I have seen a lot of ridiculous articles telling the masses to stay calm and carry on with their unhealthy habits. I had to find a rebuttal to this article and found this one I linked above. I also wanted to talk about my own personal experiences with depression and exercise.
Exercise has helped me greatly. The people selected for this study had recently been diagnosed with depression. Some were on antidepressants and others were not.
Honestly when I first had my crash there was no way exercise could have helped me. I was doing so badly I wasn’t able to leave my bed for months at a time. I was insanely paranoid about people entering my space and had to leave even my bedroom doors shut. When I went outside I couldn’t even feel the sun on my skin.
My first experiences with antidepressants was not very pleasant. When I first started taking them I was over prescribed. The medication left me drooling occasionally. My arms were clenched up to my sides. My body was rock solid with tension and I was shaking contently. A new doctor and new medication at the right dose left me in better shape but it took a lot of experimentation with different types of medication in order to find one that didn’t have adverse side affects.
Even after finding a medication that seemed to be doing its job I was almost in a sedated state where I could not feel really happy or sad. I still had a underlying rage underneath it all that I could not get out. It was like the medication had sealed me in a plastic case and nothing could get out or in. After a suicide attempt I gave up on medication. ( I am not suggesting this to anyone this is just my personal story.) I felt like I wasn’t even myself any longer. I had no self preservation taking risks I would not normally take. I would say things I would not normally say. I felt crazy all the time.
The steps I took after dropping my medications were to find my spiritual connection, change my eating habits and start exercising. I dove into P90X. It was really really really hard to get up and do the workouts and I honestly had fits the first month where I just would cry and not do them that day. I finally had to make a video of myself after a work out telling myself how much better it made me feel and to just stick with it. I have completed the program twice. Though I have taken some time off from lifting weights and P90X in recent months I still hike almost every weekend and take walks around the block almost daily.
My mood is drastically better when I finish a workout. I feel the best after an outdoor excursion because the fresh air and light really help sweep away any dark nasty mood I have. Finishing P90X gave me such self confidence. I lost over 50 pounds and felt better then I did at 17. Yoga not only helps my mood but helps me get in touch with my spirituality. It helps me get out those angry sad feelings I often get trapped inside of me because of years of hiding my true feelings.
Looking good and being able to state my accomplishments helps my depression so much. I feel angry when I see articles like this because they just make people who feel lost feel even more hopeless. I am not a scientist, I do not have a team of scientists working for me but I promise that if a person just fights every day to accomplish their fitness and health goals they will feel better. Setting goals builds self esteem and helps a person rise up out of the darkness. Exercise does increase the “feel good” chemicals in the body and can really help. It helps you stay healthy and gets rid of aches and pains that can bring you down.
I felt it was really important for me to respond to this article so people did not read it and throw in the towel. Keep fighting the good fight and keep exercising!
This isn’t a post I want to write, but it’s a post I need to write because I know it can help someone. I’ll try to keep the details about me to a minimum, but I’m about to get all personal.
First, you need to know that I’m extremely introverted and I smile a lot. If I have a problem I like to…
This is a fantastic read. I have also done the mood cure and swear by it. I went through an extremely difficult winter and spring that included the death of a parent. I was able to cope with the difficult emotions.
I am only taking fish oil now and eating very healthy. I avoid the top five “bad mood foods.” White Flour/ Sugar, grains soy and alcohol. Only an occasional non primal food and I make sure those treats are made with real ingredients.
If you are having a hard time with depression this article and the book The Mood Cure might really help you out. It never hurts to take a look at what you are eating and ask if it is good for you and giving you everything you need.
Stress and grief have wrecked my autoimmune system. My allergies have been through the roof even causing blotches on my face.
I decided to take Mark Sisson’s advice and eat some fish as well as oranges. For lunch I got a salad with beets and added some nice salmon to it. I also use local honey when sweetening up things. I am hoping it does the trick.
The other strategy I have been using is to get plenty of outdoor time walking with bare feet to just reset things. Fresh air and earthing seem to really help.
In times of crisis I find having a good food plan really helps sustain my bodies energy while it copes. I hope these links help you through allergy season as well.
Today I got a 5 gallon Enviro-Bottle for the spring water we got last weekend. I am so excited about that tasty water. It saves us a lot of money and will cut down on bottle trash we put out. /high five
I got some pumpkin seeds from the bulk section in New Seasons. I pulled the leaver and WOOSH! I didn’t expect them to come out so fast. I will be eating pumpkin seeds for a year. haha
Some people guise dwelling in darkness as awareness. You are in control of your actions. Do something to help your self today. Take care of your self. Take your self out of the negative. You can only find something better if you take steps towards it. You can do it. I know you can. Don’t make your illness your identity.
I am inspired by the primal workout videos submitted to Mark’s Daily Apple this year. I think I am going to make it my goal to make one next year. This is one of my favorites so far. :D
When someone is diagnosed with cancer or had a heart attack they pause. They rethink their values. They change their diet. They start exercising. They slow down at work and start doing the things in life they always wanted to.
Depression is also a life threatening illness. We need to start treating it the same way as these other illnesses. When you are diagnosed with depression slow down. Start thinking about your quality of life. Change your diet. Start exercising. Alleviate the stress in your life. The only priority is you. All of those outside priorities will carry on just fine because there are millions of people who put the outside as a priority before themselves. They think it makes them important and invaluable but as you and I know when you have depression you stop and everything keeps going. We know what is important and that is the inside. The inner workings of our daily life that no one sees.
Though it is hard to see, this is a gift. It is what in the long run will awaken us if we chose to embrace it. Finding gratification with out the approval of others gives strength. Improving the day to day inner workings of life brings inner peace and great reward. If things feel chaotic stop. Give yourself time. Give yourself whatever you need to reorganize your life. Don’t take it all on at once. Maybe start with your desk you are sitting at right now. Organize that space and make it a little better to spend time at. De-clutter your surroundings. Clean out your fridge and cupboards. Simplify your diet, your possessions, your commitments. I am not talking unhealthy OCD organization either. The whole point is to simplify so you can start dedicating your resources to healing your mind.
When you have control over your surroundings you can start to organize your mind easier. Meditation is a great way to de-clutter the mind. Putting energy into physical activity helps clear your thoughts and give you the feel good chemicals you need. You are now in control of your life, your health and well being. It can’t be done all at once. Like cancer and heart disease it takes time and a lot of work but you will be grateful when you realized a year has passed and seen all of the progress you have made.
A few years ago I decided the conventional way of handling my depression and other health issues was just not working. I began to read finding much of what I was dealing with might be caused by what I bring into my day to day activities. This evolved over time until I began rethinking my food. I started to read about the Primal food movement and had to try it. We have been doing it for 6 months now and my thin, lean not depressed self loves it! I have tons of energy and all of my major health issues have disappeared.
My husband and I often read Mark’s Daily Apple. He posted an awesome KickStarter video for the Cultured Caveman. One of my favorite things about Portland are the food carts. You can get awesome healthy food here quick and easy. A paleo food cart is like a dream come true! We had to try it.
We ordered two Bacon Egg Frittata Muffins, Paleo Chicken Tenders, Rainbow Fries, Beet and Walnut Salad with a Caveman Coffee and Yerba Mate. Joe one of the super friendly awesomely enthusiastic owners threw in a bacon wrapped date that was godly.
The Bacon Egg Frittata Muffin was fluffy and flavorful. The cherry tomatoes on top gave it a burst of flavor. If you know you should have more kale in your life but just can’t get over the taste this is the way to have it. You can’t argue with kale covered in whole pastured eggy deliciousness.
The Beet and Walnut Salad was nice and light with a sweet and tart flavor. The lemon and balsamic vinegar worked nicely with the soft beet flavor. It was fantastic on a very hot summer city day. Yesterday’s photo is of this awesome salad.
If I could marry the Rainbow Fries I totally would. It is a pile of thin cut fries that includes russet potatoes with two kinds of sweet potato. They fry this fantastic combination in 100% grass fed beef tallow. Yes, it is as wonderful as you are imagining. This wonderful pile of flavor came with a dipping sauce that was creamy with a hint of mustard. OMG why am I not there eating this right now? BRB…
I saved the best for last. Paleo Chicken Tenders. I believe a happy chicken is a tasty chicken. This chicken must have been incredibly happy. This happy chicken was breaded in coconut flour. I have yet to master cooking with coconut flour but these guys nailed it. WOW! So juicy, tender, and delicious! I used the sauce for the Rainbow Fries for the chicken too. Wow, go now and eat. It will change your life. It was amazing.
My husband had the coffee and I drank the Yerba Mate. Joe is so knowledgeable about the food he explained to me the benefits of the tea and how it contained the same stimulants as chocolate. I had spent a hot day running around Portland and after finishing off this delectable meal with this wonderfully cool drink I felt like I could take on the world. We continued on our way to the Columbia Gorge and hiked the trail to Ponytail falls and Oneonta Gorge.
This is a must visit food cart when you are in Portland. You can find them at 1477 NE Alberta Street. They are just past the bus stop on the corner. You can also follow them on Facebook. Please like their page and support a fantastic idea.
We went into Portland today to sell some instruments and stopped by the Cultured Caveman for lunch. I plan on writing more about this AMAZING food tomorrow when I am not exhausted. It is a primal food cart with the most amazing lunch. Totally primal and yum. I promise to write more about it. All I can say right now is… bacon covered dates.
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