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Food, Anxiety and Depression
Margaret Paul, Ph.D.
In our current society, there are many factors that can
cause or contribute to anxiety and depression. Certainly
money and work problems, relationship and family issues, as
well as illness and loss of loved ones are major
contributors to anxiety and depression. Also, how we feel
about ourselves and treat ourselves contribute greatly to
how we feel. Even in the worst of times, if we are treating
ourselves with compassion instead of self-judgment, we may
be able to manage big challenges without anxiety or
depression. In addition, being able to turn to an inner
source of spiritual guidance and comfort is vital to
weathering the hard times.
Food is another major factor that greatly affects how we
feel. Most people don't really notice that what they put
into their bodies affects how they feel. They might know
that if they "sugar out" they may crash emotionally, or if
they drink too much they will feel hung over, but they are
often unaware of how other foods may be creating anxiety and
depression.
In the over 35 years that I've been a counselor, I have
frequently encountered individuals whose anxiety and
depression completely cleared up by tuning into how food was
affecting them.
For example, Marnie discovered that dairy, wheat and sugar
kept her up at night. She would wake up at around 3:00 in
the morning with intense anxiety, and would be tired and
depressed the next day. By experimenting around and cutting
out different foods, she discovered that she slept fine when
she stopped eating dairy, wheat and sugar. All her nighttime
anxiety vanished and she was no longer tired and depressed.
Joel discovered that his sleeplessness and resulting
depression was a direct result of caffeine from coffee, tea,
chocolate and soft drinks. He had not realized how much
caffeine he was actually consuming until I suggested that he
cut out all caffeine and see what happened to his sleep.
After a week of headaches from caffeine withdrawal, he was
sleeping soundly for the first time in years and no longer
felt depressed.
Adrienne discovered that her feelings of anxiety and
depression, that had been with her most of her life,
disappeared after she started eating only organic foods. Her
system was so sensitive to the pesticides and food additives
in non-organic food that she could not eat them without
feeling anxious and depressed.
Alex, who periodically struggled with depression,
inadvertently discovered that drinking raw milk from an
organic dairy had a completely different effect on him than
pasteurized milk. He was visiting Los Angeles and went into
a health food store where he discovered that he could buy
raw dairy products (which are outlawed in most other
states). He found that the raw milk gave him more energy and
elevated his mood. He also found that, while he was lactose
intolerant with pasteurized milk, he had no problems with
raw milk. Now he has his raw milk, cheese, and butter
shipped frozen to Wyoming, and no longer struggles with
depression.
Over and over again my clients, who have chosen to tune into
how food was affecting them, have discovered how much their
feelings were being affected by food. Many of my clients
have learned that even a little sugar brings them down.
Sugar consumes so many vital nutrients as the body attempts
to process it that it can actually be considered a poison.
How many people really take "Sugar Blues" seriously?
A hundred years ago, when people naturally ate non-processed
and organically grown food, they were getting all the
nutrients they needed. Now, most fruits, vegetables and
grains are being grown on devitalized soil and
over-processed on top of it. Cows and sheep that were once
grass fed are being fed pesticide-sprayed grains and given
hormones to fatten them up. As a result, much of our food
not only contains little nutrients, but has many toxins as
well. Without the vitamins, minerals, and many other factors
that natural, organic and grass-fed food contains, many
people suffer deficiencies that can cause anxiety and
depression, as well a many other illnesses.
I recently found out that the fat of raw organic dairy
products, especially butter, contains natural
anti-inflammatory nutrients. I wonder if the huge rise in
arthritis and other inflammatory conditions is related to
the pasteurizing of milk. Any inflammatory condition can
certainly contribute to anxiety and depression.
Food is certainly a major factor in the rise of anxiety,
depression and illness. Only you can do something about this
by learning how you are being affected by the foods you eat.
Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and
co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me
To Be Loved By You?" and "Healing Your Aloneness." She is
the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing
process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a
FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or
mailto:margaret@.... Phone Sessions Available.
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