Eating healthy during pregnancy is one of the most important things to take into consideration for the health of your baby’s growth and development. After all, if you are eating brain-healthy foods, so is your baby. An ideal diet for a pregnant woman is one that incorporates a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, and lean proteins like fish.
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Fish is one of the healthiest forms of lean protein you can eat, but you need to make sure the fish you are eating is wild caught high-quality fish that is contaminant free. Pregnant women need to be especially careful because eating fish that contain even low levels of mercury can increase the risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring. This can be confusing for mothers to be because there are also several other types of fish during pregnancy may protect against the disorder.
Is There An ADHD Risk in Children From Their Mother’s Fish Consumption?
A cohort study of almost 400 children showed that the risk for inattention and impulsivity at the age of 8 years was significantly associated with maternal mercury levels and as the mercury levels increased, so did risk. The study was conducted between 1993 and 1998. 788 infants from Massachusetts were enrolled in the study which was designed to assess a possible link between exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and neurodevelopment.
Soon after birth, hair samples were collected from the mothers and analyzed for mercury levels. The mothers also filled out a questionnaire regarding fish consumption during pregnancy.
At 8-year follow-up, 421 of these children were assessed for possible ADHD behaviors and the results showed that not only was mercury exposure associated with inattention and impulsivity/hyperactivity, but the risk for these behaviors increased with maternal hair mercury levels. The threshold for first association with ADHD symptoms appeared to be at least 1 μg/g or more of mercury. In addition, these associations were more notable in boys than girls.
This research does not mean that pregnant women should avoid eating all types of fish because the study also found offspring of mothers who consumed at least 2 servings of fish a week (which is currently more than the current recommended amounts from the FDA and EPA) had a decrease in ADHD-related behaviors — especially in impulsivity/hyperactivity. “These findings underscore the difficulties of balancing the benefits of fish intake with the detriments of low-level mercury exposure in developing dietary recommendations in pregnancy,” write the investigators.
Although the researchers did not assess which fish are worst and best to consume while pregnant, they noted in a release that previous studies have shown that shark, fresh tuna, and swordfish should be avoided by pregnant women, whereas fish such as haddock, salmon, and flounder are good because of their low levels of mercury and their nutritional value. “Women need to know that nutrients in fish are good for the brain of a developing fetus, but women also need to be aware that high mercury levels in some fish pose a risk,” said lead author Sharon Sagiv, Ph.D., MPH, from Boston University School of Public Health in Massachusetts.
Brain Healthy Pregnancy Tips
The FDA provides three recommendations for young children, pregnant women, and women of child-bearing age:
Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish because they might contain high levels of mercury.
Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. Five of the most commonly eaten fish and shellfish that are low in mercury are: shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish. Another commonly eaten fish, albacore or big eye (“white”) tuna depending on its origin might have more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, it is recommended that you should not eat more than up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.
Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but consume no other fish during that week.
A diet rich in omega-3’s can help boost mom and baby’s brain and neurological development. Incorporate a DHA supplement, flaxseed oil, walnuts, and fatty fish to avoid getting DHA from high mercury foods. Benefits include better memory, vision, and better language comprehension during their early childhood. Mom’s can reap all these benefits and reduce the risk of post-partum depression. Recognizing how important it is to make sure the fish you consume comes from high-quality wild caught sources is a must. The National Institutes of Health recommend that pregnant and nursing women get at least 300 milligrams of DHA in their daily diet.
Amen Clinics wants to help support brain health of all women including the health of our future generations. If you or someone you know is struggling with brain health contact us today at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit today. For daily brain health updates, follow us on Facebook.
How many times have you heard to put the burger and french fries down? A study from Australia suggests there may be good reasoning for this, warning about the effects of a typical Western diet and the rise of ADHD in adolescents. The good news is that eating a “healthy pattern diet,” more common in Asia and many Mediterranean countries, lessens the reported diagnosis of ADHD.
“We found a diet high in the Western pattern of foods was associated with more than double the risk of having an ADHD diagnosis compared with a diet low in the Western pattern, after adjusting for numerous other social and family influences,” says Dr. Wendy Oddy, a lead researcher for the Western ADHD study. After looking at the dietary patterns amongst the adolescents they then compared the diet information against whether or not the child had received an ADHD diagnosis by the age of 14 years. Their findings were that 115 adolescents had been diagnosed with ADHD, 91 boys and 24 girls.
A Western pattern is a diet with a trend towards convenience and fast foods, sweets, processed, fried and refined foods. These diets tend to be higher in total fat, saturated fat, refined sugar, and sodium. Whereas a “healthy” pattern is a diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and fish. It tends to be higher in omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and fiber.
The specific foods that are most associated with those who received an ADHD diagnosis are processed meats, red meat, high-fat dairy products and sweets.
The findings of the study suggested that a Western dietary pattern may indicate the adolescent has a less optimal fatty acid profile, whereas a diet higher in omega-3 fatty acids is thought to hold benefits for mental health and optimal brain function.
When you incorporate more foods rich in Omega-3’s it turns out you are doing your brain a great deal of service. Not only can it help improve mood, memory loss, inflammation, and help lower your risk of chronic diseases.
In addition, she added that the Western dietary pattern does not provide enough essential micronutrients that are needed for brain function, particularly attention and concentration. Another concern is that the Western diet might contain more additives that have been linked to an increase in ADHD symptoms. There may also be a link between impulsivity, characteristic of ADHD, leading to poor food choices when hungry.
We have found that a healthy diet, along with targeted supplements with high-quality fish oil can be of tremendous help in healing the symptoms of ADD and ADHD. At Amen Clinics, we understand the pain and frustration that ADHD can cause for families and adults. We approach each individual with a sense of compassion and respect. Our experienced clinical staff will take a full history of each patient using The 4 Circles Approach before beginning treatment with SPECT imaging or making other recommendations. Connect with us today by calling 888-288-9834 to learn more – we are waiting to help you, or schedule a visit today!
The Standard American Diet (SAD) is saturated with sugar, high omega-6 fatty acids, excessive calories, trans fats, processed and pesticide-laden foods. People who have a simple, carbohydrate-based diet (bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit juice and sugar) have a 400% increased risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease. New research has also linked a sugar-laden diet to Alzheimer’s disease, which some scientists are now calling “type 3 diabetes.”
Some of the most common risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease include: obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, smoking, using drugs or alcohol, sleep apnea, insomnia, and low estrogen, testosterone, or thyroid. And, lest you think that only your memory is at stake, insulin resistance has linked Alzheimer’s with a wide array of behavioral and mood disorders including: depression, panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia, and ADHD.
Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity are national health epidemics that continue to grow. The answer is NOT to see them as individual, separate disorders, but rather as different outcomes of the same unhealthy lifestyle that have exactly the same cure. The best way to prevent Alzheimer’s is to eliminate all of the risk factors that are associated with the disease—and the good news is that most of them are either preventable or treatable!
Adopting these five brain-healthy strategies can help protect you from premature aging:
So Long, Sugar
Sugar is not your friend. Sugar produces inflammation in your body, increases erratic brain cell firing, and sends your blood sugar levels on a roller-coaster ride. If you’re in an abusive relationship with sugar, break it off today!
Brain Healthy Breakfast
A balanced breakfast (including protein) helps to keep the blood sugar balanced so that you can make smart decisions about how to take care of your brain and body.
Feed Your Second Brain
There’s a reason your gut is considered your second brain. Intestinal problems increase inflammation—that low-level fire that destroys your organs—and increases your risk for depression, worry, chronic pain and poor cognitive health. To balance your gut health, eat fermented foods or take a high-quality probiotic supplement.
Lean Protein
Lean protein provides the necessary building blocks for brain health. For optimal brain function, include more healthy proteins in your diet, including: beans, spinach, raw nuts, free-range eggs and omega-3 rich salmon.
Eat Brain Berries
Wild blueberries, nicknamed “brain berries” by neuroscientists, have high amounts of antioxidants and are known to protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
Being serious about brain health has no age limit, especially when a better brain can help improve your focus, mood, and memory. You can create a brain-healthy life by learning how to love and care for the most important part of your body…your brain.
How Brain SPECT Imaging Can Help
Brain SPECT imaging looks at the functioning of the brain. It can tell us if your brain is healthy, experiencing accelerated aging, injured, overactive, or underactive. Without imaging and other assessments, there’s really no way to know what’s going on inside your brain.
Although getting older is unavoidable, aging is optional. To learn how we can help you prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia, call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit. It is estimated that as many as 70 million Americans have trouble sleeping and it is progressively getting worse with the proliferation of gadgets and bad habits. If you think you may be struggling too, ask yourself these questions:
Do you have trouble falling asleep?
Do you go to sleep easily but wake up repeatedly throughout the night?
Do you find it hard to drag yourself out of bed in the morning?
Do you or your significant other snore?
Do you regularly get less than seven hours of sleep per night?
If you answered yes to any of these, then you are not alone.
Sleep Deprivation is Hazardous to Your Health
Healthy sleep is absolutely essential to a brain healthy life. Sleep rejuvenates all the cells in your body, gives brain cells a chance to repair themselves, helps wash away toxins that build up during the day, and activates neuronal connections that might otherwise deteriorate due to inactivity.
Skimping on sleep can affect your health in more ways than you might imagine. When you don’t get enough sleep, you have overall decreased blood flow to your brain, which disrupts thinking, memory, and concentration.
Sleep deprivation has been associated with many health risks, including:
Remember that we are all unique individuals and what works for one person may not work for another. Keep trying new techniques until you find something that works.
Maintain a regular sleep schedule.
Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up (regardless of how much sleep you got the night before) at the same time each day, including on weekends.
Your bedroom should be comfortable.
Control the temperature so that your room isn’t too hot or too cold. Also, keep your room as dark as possible while sleeping.
Create a soothing nighttime routine.
A warm bath, meditation, or massage can help you relax.
Don’t take naps!
This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make if you have trouble sleeping. Daytime naps will make the nighttime sleep cycle disruption worse.
Use sound therapy.
Soothing nature sounds, soft music, wind chimes, white noise makers or even a fan can induce a very peaceful mood and lull you to sleep.
Increase serotonin.
Drink a mixture of warm milk, a teaspoon of vanilla (the real stuff, not imitation), and a few drops of stevia which will increase serotonin in your brain and help you sleep.
Technology-free bedroom.
Take computers, video games, the TV and cell phones out of your bedroom and turn them off an hour or two before bedtime to allow time to “unwind.” Plus, they emit a type of light that stimulates the brain.
Avoid a full stomach.
Don’t eat for at least two to three hours before going to bed.
Regular exercise.
This is very beneficial for insomnia. However, don’t do it within four hours of the time you go to sleep as vigorous exercise late in the evening may energize you and keep you awake.
Watch out for stimulants.
Don’t drink any caffeinated beverages and avoid chocolate, nicotine, and alcohol in the late afternoon or evening. Although alcohol can initially make you feel sleepy, it actually interrupts sleep.
Move the clock so you can’t see it.
If you wake up in the middle of the night, refrain from looking at the clock. Checking the time can make you feel anxious, which will only make it harder to go back to sleep.
Use the bed only for sleep or sexual activity.
Sexual activity releases many natural hormones, releases muscle tension, and boosts a sense of well-being.
Don’t toss and turn.
If you are unable to fall asleep or return to sleep easily, get up and go to another room to do something relaxing until you feel more tired.
For over 25 years, Amen Clinics has helped tens of thousands of people heal their brains and we can help you too. If you feel that you or a loved one could benefit from an evaluation, please call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit our website to schedule an appointment.
Drinking red wine in moderation, and more recently alcohol, in general, has been thought of as something that can improve one’s health. The constant messaging from the alcohol industry has people feeling they must drink two glasses of wine a day to feel healthy.
SPECT Shows Brain Toxicity From Alcohol
In fact, the evidence from our brain imaging studies demonstrates that alcohol is the exact opposite. Even ONE glass of beer or wine per day can be directly toxic to brain function. The SPECT scans of people who drink too much alcohol – more than three drinks a week – look toxic. Alcohol use negatively affects the brain and body in a number of ways.
It is associated with fatty liver disease, peripheral neuropathies (pain and tingling in hands, legs, and feet), damage to neurons, especially those in the cerebellum, which is involved in physical and thought coordination, and mood. It interferes with the absorption of vitamin B1, which predisposes people to serious cognitive problems. Alcohol decreases firing in the prefrontal cortex, the most human and thoughtful part of the brain. It also disrupts sleep.
Additionally, alcohol predisposes you to sugar abuse, stimulates your appetite, prolongs the time you sit during a meal and is associated with continued eating even though you feel full. Alcohol exerts substantial influence on the circulation in your pancreas, increasing the production of insulin, which can lead to low blood sugar levels, which worsens your decision-making.
And it gets worse. In 2015, the prestigious journal Lancet published a review of 115,000 subjects in which researchers found that although alcohol use decreased the risk of heart attacks, it increased the risk of cancer and physical injuries. Alcohol is a known carcinogen and associated with 5.8% of all cancer deaths. Jürgen Rehm, Ph.D., Director of the Social and Epidemiological Research Department at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, wrote, “Very simply, the cancers that have been determined previously to be caused by alcohol have been confirmed. There is no discussion about whether alcohol causes these cancers. The fact that alcohol is a carcinogen has been clearly confirmed.”
There are other ways to decrease your risk of heart disease that doesn’t increase your risk of cancer.
Furthermore, alcohol affects the brain by reducing nerve cell firing; it blocks oxygen getting into the cell’s energy centers; and it reduces the effectiveness of many different types of neurotransmitters, especially those involved in learning and remembering. And a 2008 study appearing in the Archives of Neurology found that people who drink just one to seven drinks per week have smaller brains than nondrinkers, and those who have two or more drinks a day have even more brain shrinkage. When it comes to the brain, size matters!
At Amen Clinics, we want to help you learn more about your brain and how you can make it better, not only for yourself but for the generations that follow. Call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit our website to schedule an appointment.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), almost 44 million adults and 14 million children in the United States have a diagnosable mental disorder each year. Regrettably, the issue of mental health remains shrouded by misunderstanding and stigma.
The stigma associated with mental illness prevents many people from getting help; fewer than half of those who suffer from mental health problems ever seek help. People do not want to be seen as crazy, stupid, or defective, and they often don’t seek help until they (or their loved one) can no longer tolerate the pain (at work, in their relationships, or within themselves).
Additionally, people with mental health problems say that the social stigma and the discrimination they experience from not only society but also from families, friends, and employers, can make their difficulties worse and make it harder to recover.
Unfortunately, the stigma associated with mental illness is deep-seated and difficult to overcome. One strategy to decrease this stigma is to educate the public that mental disorders, rather than being character flaws or personal weakness, have a biological and neurological basis.
What if we re-imagined mental health as brain health?
What if mental health problems were evaluated and treated like other medical issues, and physicians were using functional imaging tools, genetics, and other markers to guide treatment?
Currently, doctors prescribe psychotherapy or powerful combinations of medications without ever looking at how an individual patient’s brain works. When it comes to behavior, learning or emotional problems, doctors prescribe treatments in the dark.
Imaging changes everything. After looking at nearly 150,000 brain scans on patients from 120 countries, we know that when physicians don’t look at how the brain functions, they guess at what is wrong, and that can hurt their patients. Without imaging, physicians miss important causes of trouble, such as brain injuries, toxic exposure, and infections. People end up misdiagnosed and on the wrong treatments.
Consider the story of U.S. Senator Max Cleland, disabled U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, recipient of the Silver Star for valor, and former head of the Veterans Administration. Forty-eight years ago in Vietnam, he lost his two legs and right arm in a grenade explosion. Although the physical injuries healed, the emotional anguish had never completely healed.
Prior to coming to Amen Clinics, his treatment path was slow, exasperating, and sometimes horrifying. For years he endured the all-too-familiar “throwing darts in the dark” approach to mental health issues – sharing his symptoms with his physicians, then based on those symptoms, being prescribed a variety of medications (anti-depressants, anxiolytics, and sleep medications), which he says were mostly ineffective or, in some cases, made him worse.
Senator Cleland’s scan results showed evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). This was critical information as it allowed his physicians to target a treatment plan to his unique brain health issues which in turn allowed him to significantly improve how he felt over time.
According to Senator Cleland, “Seeing my own abnormal functional scan helped me re-frame my problems as brain-based, medical, and not moral, which decreased the shame and stigma I had carried silently for decades. In addition, the value of knowing that the structure of my brain was normal, but the function was abnormal, gave me hope that my brain could get better if I was diligent about rehabilitating it… this motivated me to take better care of my brain in the many ways that were recommended, including improving my nutrition, sleep, and weight.”
The lack of the use of brain imaging has kept the treatment success of psychiatry behind medicine’s other specialties, decreasing their effectiveness with patients, and reinforcing the stigma that surrounds people who struggle with mental health issues. It is time to shed light on the biological and neurological basis of mental health issues in order to decrease stigma and discrimination.
It is time to see mental health as brain health.
At Amen Clinics, we have spent decades helping people just like you improve their brain, and thus mental, health and can help you, too. Call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit our website to schedule an appointment.
Dealing with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is challenging for both children and parents.
To better manage the family impact of ADD/ADHD it’s important that all members of the family discuss and understand how ADD/ADHD effects their home, school, and relationships. Even the best parenting skills can wane when they’re up against the day-to-day stress of having an ADD/ADHD child or teenager in the family.
Here are 10 Tips to Better Manage Families with ADD/ADHD:
1. Identify the Issue
Get a professional medical opinion to identify the issue. Then you can create the appropriate action plan and seek the support needed. Denial will only perpetuate stress and suffering.
2. ADD Runs in Families
Every member of the family who has ADD needs to be treated, parents included. ADD has genetic underpinnings, it is helpful to screen all immediate family members.
3. Exercise Together
Physical exercise is fun and has many tangible mental and physical health benefits.
4. Be Flexible
Don’t push when you see your child get stuck or locked into a particular idea.
5. Schedule Quiet Time
If your child is noisy and you prefer quiet, make sure that you allot yourself enough “quiet time” so that you can recharge your batteries and be more able to deal with the noise.
6. Learn to Forgive
Harboring bad feelings has a negative effect on your brain and body. Forgiveness and understanding go a long way in helping families heal.
Give lots of hugs. The more touching and connecting there is, the more relaxed everyone will feel.
9. Communication is Key
Make sure that you, the parent, has someone to talk to about the stresses of your life. The better you handle your own stress, the less likely you will be to take it out on your children.
10. Try Deep Breathing
Learn how to breathe slowly when things are getting out of control. Gaining control over your breathing is the first step to controlling your actions. Whenever you start to get upset, try these three steps:
Take a big breath in
Hold it for 2 seconds
Then, very slowly exhale for between 5-10 seconds
To help promote more positive relationships, try a few of these tips and start creating a more harmonious family environment.
We Can Help
ADD is a neurobiological disorder with serious psychological and social consequences. Children, teens, adults and parents need to know that it’s not their fault, they didn’t cause it, and there is hope.
Amen Clinics is here to help you understand the ADD brain and provide treatment options that address more than just symptoms. Call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit.
Some days it seems your brain just doesn’t want to focus on anything that needs to get done! Brain fog, stress, and distractions can make your mind start to wander and you might feel like being productive is impossible.
Simple Changes for Optimal Focus
By making simple changes to your daily diet and habits, you can become more productive. To help improve your brain power, here are six ways to have better mental focus at work:
Supercharge your diet
Certain foods can enhance your brainpower. For example, pistachios support better blood flow, bringing oxygen into the brain. Shrimp contain choline, for strong memory. In addition, cherry juice has a high content of melatonin for better sleep and cinnamon has been shown to enhance mood!
Eat less sugar
Sugar can cause you to have an energy crash followed by brain fog. For good mental focus all day, have a lean protein-rich breakfast of eggs and vegetables instead of pancakes or french toast. If you are a coffee or tea drinker, add a natural sweetener like stevia instead of sugar.
Use supplements to supercharge your brain
Specific herbs and nutrients promote mental sharpness and improve brain productivity. Helpful adaptogenic herbs like Rhodiola and ashwagandha can fight fatigue and help you adapt to stress. Nutrients like choline and tyrosine can assist your brain with memory and endurance.
Go to bed a little bit earlier
Sometimes you just want to stay up late binging on your favorite television show. But if you want to have better concentration, Dr. Daniel Amen says it is important to get more sleep. After a full night of sleep, you’ll enjoy a clear mind and endurance to get you through your day.
Eat organic foods
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences says that “most studies of moderate pesticide exposure have found increased prevalence of neurologic symptoms and changes in neurobehavioral performance, reflecting cognitive and psychomotor dysfunction.” In other words, the pesticides on our foods are making our brains malfunction! Always choose certified organic foods to reduce your exposure.
Process your thoughts
Difficulty when focusing can be worsened if you have too many thoughts floating around up there, competing for your attention. Try taking a long walk or keeping a journal to release your thoughts. These actions will allow your mind to process and let go of the chaos up there. Then you’ll be better able to focus on your work, and get more done in less time!
These small tweaks to your lifestyle can make a significant difference in your brain function! You can look forward to enhanced focus and higher productivity when you start implementing these six changes in your life.
Innovation is a brain function that is dependent upon the physical health of your brain. In Dr. Daniel Amen’s TEDx talk he discusses how your brain is involved in everything you do. How you think, how you feel, and how you get along with others. When your brain is troubled, you are more likely to have trouble in your life. However, when your brain works right, you work right. At Amen Clinics we use SPECT brain imaging to look at your brain activity and blood flow patterns. Essentially, these scans are telling us how your brain works.
SPECT imaging shows Amen Clinics 3 things:
Areas of the brain that work well.
Areas of the brain that are low in activity.
Areas of the brain that are high in activity.
Your Brain is a Reflection of Your Lifestyle
In addition, SPECT imaging can show us behavior patterns. For example, your brain can be a reflection of how you may be struggling. When we see healthy brains, people tend to be happier, healthier, wealthier, wise, more creative, and more innovative. When we see unhealthy brains people are sadder, sicker, poorer, rigid, and inflexible (this is ultimately the opposite of innovative).
Optimize Your Brain Function for an Innovative Mind
Watch this TEDx talk by Daniel G. Amen, MD, as he discusses the importance of how changing your brain can change your life and in turn, innovate your brain.
For more information on how SPECT imaging can help provide a customized treatment plan to help heal your brain, call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit.
According to the National Institutes of Mental Health – 51 percent of the U.S. population will suffer from a mental health issue at some point in their lives. Anxiety disorders, depression, ADD and substance abuse are the most common. It is more normal to have a problem than not to have one.
It’s important for patients to know that “normal” is nothing more than a setting on a dryer or a city in Illinois.
New research reports that people with mental health issues die an average of 10 years before others and that depression, ADD, post traumatic stress disorder, and addictions all increase your risk for Alzheimer’s disease. It doesn’t have to be that way. Now is the time to get help. It’s the smart thing to do.
Treatment with Medication vs. Nutrition
Historically, the approach to treating these disorders has been psychotropic medication and therapy. Even though your brain may get sick in many different ways, it only takes one way to get better and that’s living a healthy lifestyle.
In head-to-head studies, taking fish oil, exercising, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), has been found to be as effective as medication. Now you can add improving what you eat to that list!
Exciting new research confirms that not only can your diet make you feel bad (especially the Standard American Diet filled with sugar, cheap oils and processed pesticide-laden foods), it can also make you feel better. In the first randomized controlled trial study of its kind, researchers demonstrated that improving diet quality can treat major depression.
In the three-month study, adults with major depressive disorder were recruited and randomly assigned to receive either social support. This has been demonstrated to be very helpful for people with depression or support from a clinical dietitian.
The results were that the participants in the dietary intervention group had a much greater reduction in their depressive symptoms. Compared to those in the social support group. At the end of the trial, almost 33 percent of those in the dietary support group met criteria for remission of major depression, compared to only 8 percent of those in the social support group.
Be Mindful of Sleep Patterns
Another thing to pay careful attention to is your sleep. Previously thought of only as symptoms, now it is understood that sleep problems increase your risk of developing psychiatric disorders.
In fact, people who suffer from insomnia are four times more likely to develop major depression compared to normal sleepers. Additionally, they are more likely to think about suicide and die by suicide. Other research indicates that sleep problems lead to anxiety disorders over 25% of the time and depression over 67% of the time. Be sure to practice good sleep hygiene.
It is often taught that the brain doesn’t heal. But now we know that is wrong. If you put the brain in a healing environment, often it can get better, much better. But, it requires forethought and a great plan.
For over 25 years, Amen Clinics has helped tens of thousands of people heal their brains and we can help you too. If you feel that you or a loved one could benefit from an evaluation, please call us today at (888) 288-9834 or visit our website to schedule an appointment.
