Depression: Are Carbs Making Us Sad?

I am 100% addicted to carbs! I crave

them mercilessly. I dream about them at night! Like a dog with a bone, I salivate just thinking about them! Like many Americans today, however, I also suffer from dreaded. chronic depression. Now wait a minute, before hitting the back button, amazingly, there is hope while we strive to answer the question of the hour? Are chronic depression and carbohydrate consumption related and are carbs actually poisoning out bodies literally making us sad? This theory may not be new in conception, however, I am becoming increasingly more aware of just how significant the concept is, given our hectic, junk-food-junkie lifestyles.

According to http://www.healthjourneys.com/, "Depression isn't just sadness or joylessness. It is a lack of physical, emotional and psychic energy that combines with a sense of hopelessness and helplessness, and then literally sprinkled with self hatred." If this definition were in the dictionary, you would probably find my picture right next to it as this totally defines how I have felt for many, many years. It was not until recently, however, that I started to actually associate my depression with my carbohydrate intake.

Think about how you feel when you load yourself with carbs? A sudden burst of energy followed by an inevitable "crash", right? This "crash" ultimately leaves you feeling even more sluggish than you were before you indulged yourself! Physiologically, carbohydrate metabolism can be simplistically explained as follows:

• Carbohydrates metabolize into sugar. When you eat a meal loaded with carbs, this causes a sudden significant increase in the sugar in your blood, or blood glucose.



• In response to this "sugar overload" your amazing body produces insulin. In this case, an "overproduction" of insulin which in turn, leads to a dramatic drop in blood glucose levels, which leads to the symptoms of a "sugar crash".

In turn, think about doing this over and over to yourself, for year and years at at time? You can imagine the impact this can have on your body and the toll it must be taking. I believe that this endless cycle of carb binging and carb crashing is strongly associated with chronic depression. In the years that I have been plagued by this disorder, there have been periods of time, usually very brief, where I have made myself "carb free" and felt an amazing lightness of being, almost transforming myself in just a few short days! But these times do not last for very long, as the stress of my life and my job, (yes, I know, these are excuses), once again initiate the cycle and here we go exploding into another carb binging nightmare all over again....and again, and again!

So, you ask, what can we do about it? I have made numerous attempts to find a "quick cure" for my depression. From antidepressants, psychological therapy, 12 steps programs, colon hydrotherapy, gym memberships, etc., etc., etc. The bottom line is, in my humble opinion, the only way to stop the cycle, is to change our diet and to begin to cut out the carbs. I do not mean totally, however, as any healthy diet is not complete without a certain percentage of carbohydrates. What I mean is the excessive carb binging that causes the extra stress on your body that continues to perpetuate the depression.

But then, you ask, "what about my carb cravings?" I know for myself, that the intense cravings I get for carbs are overwhelming at times. Like a junkie seeking heroin, the urge to binge to satisfy my ever-incessant carb appetite can cause me to have an out of control urge that leads me into temptation, ultimately forcing me to feed my craving! The following is a list of things that I have found in my research to help curb the carb cravings and hopefully lead the way to a more productive lifestyle:

• Protein---Increasing protein can actually help curb your carb cravings. The next time you feel inpired to binge on carbs, try indulging in a handful of delicious nuts and seeds.



• Vegetables--Veggies are tasty, healthy and really low in carbs, but some are lower in carbohydrates than others. Better choices include broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, mushrooms and summer squash. Try a salad with all of the above with some low calorie dressing.



• Flax Seed Oil--This is something completely new to me. Studies have found that Omega-3 Fats are of the highest nutritional value. Flax Seed oil has the highest content of Omega-3 fats and has been found to help reduce the craving for carbs! It can also help to create a feeling of satisfaction and fullness in our bodies. Additionally, it actually stabilizes insulin levels and lubricates our intestines while it increases the metabolic rate which promotes weight loss. It has also been found to reduce depression. Isn't that great! Have it right out of the bottle however, and don't mix it in with cooking as this decreases the benefit. Recommended dosage for adults is usually 1 Tbsp. daily or 3000 mg. capsules two times per day.



• Water--Drinking 8, eight ounce glasses of water daily can help give you a feeling of fullness and aid with your mission of trying to decrease your carb cravings.



• Low-carb food choices--Portion control and choices of carbs are very important in a successful carb-reducing endeavor. Try whole-grain bread instead of white, brown rice instead of white and whole fruits instead of fruit juice.



• Exercise--As always, exercise is important to not only help reduce unbalanced cravings in your body, but to assist you with elevating natural serotonin levels in your brain to help alleviate depression.



• Avoid alcohol--Alchohol is the absoulute worst thing that you can do if you are trying to curb carb cravings. Alcohol is pure sugar and not only impedes your self-control, causing you to ignore your noble mission to reduce carb intake, it also leads you down that same, familiar path of causing a surge in blood sugar leading to the "sugar crash", leading to worsening depression. The endless cycle, once again.

Don't think that you can do it? If all of the above seem overwhelming, start slow and work your way into making better choices. Pick one or two lifestyle changes that will work for you and just DO THEM! Stop making excuses and instead make changes! This will enable you to lead a healthier lifestyle in the long run and not commit suicide because of your carbohydrate induced depression. In the end, we always seem to make things more difficult than they really are, when it is really, quite simple. CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE, CHANGE YOUR MOOD!