Written by
Hi there Jerry
Well the Mediteranean diet has certainly lifted my mood as I've lost half a stone on it already. I'm hoping it's going to help with my depression so hopefully I can come of the antidepressants. All the studies that I have read have all been positive so I'm gonna give it a go. It helps that I love fish anyway. Must be the Greek blood in me.
Ah! Well that's good news indeed. Yes, the evidence is pretty compelling over diet. I find my diet tends towards the Med' during the summer months but I seem to tip easily into heavier foods during the winter. I wish you well with the diet. Sounds like you might be on the way to a new wardrobe as well!
I have experienced improvement in my lifelong depression at the times when my diet has been natural whole foods. At one time in my life I choose to eat a living foods diet for 3 years, I struggled with the strictness that I found in some aquaintences who attended a support group for people choosing this level of a healthy diet. I also found that replacing grains in my diet with more sprouted legumes gave me an even healthier experience. Those 4 years of processing the change in diet, processing my thoughts and emotions in relationship to food and walking or standing 80% of my day, along with time spend outdoors resulted in 2.5 or 3 years free from depression. I actually found myself happy (I recall how strange that felt). About 2.5 or 3 years into this diet and more natural lifestyle change, I began experiencing some different depressive symptons and consulted with a Naturapath doctor who did an extensive blood testing. She was expecting a vitamin deficency or something and only found a slightly low level of
DHEA. I did research and took vitamin suppliments for a couple months, I learned that DHEA is made when we experience happiness. I also experienced some unpleasantness in my energy levels when I was strictly Vegan as well.
I also found that it was difficult for me to be so very different from other people, which was one reason I no longer enjoy that level of healthy diet today.
I have a new goal, based on this past experience as well as based on my experience of going back to a more Standard American Diet in the 3 months just after my father passed away earlier this year. My goal now is a healthy Living foods diet that includes mostly green leafy vegetables, fruits (more non-sweet than sweet), sea vegetables (sea weed such as nori, kelp etc), raw goats milk, occasional raw honey, warm teas (I didn't allow this last time and I need some warm comfort sometimes), lots of walking, being outside in nature, and getting to the beach often (1ce a week w/a goal of living there one day even if in a one room NY style apartment). I also have decided that it is beneficial for me (you might be different) to be gentler with my slip ups, my days of eating steamed brocolli (geez that was such a crime to me last time - how unhealthy was that even?) or when in NYC actually eating a bowl of Japanese noodle soup or Chinese Steamed shrimp and broccolli or sharing a cup of coffee or a plate of nachos with a friend (I just don't need to do it every day). I hink my tendency toward perfectionism is a problem. So is my tendency to want other people to see me as a good person, geez, I am human, I make mistakes, sometimes other people don't like me (some of you have read about my family issues, of course it hurts when its family that doesn't like you). And those tendencies come and go and don't stay in my life or my mind consistently. I can choose to just wait a little with my process and see the naturally occuring change (similar to weather or the actions of the waves) - I will be happier and healthier. One last thought - a goal is just that - a goal - something to strive for Mr. Perfection doesn't need to join me on this journey!
One of the problems when you find something as fabulous as raw living foods, particularly if you fall in with a group of gurus and missionaries, is that you believe that you have to follow strict rules or they will not be your friends, and if you don't follow those rules you will be wrong.
To be realistic, you can start at 50% raw, and go as high raw as you like. That's the trick - do what you want to do. It is your diet. If you believe that you should be high raw, then work for it. If you *choose* to eat something that is not raw, then *own* that choice, and decide what you want to do with it. Beating yourself up about the choice isn't going to help... that will probably just make you decide that, since you have made a mistake (no, it was a choice), you should just give up. You can make choices, then choose not to make those choices any more.
We had this conversation a while ago. You can drink a glass of wine or a cup of coffee if that is what you choose to do. It's funny you mention broccoli - another good friend of mine ate steamed broccoli in rebellion as well.
I didn't think so.
Just keep on keeping on. You have a lifestyle that lots of people would love to have. You have many things going for you. You are old enough now to know what you want to do, and you don't need to sign up for any "guru's" idea of what size is right for everyone. You instinctively know what is right for you, and you know when it doesn't work, so you can experiment to see what works for you.
One of the problems when you find something as fabulous as raw living foods, particularly if you fall in with a group of gurus and missionaries, is that you believe that you have to follow strict rules or they will not be your friends, and if you don't follow those rules you will be wrong.
To be realistic, you can start at 50% raw, and go as high raw as you like. That's the trick - do what you want to do. It is your diet. If you believe that you should be high raw, then work for it. If you *choose* to eat something that is not raw, then *own* that choice, and decide what you want to do with it. Beating yourself up about the choice isn't going to help... that will probably just make you decide that, since you have made a mistake (no, it was a choice), you should just give up. You can make choices, then choose not to make those choices any more.
We had this conversation a while ago. You can drink a glass of wine or a cup of coffee if that is what you choose to do. It's funny you mention broccoli - another good friend of mine ate steamed broccoli in rebellion as well.
I didn't think so.
Just keep on keeping on. You have a lifestyle that lots of people would love to have. You have many things going for you. You are old enough now to know what you want to do, and you don't need to sign up for any "guru's" idea of what size is right for everyone. You instinctively know what is right for you, and you know when it doesn't work, so you can experiment to see what works for you.
Featuring Content From:
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. Please read them. The consumer health information on is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. You should promptly seek professional medical care if you have any concern about your health, and you should always consult your physician before starting a fitness regimen. Copyright © 2012 Remedy Health Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
I was wondering if all these participants in the study were not depressed in the first place, or if they knew whether or not they were. Could it have been the case that the people eating the processed food were already depressed? Just wondering.
Good question - is it the cause or the effect? The research team allocated questionnaires to the sample and obtained a self-report of depressive symptoms five years after the study began. With such a sample size, and the ages of the sample, it would be reasonable to expect that some may have had some level of depression prior to the study. Research like this can't report on absolutes and there could well have been lifestyle issues that affected certain outcomes (although some of the main one's were controlled for). Whether or not symptoms of depression were there prior to the investigation it doesn't change the fact that those eating a certain type of diet appear to suffer less from the symptoms of depression. This supports similar research on the issue.