You may feel anxious or depressed during times of stress or sadness. Trouble at work, losing a loved one or family difficulties can cause periods of anxiety and depression. Long-term anxiety and depression interfere with your daily life and can even harm your health. Anxiety and depression can occur together. Either condition may lead to the other, according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. Seeing a medical professional can provide you with remedies that include medication or therapy. A healthy diet, however, also helps relieve symptoms whether they are short-term or ongoing problems.
Mediterranean Diet
A Mediterranean diet may play a role in relieving or eliminating depression, according to researchers at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Clinic of the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. The Mediterranean diet, modeled after the traditions of people living around the Mediterranean Sea, includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and fish. The study, which was published in the October 2009 issue of the "Archives of General Psychiatry," followed 10,094 healthy Spanish people over a four-year period and found that those who closely followed the diet had a more than 30-percent reduction in the risk of depression than did subjects who had a lower intake of the dietary foods. The Mediterranean diet also has higher amounts of monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, than saturated fats, ScienceDaily reports.
Carbohydrates
Whole grains contain complex carbohydrates that may increase levels of serotonin in the brain to relieve anxiety symptoms, MayoClinic.com points out. High levels of serotonin may help improve moods. Medications to treat depression and anxiety disorders alter chemicals in the brain to increase serotonin. Whole-grain foods include oatmeal, brown rice and whole-wheat bread, cereal and pasta. Potatoes, nuts and corn also contain carbohydrates.
Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, walnuts and flaxseed, may reduce depression and anxiety. Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include mood swings or depression, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. People suffering from depression often lack a fatty acid, known as EPA, found in omega-3 fatty acids, NaturalNews.com reports. Fish containing omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, herring and halibut.
Protein Sources
Protein-rich foods provide you with energy to keep your body stabilized throughout the day, HealthCentral notes. Caffeinated drinks, such as coffee or colas, may provide a temporary boost, but they bring you down later in the day, leaving you vulnerable to feelings of anxiety and depressed moods. Eat lean meats, chicken or turkey without skin and fish for protein sources. Fruits, vegetables, cottage cheese, yogurt and peanut butter also energize you and keep you away from unhealthy, high-fat foods.
Small Meals
MayoClinic.com advises eating smaller meals throughout the day to avoid anxious feelings. Eating small, frequent meals and snacks instead of two or three heavy meals keeps your blood sugar stabilized to avoid wild swings during the day that can contribute to anxiety or depression. Small meals also digest smoothly and rapidly to avoid digestive problems that can worsen anxiety and depression.
References
- Anxiety Disorders Association of America: Depression
- Science Daily: Mediterranean Diet Associated with Reduced Risk Of Depression
- MayoClinic.com: Coping with Anxiety-Can Diet Make a Difference?
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Natural News.com: The Top Five Foods for Beating Depression
- Health Central: Diet and Anxiety
