Get Your Nutrients: Give This a Read

I am writing this from experience. Hear me out and lay all of your prejudices toward dieting and exercise aside. This is not a shallow P90X, ULTIMATE PERFECT jaw-dropping body, magazine inspired thread. This is not your one chance to get rockin' six pack abs and all of that nonsense. However, I am discussing your body and your life.

The following question is directed toward anyone who is depressed. Do you think you would feel as bad if you had a balanced diet with all of the nutrients that your body needs?



You know how you are told that a healthy diet is vital to your health? Well, "they" are not just singling out physical health... When you are not hydrating as often as you should and when you are not living with a balanced diet, your mental health suffers severely. You experience stress, a word that you are all VERY familiar with, when you do not fulfill your body's needs. You have probably been unhealthy for so long that you cannot tell when your body is stressed and needs nutrients. This very same thing happened to me, and it was all too clear and obvious once I realized how I went wrong. The body and the mind are one and the same... If you help out your body then you are helping out your mind. Correct me if I am wrong, but I'd be willing to bet that just about all of you believe that once you enhance your mind and your outlook on life, you will feel happy and healthy. I am here to tell you that you MUST put your body first. We are physical beings; we need our nutrients so that we can operate at our fullest potential. Your mind will be in a much better state if you would just pay attention to what your body is telling you.



And so, I would like every depressed person reading this to follow a few simple guidelines for the next few days. I have a feeling that many of you will be shocked once you realize how much your diet affects your life.

Try this for the next few days and then report how you feel

1. Drink at least 6 full cups of water a day
2. Try to eat many fruits and vegetables along with the other groups
3. Try to get as much sleep as possible. You will never feel good with 4 hours of sleep

The hydration aspect of this is key. I could not believe how dehydrated I had been for the past few years until I started to give my body what it needs. Once I started, my body began to signal for more and more water. I obliged and began to feel better immediately.

I understand that some of you might be getting all of the nutrients that you need, but I highly doubt that all of you are. I highly doubt that you are all getting enough sleep and exercise. Just give this a try and share your experience.

All that stuff they told you in grade school about the food pyramid and hydration was sound information.

I agree with you. I used to be sick a lot from an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, especially during the time when I lived in the dorms and lived off of junk food and whatnot. But 1.5 years ago, I started exercising and eating healthier, and I can say that once my body started feeling better, my mental health improved as well.

Drinking more water (and less diet Coke) is one of the changes I'm hoping to make this year.

I'd like to try this at some point too. Might help with getting the "5 a day"!
30 Days of Juicing

And I need to not do this! :bigsmile:

1BlackSheep said:

Drinking more water (and less diet Coke) is one of the changes I'm hoping to make this year.

I'd like to try this at some point too. Might help with getting the "5 a day"!
30 Days of Juicing

And I need to not do this! :bigsmile:

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Ah, I tried a week juice fast. Also did 30 days raw once. Although it helped, careful not to eat or juice too much fruit. Found out after doing high-fruit raw that a large portion of my anxiety and depression are tied into sugar of all things. But gosh yes nutrition makes all the difference, I swear it's the main pillar to healing.

Haha btw I love that pic... I've done that more than a few times x)

^ I was thinking of maybe trying to have just a glass or two of the juice a day. Something to help me get the 5 a day. I don't think I could live on juice alone!

Yes, if you have weak adrenal glands or if you suffer from fatigue going on a juice fast could actually cause more harm than benefit and put pressure on your adrenal glands.

Thanks for sharing.

laure15 said:

I agree with you. I used to be sick a lot from an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, especially during the time when I lived in the dorms and lived off of junk food and whatnot. But 1.5 years ago, I started exercising and eating healthier, and I can say that once my body started feeling better, my mental health improved as well.

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Fantastic stuff. It's good to see that you have also improved your mental health as a result of improved physical health. I am not a fan of living off of junk food.

1BlackSheep said:

Drinking more water (and less diet Coke) is one of the changes I'm hoping to make this year.

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Those are some mighty fine changes to make. A lot of people come up with crazy New Year's resolutions like quitting smoking, working out 5 times a day, etc. That stuff never lasts... But drinking more water just sounds reasonable!

EscapeArtist said:

Ah, I tried a week juice fast. Also did 30 days raw once. Although it helped, careful not to eat or juice too much fruit. Found out after doing high-fruit raw that a large portion of my anxiety and depression are tied into sugar of all things. But gosh yes nutrition makes all the difference, I swear it's the main pillar to healing.

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I've never done a juice fast or anything like that. I imagine it'd be a pretty decent way to detox your body, although I admit I'm not expert on the specifics of nutrition. Sounds like fun though.

gazelle said:

Yes, if you have weak adrenal glands or if you suffer from fatigue going on a juice fast could actually cause more harm than benefit and put pressure on your adrenal glands.

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Well there you have it. "Juicing" might actually cause some harm. We all might as well stick to normal, healthy cycles of eating... Fun!

KerrBear said:

Thanks for sharing.

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Sure thing, thanks for reading.

There is a really good book called "the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook" which has a very informative section on nutrition and how certain foods, like caffeine, sugar, steroids and hormones, etc, contribute to anxiety. It's also a great book overall for helping with anxiety. I have followed the guidelines for healthy eating except for the night time sugar binges, and I have believe that is has reduced the physiological symptoms of my social phobia. I still get really sweaty and have a rapid heartbeat when I get embarrassed but it's not as strong and doesn't happen as frequently. I am not sure whether it really does help or if it's the placebo effect, but either way, I feel a lot better.

It's hard to take posts on this site that read like one of those questionable ads on TV where someone who looks like they're on cocaine is shouting at you about how awesome their product is and how it will change your life in three easy minutes a day seriously. Nutrition and the motivation to eat better are complex issues and deserve serious, straight-forward talk about how to tell what's good, what you need, how to make good meals at home, and what "health foods" are fake or over-hyped, especially when all fruits and vegetables aren't created equal in terms of nutrition.

Unspoken said:

It's hard to take posts on this site that read like one of those questionable ads on TV where someone who looks like they're on cocaine is shouting at you about how awesome their product is and how it will change your life in three easy minutes a day seriously. Nutrition and the motivation to eat better are complex issues and deserve serious, straight-forward talk about how to tell what's good, what you need, how to make good meals at home, and what "health foods" are fake or over-hyped, especially when all fruits and vegetables aren't created equal in terms of nutrition.

Click to expand...

I had a feeling I would lose some of the members here with the style I chose. I have a few things to say to this.

First, this is very similar to one of those questionable ads if you choose to read it that way. You see things the way you want to see them. That is a major problem for people who have social phobias, depression, etc. However, you should have noticed that there are no ads in what I wrote and I am not selling anything. I am giving advice that helped me to get well and I feel enthused to pass on this information to people who are suffering. So if I come off as the type of guy with a long pinky nail, that is a bad impression; partly my fault and partly yours.

Second, I find it amusing, somewhat satirical (no offense), that you choose to view nutrition in this complex way. We are biological organisms. We are life. We have the main functions which classify any organism as a living entity. One, we take in food, two, we metabolize said food, three, we grow, four, we reproduce. There are other main functions such as responses to stimuli but it is that simple. The fact that you and many others categorize good nutrition as this type of mystifying, over-complex, psychological dilemma is part of the problem. I find hard to believe that a living being could be so confused as to which foods are good and which are bad. You do not need someone to tell you what constitutes a healthy dinner. You also don't need someone to tell you that eating $10 worth of Taco Bell might make you feel like crap. (If you have to go to Taco Bell then I suggest the cheesy gordita crunch or the $5 box. Those are killer)

Either way, the healthy dinner is irrelevant to my original post. In nutrition, just like in anything else, taking baby steps is a fantastic method. All I pointed out in my three recommendations was to drink six cups of water, eat fruits and vegetables two times a day and get more sleep. Then report how you feel. These are simple concepts, and I would like to reiterate that these simple concepts have worked for me. And so, I don't find it much of a burden for you or anyone else for that matter to gently lead yourself to the nearest refrigerator a few times a day for a few cups of water and fruits/vegetables. I am not planning out a diet for anyone but a few simple guidelines.

You might be in the same depressed state as other people on this forum, although I am not sure because I have not looked at your posts. Either way, I think you'd agree that over-analyzing your problems day and night will not help. What's the proof of this? The depressed person's life. Sometimes you have to put your mind aside (if you are depressed then put your irrational, overly biased mind aside) and do what is good for your body.

If you would like me to rewrite my opening message for you, and I don't mean this sarcastically or crudely (even though I can see how it might be misconstrued that way), just let me know. I am saying this because you seem like the type of person who is into a more delicate, sensitive, down to Earth type of style. I tried to incorporate a little bit of that into my post but I tried my best not to come off as mushy and self-loathing like many of the other posts I have read.

ETA: I would also like to mention that my post was, in fact, very straight-forward.

IntheLabyrinth said:

There is a really good book called "the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook" which has a very informative section on nutrition and how certain foods, like caffeine, sugar, steroids and hormones, etc, contribute to anxiety. It's also a great book overall for helping with anxiety. I have followed the guidelines for healthy eating except for the night time sugar binges, and I have believe that is has reduced the physiological symptoms of my social phobia. I still get really sweaty and have a rapid heartbeat when I get embarrassed but it's not as strong and doesn't happen as frequently. I am not sure whether it really does help or if it's the placebo effect, but either way, I feel a lot better.

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Wow, it's interesting to read that some of your social phobia has been reduced by a healthy diet. I have the feeling that it is not the placebo effect in this case, although I might be a little bit biased ) Although, I have to admit if I haven't already, that I am by no means a health nut. White bread and chocolate forever!

FollowMe said:

I had a feeling I would lose some of the members here with the style I chose. I have a few things to say to this.

First, this is very similar to one of those questionable ads if you choose to read it that way. You see things the way you want to see them. That is a major problem for people who have social phobias, depression, etc. However, you should have noticed that there are no ads in what I wrote and I am not selling anything. I am giving advice that helped me to get well and I feel enthused to pass on this information to people who are suffering. So if I come off as the type of guy with a long pinky nail, that is a bad impression; partly my fault and partly yours.

Second, I find it amusing, somewhat satirical (no offense), that you choose to view nutrition in this complex way. We are biological organisms. We are life. We have the main functions which classify any organism as a living entity. One, we take in food, two, we metabolize said food, three, we grow, four, we reproduce. There are other main functions such as responses to stimuli but it is that simple. The fact that you and many others categorize good nutrition as this type of mystifying, over-complex, psychological dilemma is part of the problem. I find hard to believe that a living being could be so confused as to which foods are good and which are bad. You do not need someone to tell you what constitutes a healthy dinner.

Either way, the healthy dinner is irrelevant to my original post. In nutrition, just like in anything else, taking baby steps is a fantastic method. All I pointed out in my three recommendations was to drink six cups of water, eat fruits and vegetables two times a day, get more sleep and then report how you feel. These are simple concepts, and I would like to reiterate that these simple concepts have worked for me, aside from the reporting. And so, I don't find it much of a burden for you or anyone else for that matter to gently lead yourself to the nearest refrigerator a few times a day for a few cups of water and fruits/vegetables. I am not planning out a diet for anyone but a few simple guidelines.

You might be in the same depressed state as other people on this forum, although I am not sure because I have not looked at your posts. Either way, I think you'd agree that over-analyzing your problems day and night will not help. What's the proof of this? The depressed person's life. Sometimes you have to put your mind aside (if you are depressed then put your irrational, overly biased mind aside) and do what is good for your body.

If you would like me to rewrite my opening message for you, and I don't mean this sarcastically or crudely (even though I can see how it might be misconstrued that way), just let me know. I am saying this because you seem like the type of person who is into a more delicate, sensitive, down to Earth type of style. I tried to incorporate a little bit of that into my post but I tried my best not to come off as mushy and self-loathing like many of the other posts I have read.

ETA: I would also like to mention that my post was, in fact, very straight-forward.

Click to expand...

I was a culinary student for a few years, so I'm not speaking out of "depression."

Nutrition is more complex than "eat vegetables and fruits," and so is the motivation or lack thereof in people who already know that eating McDonald's isn't as good for them as a lean chicken sandwich, a bunch of greens, a glass of water, and some fruit.

Your post was 90% often bolded or capital text - emphasizing loudness and energy - trying to convince us that eating good is good and that good food is good, and if life were that easy nobody would be on unhealthy diets. People are on unhealthy diets because of the way our society handles everything from food to cooking to personal care that become ingrained habits, the large amount of misinformation, and the eagerness of companies to make a quick buck off of people's paranoia or desperation about their health and appearance. That requires a lot more than you presented us with to even begin to tackle, which could have been cut down to a single paragraph instead of a bunch of emphasis on how amazing it is and how much it's changed your life - no duh eating better makes people feel better.

The fact that you're apparently ignorant of all the "health" diets out there that are actually very bad for people and all the foods that tout themselves as having health benefits in order to sell when they don't do much at all and need to instead simplify, simplify, simplify and put down suggestions to get to the core issues and avoid pitfalls means you should keep your mouth shut on the subject.

Unspoken said:

I was a culinary student for a few years, so I'm not speaking out of "depression."

Nutrition is more complex than "eat vegetables and fruits," and so is the motivation or lack thereof in people who already know that eating McDonald's isn't as good for them as a lean chicken sandwich, a bunch of greens, a glass of water, and some fruit.

Your post was 90% often bolded or capital text - emphasizing loudness and energy - trying to convince us that eating good is good and that good food is good, and if life were that easy nobody would be on unhealthy diets. People are on unhealthy diets because of the way our society handles everything from food to cooking to personal care that become ingrained habits, the large amount of misinformation, and the eagerness of companies to make a quick buck off of people's paranoia or desperation about their health and appearance. That requires a lot more than you presented us with to even begin to tackle, which could have been cut down to a single paragraph instead of a bunch of emphasis on how amazing it is and how much it's changed your life - no duh eating better makes people feel better.

The fact that you're apparently ignorant of all the "health" diets out there that are actually very bad for people and all the foods that tout themselves as having health benefits in order to sell when they don't do much at all and need to instead simplify, simplify, simplify and put down attempts to get to the core issues means you should keep your mouth shut on the subject.

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Okay, let's get down to business!

The first part of your post tells me that you understand that it is all a mind game. This reinforces what I was saying about putting your mind aside. This is not an impossible feat, I have done it. I do not have the strongest will but I am capable of saying enough is enough.

Second part. I like how you explained how the general diet in society has gone downhill due to media and other groups, and I understand this completely, but the idea is to separate yourself from this nonsense. Anyway, I am not looking to reach out to millions of people who have been affected by health issues... Maybe just a couple of hundred, and if I'm lucky, maybe 5-10 will actually follow the suggestions. You said "no duh eating better makes people feel better". That was not a "no duh" concept to me when I was depressed. I understood that certain foods were healthy and others were not, but I did not understand the effects that eating better had on the mind. Now that I'm on the other side of it (not the polar opposite side) I can see where I went wrong and now I'm sharing to those who might be in the same situation that I was in. Simple. By the way, what's wrong with energy?

"That requires a lot more than you presented us with to even begin to tackle"

Apparently not... Like I said, I have been able to turn both my OCD and depression around with what I have provided. Not to get too personal, but I am not a robot who just talks about depression and OCD. I suffered severely from OCD for years to the point where I could not easily leave my room or sleep because I had to go around touching and counting things for HOURS (cocaine capital letters for you erfect. I have suffered from depression on and off for years to the point of uh... suicidal tendencies. I am sharing what worked for me.

Your final paragraph is the most hurtful and immature. I will discuss it, even though your intentions in this area of the post seem to be more hate-based than reason-based. Well first off, I'd like to say that it is inappropriate to tell anyone to keep their mouth shut. I will not do that and you can apologize telepathically if you'd like. Moving on. I am not into mainstream diets and dieting. I understand that they have had many terrible effects on people. Atkins in particular is ridiculous. The point is still the same, simplification is best. The core issues are always simple... We like to construct networks of overlapping bologna to cover up our issues, but the issues themselves are simple. What I am saying is that we should not try to decode all of these networks on our own. We should save ourselves the trouble and attempt to drink more water, eat more vegetables, and get more sleep.

ETA: Saying that 90% of my opening post was in bold is disgusting hyperbole. Not all hyperbole is disgusting, but the fact that anyone at anytime can look back at my opening post and see how little was in bold is just too easy.

ETA Part 2: I will respond tomorrow to any message you may or may not send. I figure it will be extremely destructive to obsess over this conversation, which I know I will do if I continue to respond.

and if you do this already and it does not help, then what? :crying:

or if u can't eat fruits and vegetables because their ocd?

johan said:

and if you do this already and it does not help, then what? :crying:

or if u can't eat fruits and vegetables because their ocd?

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If you can't eat fruits and vegetables because of your OCD then you have a lot of work to do. I am no expert on depression or OCD but I am willing to give some advice if you ever need it.

Anyway, if you already get enough sleep, exercise and, if you have a good diet, then something else has to be figured out. It makes sense that you'd still want to keep these good habits going.