical imbalances in the brain, thyroid disorders, upset stomach, headache, any serious physical disorder, or allergies. One of the most common causes of depression is food allergies. Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) is another common cause of depression.

Life will always present us with many emotional challenges. We just need to understand how we can stay mentally and physically strong and survive them. Nutrition plays a foundational and powerful role in this regard.

Our quality of mental and physical health is an “Inside Story” and is nutrition based. We must understand how to nourish ourselves every day at a cellular level to help stabilise mental health issues.

Most people know “What” to do…drink water, eat fruits and veggies, cut out sugar, fat and junk food, exercise and relax etc But when it comes to the “why” should we do this and “how” to put it all together for their age, health issue and activity level etc, that is where they struggle.

The key is knowing how to put the right foods in, at the right time of the day, in the right amounts. It is the “how” and the “why” that makes the real difference to mental and physical health.

Through out her presentations Helen Frost presents the positive nutritional and lifestyle strategies that can help to lift the “dark cloud” on mental health issues and depression.

You will learn…

* Which liquid has the highest brain energy conducting power?

* How much protein you need each meal to help to stabilise brain chemicals,

sugar and mood levels?

* Which essential fats and oils help regulate moods and improve mental clarity?

* The role carbohydrates play in boosting brain function?

* How coffee, tea, soft drinks, diet foods, sugar, salt, fat, additives and processed

foods negatively affect the chemical balance of the brain?

* The damage that the free radicals from our diet and lifestyle do to brain cells?

* What happens to your brain and body if you don’t have good nutrition?