Good nutrition not only benefits your body, it nourishes your brain, reports the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Although treatment for many depressive disorders involves therapy often in conjunction with medications, there is a clear, medically documented link between depression and levels of certain nutrients in a person's diet. Addressing the potential cause of poor nutrition for depression is a process that is best approached with the advice of a physician and by systematically ensuring that you're getting certain nutrients in your diet.
Step 1
Discuss your depression as well as your diet with your physician or psychiatrist. This is a key starting point in ensuring proper nutrition to fight depression, since your doctor will take into account your personal as well as family medical history to look for a pattern of depression, as well as any food allergies you may have. She can also order a blood test to see if you are deficient in any key nutrients that affect depression.
Step 2
Write out a diet plan to fight depression in a small, portable notebook or ledger that you can take with you wherever you go. Key nutrients to record in your book are vitamins B6 and B12; folate, also called folic acid; and zinc. These, according to North Dakota State University, are four vital nutrients involved in maintaining healthy brain chemistry to combat depression.
Step 3
Choose food wisely. Eliminate fatty, sugary foods from your diet and replace them with healthier, nutrient-rich choices. For instance, french fries contain fats that the brain may use in the absence of omega-3 fatty acids, such as DHA, to build receptors for neurotransmitters or brain chemical messengers that regulate mood. Fresh fish and whole grains are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids that will give your brain the nutritional building blocks it needs to fight depression.
Step 4
Eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, lean red and white meat or whole grain wheat if you are a vegetarian, and fruit such as oranges. These are examples of foods rich in folate, vitamin B6, zinc and vitamin B12, all of which are essential nutrients for mental as well as overall physical health and wellness.
Step 5
Record your daily intake of folate, vitamin B6, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12 in your portable ledger. The Food and Drug Administration requires foods in the U.S. to display a nutritional facts label; refer to this government-regulated guide on the foods you eat to ensure that you're getting enough of these key depression-fighting nutrients in your diet.
Step 6
Take supplements. Augment your diet with nutritional supplements if you do not have access to foods containing the nutrients your brain needs to fight depression. You can purchase supplements in the form of capsules, tablets and even drinks at your local grocery store or pharmacy that can boost your intake of healthy "brain food." Don't neglect your diet, though---it is best to get your nutrients naturally through food.
Tips and Warnings
- Talk to your physician about your depression---you may need other treatment such as antidepressant medication in addition to good nutrition.
- If your depression is severe or you experience thoughts of suicide, see your doctor immediately.
Things You'll Need
- Notebook
