Mental health is a subject that is near to my heart.
It is not because of my own issues, but because it has detrimentally affected my family and those I love, and I have seen firsthand the damage caused by mental health issues that go unaddressed.
We have a mental health crisis happening in our country right now…and no one is talking about it. It is a silent crisis.
Suicide rates have skyrocketed over the past year. More adults and children than ever before are reporting feeling depressed and anxious, and we have more people on medication for these disorders than ever before.
And the media has been silent…
I am not an expert and don’t have all the answers. If I did, my life would look vastly different than it does today. But I have done heaps of research and educated myself and my family. I even spent an entire semester of college studying the human brain and completed an in-depth research project on the effects of exercise on the brain.
I want to share some of what I learned and offer some strategies for addressing the crisis that is killing our children and our quality of life.
First, here are a couple of important things to understand:
- DO NOT use any of these strategies in place of a thorough examination and diagnosis.
If you or someone in your family is struggling with mental health issues, please see a doctor! Medication, therapy, and even hospitalization have their place and can mean the difference between life and death. They are there for you if you need them.
- All of the strategies I will discuss can be used in conjunction with meds and therapy. DO NOT stop taking your medication at any time without consulting a doctor.
Abruptly stopping your medication can cause terrible problems. So, if getting off medication is something you want to explore, do it with the guidance of a doctor who specializes in medication to treat mental health issues, preferably a psychiatrist.
I will list all of the resources for the information discussed at the end of this article. Please don’t take my word for any of this. Do your own research and educate yourself to make decisions that are best for you and your loved ones.
We all know that nutrition and fitness have a positive effect on our bodies. We measure fitness and health by the size of our waistline, blood pressure, cholesterol, and even how far we can run or how much weight we can lift.
But did you know that nutrition and fitness affect your mental health as well as your physical health?
Here are five things I have learned about the effects of nutrition and fitness on your brain and how you can use this information to improve or protect your mental health:
- Exercising grows your brain and treats depression.
Studies have shown that regular exercise over a one-year period leads to growth in the hippocampus, the learning and memory center of your brain. Students who exercise do better in school for a reason.
But researchers from Stockholm dug deeper and discovered that depressed subjects had less growth in the hippocampus than subjects that were not depressed, and increasing growth in this area through physical activity lessened depression. They concluded that long-term continuation of physical activity prevented relapse and was more effective than medication to prevent and treat depression.
From this we can conclude that physical activity is a key strategy to treat depression.
2. Exercise lessens stress and anxiety
While regular physical activity leads to growth in the hippocampus, it lessens the amygdala density, the fear and stress center of the brain. In layman’s terms, it shrinks the amygdala.
Subjects of the study took on a regimen of exercise, and at the same time, they were reporting feeling less stress. Brain scans showed the decreased density of the amygdala. So the results of exercising were more than just perception; they were physical, quantifiable changes to the brain that had positive results for the test subjects.
This means that physical activity not only helps treat depression, but also anxiety.
3. A gluten-free diet lessens depression
Gluten…
One of the most loved and hated proteins in the human diet. We love to eat it, but we hate what it does to us.
The National Institute of Health studied the results of multiple other studies and pulled all of the results together to be analyzed in a process referred to as a meta-analysis.
They found that a significant number of depressed subjects who maintained a gluten-free diet were no longer distinguishable from non-depressed subjects, meaning they no longer had symptoms of depression. They also found that these results were consistent over four years of study in patients that maintained their gluten-free status.
Wow!
In today’s world, where gluten-free pasta, bread, crackers, and entire GF restaurants exist, there is really no reason not to commit to six months of being gluten-free.
If dietary changes are the only thing standing between you and the quality of life you want, don’t wait. Thousands of websites specialize in GF recipes and living a GF life. So worth it to see if this is the answer for you or your loved one!
4. Alcohol worsens depression
Oh boy…
I know many people talk about the health benefits of drinking wine, but sis, if you are struggling with your mental health and are using alcohol as a tool to deal with it, you are actually making it worse.
That’s the truth.
Alcohol does not fix problems. It temporarily alleviates stress and anxiety, and if you drink enough, you don’t care about your problems…for a while…but when it wears off, all your problems are still there, and your mental state is worse than before you consumed the alcohol.
Rates of alcoholism are on the rise, right along with depression. By trying to self-medicate away your blues, you make the blues worse and create a secondary problem, alcohol dependency. It is no joke; it is your life.
In short, the answer to the struggles you are facing are not at the bottom of that bottle of wine.
I am not saying you should never enjoy a glass of wine if that’s your thing. I am saying that if you are drinking every day, and when you’re stressed, your reaction to the stress is to crack open a bottle of wine or pour yourself a drink, you might be missing the bigger picture.
Limiting alcohol consumption can improve the symptoms of depression, and can be a valuable strategy to protecting your mental health.
5. Essential Oils
I could do an entire article on just this one thing.
Essential oils have always been considered alternative medicine with no science behind them. Just anecdotal stories from people on the fringe, right?
This is no longer true.
Researchers started doing studies on essential oils to debunk them as snake oil remedies that provided nothing more than a placebo effect on health. What we have now is a body of evidence proving their efficacy and as more and more studies are released, the number of things they have been proven effective with continues to grow.
This includes being antiviral, antibacterial, anti-cancer, and yes, effective to improve depression and anxiety.
They have also been shown to have all these benefits without the nasty side effects of pharmaceuticals.
The best part is that you can use essential oils in conjunction with pharmaceuticals because they do not interfere with your meds!
In the resources below, I have included studies on frankincense and lavender because they are very common oils, but there are others you can look into and try. Clary Sage, Basil, Peppermint, Rosemary, and many others have been used to boost mood and promote calm.
If you haven’t already, it is TIME to learn about and start using essential oils in your home and with your family. HERE is a link to some essential oils basics if you are ready to get started.
There you have it! Five science based strategies for improving and protecting your mental health, and the mental health of your loved ones.
It’s time to get serious about what’s happening and address this crisis before it claims another life and destroys another family. I hope you will take the time to do some research and put some strategies in place to protect your own family.
If you found this information helpful, please share it! The only way to make a difference is to help others find answers for their families too. By liking and sharing, you make a difference and give hope to those who are suffering in silence. It could literally save someone’s life.
Hugs,
Lavena
Resources
Effects of Physical Activity on Depression & Anxiety:
https://www.pnas.org/content/108/7/3017
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15769301/
https://academic.oup.com/scan/article/5/1/11/1728269
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24026850/
Effects of Gluten on Depression
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6266949/
Alcohol & Depression:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3658562/
Essential Oils:
such and important post and welcome to W.P. Thanks for the follow… I’m now following you. stay in touch!
Thank you, Cindy!
Pleasure!?
of course!! ??