How to Lift Yourself out of Depression

We all feel down from time to time. Sometimes these depressions can last a day or so but sometimes they can last much much longer. Nowadays the common solution to this is to go to the doctor for a handful of pills. However, not only is there considerable debate as to the side effects of anti-depressants but there is also much speculation as to whether they actually have any effect at all. So what's the alternative? There are a great number of steps you can take to improve your mood without reaching for a bottle of tablets. And here are five of the best:

Go on holiday

Almost everybody loves to go on holiday. Whether it's a trip down to Cornwall or a Caribbean cruise, it's one of the things in life we most look forward to. Meeting new people, experiencing different cultures, getting away from it all - there are so many positives of packing your bags and heading off to climates new. It can often be just that little boost you need.

Get a pet

All pets can give your life a kick start when you need it most. They offer tremendous companionship and give you a real reason to get up in the morning. However, of all the pets you can choose a dog is by far the most rewarding. Not only are they perhaps the most loving and giving of domestic animals but they need daily walking which gets you out of the house, gives you a good workout and brings you into contact with other people.

Start something new

A new hobby or experience can give you that all important boost to pull yourself out of the hole you're in. Not only will it give you a sense of pleasure, it will invariably introduce you to new people which is often just the tonic you need. Group activites such as salsa or yoga classes are ideal because they also involve an element of socialising which is always a good way to beat those blues.

Other Ways:

** Exercise is an excellent way. You release endorphins and these boost your happiness, hope, and confidence.

** Breathing and moving. Change something, stir things up.

** Watch funny movies.

** With cognitive behavioral psychology, we realized that thinking makes you blue or happy. Start thinking positive thoughts. Start choosing the higher thoughts rather than the lower ones.

Depression and diet: Make healthy choices

Depression and diet: Make healthy choices
By Gabrielle J. Melin, M.D.
Oct. 27, 2009 Link to full article below

It makes sense that if the fuel we are providing for our body,
including our brains, is healthy, that our bodies will function more efficiently. We all know that diets higher in fiber, as well as low in saturated fats, contribute to better health overall.

We have talked about the link between depression and other medical illnesses many times. For instance, depression and heart disease are linked. Thyroid disease is another medical condition that can cause or contribute to depression. Your diet may be another link.

Eating a Mediterranean diet may lower the risk of depression by almost one-third, according to some research.

To read the full article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression-and-diet/MY01026

Your Diet May Be Depressing You

Your Diet May Be Depressing You - A new study connects food and mood, finding that a diet high in processed foods makes depression more likely.
By Megan Othersen Gorman LINK TO FULL ARTICLE BELOW

Analyze food labels to swing the food and mood connection in your favor. The shorter the ingredients list, the healthier the food is likely to be.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—A new study published in The British Journal of Psychiatry makes a strong case that processed junk food can trigger or contribute to depression, while eating whole and healthy food seems protective.

To read the full article: http://www.rodale.com/print/2626

Ma Jaya on Transcending Depression

© 2008 Kashi Ashram * www.kashi.org

In this darshan, Ma Jaya explains how to deal with the habitual thoughts that can box us in to depression. She also speaks of tantra and earthly samadhi, and recites lines from Ram Prasad, “This time I will devour thee utterly, Kali Ma….” (12 minutes)

Pesticides Make Farmers Literally Depressed

Pesticides Make Farmers Literally Depressed
by Stephanie Whited (see all articles by this author)

Source Natural News: Pesticides Make Farmers Literally Depressed

(NaturalNews) Pesticides are poison. They are used to kill living creatures. In order to kill those living creatures, humans apply the pesticides. We also eat what`s left of them.

We`ve seen handlers of banana pesticide sterilized, a young couple who worked with pesticides give birth to a limbless child, and a pesticide singled out as a cause of Colony Collapse Disorder.

The latest research found among a group of farmers that long term application coincided with a 50% higher chance of clinical depression. And these men were "80% more likely [to have depression] if they had applied a class of insecticide called organophosphates."

What about for those of us who eat small doses of them everyday? Direct contact to the targeted life-form causes death. Direct contact with humans who administer them causes major reproductive issues, birth defects, and depression. So what happens when you come in contact with a lower amount of pesticides daily by eating them?

Because of the widespread medical conditions that have resulted from high exposure to pesticides, one can only assume they must hurt consumers in varied and unpredictable ways as well. What about those nagging symptoms that won`t go away or a diagnosis that you can`t explain? Could pesticides and chemicals be contributing to or causing your problem? Even law firms are ready to back you up if your doctor won`t. Steigerwalt & Associates know "that as science developed more sophisticated pesticides they did not take in to account the long term affects of these chemicals on the environment and surrounding human populations. Some common side effects of pesticide poisoning include cancer, birth defects, and fertility problems."

Choosing organic is the best option when it comes to avoiding chemicals in your food; this ensures the food has not been grown with chemical pesticides. The Environmental Working Group tested produce to see just how much was found on the food at the store and compiled a list for consumers to use when buying produce. This list can be used to choose which fruits and vegetables to choose when organic is not available, or which are safest and may not require the organic alternative.

It`s a tough time to live in when the price of a Happy Meal from McDonald`s is about the same price as one organic apple. It can seem like a hard choice to make when choosing between these options. It`s not as hard if you realize that you`re choosing between either saving money now or investing in your family`s health and future (and probably lowering your cost of future medical bills).



About the author
Stephanie Whited is an independent researcher dedicated to spreading awareness about health news, proven alternative treatments, and unsafe mainstream products. She maintains her own blog at http://torememeber.wordpress.com