Dealing with Depression Naturally + 7 Natural Remedies for Depression

You don't have to turn to drugs

In the traditional western medical model they turn to antidepressant drugs as a solution for depression, but there are ways to deal with depression other than drugs. Personally, I would not take a pill to feel "happy" when I know I'm not "happy". I believe the healthy thing to do is work through the pain, loss, hurt of whatever it is that is causing you to be down.

Why risk the chance of weight gain, sexual dysfunction, a HUGE risk of suicide, worsened memory, dry mouth? and this list goes on...We have an entire hormonal system to deal with trauma of all kinds.

Antidepressant drugs are one of the most prescribed drugs in the United States, doubling from 13.3 million in 1996 to 27 million in 2005. Despite this, more than one in 20 Americans are depressed according to the most recent statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

So why are so many people still depressed if these drugs are so greatly prescribed? Because they don't address the cause of depression.

Sometimes, if you go outside, walk barefoot on some grass and ground yourself to the earth, you can forget about everything for a moment and just exist in the present, where loss was yesterday, or tomorrow, but it's not now and it's not important.

Emotions are a blessing and a curse. We love, we hate, we lose, we hurt another and we grieve. But after tragedy, we move on and continue to exist in the now where we can take care of ourselves and our loved ones around us.

7 Natural Remedies for Depression

Sun

The sun is a free and vital source of Vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to depression according to the British Journal of Psychiatry. Now don't go and lay out in the sun for 2 hours, but 30 minutes outdoors everyday would be great. Try light therapy if you live in a place with out a lot of sun.

Exercise Regularly

No surprise here. You don't have to run 5 miles, just take a 15 minute walk through the park or your neighborhood and it will release endorphins in your brain which is another happy chemical.

Eat A Happy Diet

Believe it or not, some foods can help boost serotonin levels (which is what makes us happy). They include:

• Wild Caught Fish or Fish Oil, rich with Omega-3 fatty acids
• Grass Fed Beef (for tryptophan + omega-3s surprisingly!)
• Flaxseed (for trytophan + omega-3s)
• Healthy Fats like Coconut Oil + Avocado Oil
• Free Range Turkey (When you eat a protein source containing tryptophan, along with a small amount of carbohydrate, all of the amino acids except for tryptophan are cleared from the bloodstream leaving tryptophan free to cross the blood brain barrier and form serotonin.)
• Tart or Sour Cherries (for melatonin)
• High Quality Eggs (for omega-3s)
• Walnuts (for omega-3s)
• Bananas (for magnesium)
• Pumpkin Seeds (for healthy fats, magnesium + tryptophan)
• Dark Chocolate + Cocoa, try for 70% and higher cocoa chocolate (antioxidants + polyphenols)

Stay Away from Coffee

Many claim coffee to help depression, but it is really not a good mix. The concentrated caffeine will boost your mood quickly, but you will crash later and being exhausted but wired is not good for mood regulating chemicals. If you must have that boost, switch to green tea. It contains L-theanine which works harmoniously with caffeine to boost mood in such a way that you don’t get the same crash-effect.

Meditate

If there's one thing I encourage everyone to do, it is to meditate every night. It's hard to do but it truly helps balance you out and connect with your inner self... More on this later.

Talk to Someone

And if you don't have someone to talk to, don't be ashamed to see a therapist. They are hugely helpful and allows you to get some weight off your chest if need be.

Increase Vitamin B-12 Intake

Vitamin B-12 plays a huge role in producing serotonin, dopamine and epinephrime (which all impact your mood).  Either add more B vitamin rich foods into your diet or take a supplement (this is what I take).