Starting tomorrow and hoping to beat depression

[erialicia]

....no message..........

[bananaberrie]

I don't know about major depression, but eating raw has helped my moods to be way more level. Try doing a search (located under the banana above) to see if there are any other threads about depression.....I seem to remember there are.

Hold on..

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=63962&highlight=depression

Here is a thread I started asking about depression, maybe that will help and good luck to you. Keep us posted on how it goes.

[adobegirl]

I do struggle with depression. One thing to just be aware of is that as you eat 100% raw, your moods can sometimes go kind of wacko as your body detoxes and balances (at least mine did, but others may have had different reactions).

It took me a couple months for things to balance more. I am on a last day of the master cleanse (only 10 days) and I also went through some weird moods and major depression during that as well. I would say for me, I have more good days than bad days when I stick to raw. I do think over time, you will feel better and better, but you might have to continue to use positive talk to assist.

I think we still have to work through our brain and work toward seeing the glass half full, but raw definitely assists in healing. Depression, with time, causes changes in the brain. Raw food heals the body. For me, it was the best decision I ever made for my physical as well as my mental health.

Good luck! If you ever need to talk, I'm here. :heart

[MysticTree]

I have found that raw food helps a lot but second what has been said about some wild fluctuations in mood when starting out.

I need to make sure I eat enough soaked nuts and or avocados to balance the mood swings. If I go low fat then I seem to dip into a low spell. For me enough soaked almonds and avos is 2-5 avos a week and maybe 50g dry weight of soaked nuts. I also have EVOO in dressings as well.

I have been raw 2 months now and am feeling the most level I have for a long time.

[erialicia]

I have found that raw food helps a lot but second what has been said about some wild fluctuations in mood when starting out.

I need to make sure I eat enough soaked nuts and or avocados to balance the mood swings. If I go low fat then I seem to dip into a low spell. For me enough soaked almonds and avos is 2-5 avos a week and maybe 50g dry weight of soaked nuts. I also have EVOO in dressings as well.

I have been raw 2 months now and am feeling the most level I have for a long time.

Thank you! I have been trying to follow another program, that I wont mention that was vegan/NO fat. It was backfiring! I will add in fats such as EVOO and avocados. Just don't want to overdo the fats. It will be nice to have dressing on a salad!

[CathyA.]

I have struggled with depression my entire life. Staying raw has really helped me. It keeps my brain from going to a bad place.

[erialicia]

I have struggled with depression my entire life. Staying raw has really helped me. It keeps my brain from going to a bad place.

I totally understand...:heart

[MysticTree]

Thank you! I have been trying to follow another program, that I wont mention that was vegan/NO fat. It was backfiring! I will add in fats such as EVOO and avocados. Just don't want to overdo the fats. It will be nice to have dressing on a salad!

I make up enough dressing for a week and keep it in the fridge. That way I don't slide into a high fat week without realising. It's only really EVOO that I ration. I don't crave nuts much so I buy a small pack a week and use those as and when I fancy.

[Crabbergirl]

I have been an organic veggie head since the 70's with back slides due to marriage. My husband is a full blown meataholic! I just last year went back to a fully veg diet, and in the last few months have been investigating raw diets. As a Vegetarian, I tend to eat a lot of my food s raw anyway, but converting to totally raw will take some doing with my husband. He commited , due to a health scare, to try to eat a lot less meat, and now is even trying things he wouldn't eat before. He sufferes from depression and I hope to learn from you all ways to help him.
Hearing your testimonies of ups and downs helps me to know what to expect.
Thanks for the support. :throwhearts:

[Schutzengel]

eaten depression eating 100% raw? I really need help and encouragement. I feel so lost
Yes. I have. I used to be a very depressed person and after becoming 100% raw I noticed that I had more energy and I was happier.

[T-Bird]

Yes it helps - but there is emotional detox too......I've found that carbs such as rice and bread are tremendous for repressing thoughts and emotions as they slow down the system...like an emotional security blanket....when you're clean - things come to the surface to be dealt with - just like physical detox.


DS21 is dxed bipolar, add, odd, and also has social phobia and some others....he is not raw - but feels much better with 1-2 green smoothies/day.

[CathyA.]

T-Bird is right about that emotional detox. It can be rough, but it is all apart of the healing process.

[rpage]

my wife is bipolar. her mood swings have reduced greatly over the years for many reasons. But lately it has been the RAW lifestyle that has done the most for her. In the begining of RAW she had a short stretch were she was just angry. No specfic reason, just angry. It lasted only a few days and then all of a sudden was gone. And what was left, mostly bliss believe it or not. She feels better, she sleeps WAY better, she has seen a change in her body both from a weight aspect but also from an enegy stand point. You will read many places were people that go raw, be it 100% or something close to that, all of a sudden wake up and feel like a fog has been lifted off of them. Well she has that exact feeling. Her thoughts are much more clear and crisp. She makes her living as an artist and feels more creative as well.

I do believe that you can free some of the chains of depression and your life and health will be better for it. You might not get them all at once, but once you feel like RAW is taking you in to a better direction, it all becomes pretty easy. At least that has been our experince.

good luck to you! and do stay on the forums and read and ask questions. this can easy become your raw family :)

namaste

[EscapeArtist]

I have been floundering with the raw diet, doing other raw "diets" that allow cooked foods, or no in between meals or other "rules".

I want to go 100% raw. I am tired of floundering, dealing with cravings and major depression.

Has anyone beaten depression eating 100% raw? I really need help and encouragement. I feel so lost


Well good on you for trying this alternative to depression. I too am trying to defeat depression through raw. I did a 30 day trial, and found that after the emotional detox (which was about 3 weeks long) I felt rid of depression and constantly happy. It was only 30 days but I was shocked at how good I felt, so just through that I believe it can definitely help.

Make sure you avoid glutenous grains, dairy and soy even if you go raw. They are known to cause the brain and nervous system to swell up and cause a major depression/ sometimes suicidal reaction. After getting off of gluten I can say that my mood is 100% more stable, even if not completely yet. I no longer break into long crying sessions for 'no reason' except for feelings, and I know longer have thoughts of suicide. Of course there is still depression, since i'm here trying to go raw, but my depression is no longer major by removing some foods. If you are transitioning I highly suggest this is your first step!

http://depression.about.com/b/2004/02/23/gluten-sensitivity-and-depression.htm