Your Diet is Causing Depression and Anxiety

According to the CDC 1 in 10 Americans reports suffering from depression. Another 40 millions Americans or approximately 2 in 10 are suffering from anxiety disorders. The anxiety disorders and the medications associated with them cost our country about 1/3 of our current mental health bill. These are serious statistics that are showing how our moods can truly affect not only our relationships but also our health care cost and our budget deficit. Something needs to be done to reduce the incidence rates and fast!

Many people suffering from anxiety and depression are given anti-depressants to help cope with symptoms and attempt to get them returning to their normal lives. However not much is known about how these anti-depressants work in helping depression or anxiety and researchers aren't looking into natural methods of helping to regulate depression and anxiety. Most of these medications including Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft work by regulating the brain hormone serotonin. This brain hormone which is actually a neurotransmitter is responsible for communication within the brain and 90% of this "hormone" is actually used in your gut!  So what does this mean? Well if your serotonin levels are low it can not only cause depression, anxiety, sexual desire, appetite, memory loss, temperature regulation troubles, insomnia, but also effect digestion and how you absorb the nutrients your body needs for everyday body functions.

Serotonin is made from amino acids which are the broken down form of the protein that you should be ingesting everyday. These amino acids are necessary for not only muscle function and energy usage but they are also used to make the proteins and enzymes we use in digestion, the hormones we need to regulate our moods and metabolism, and they are the building blocks of our brains and muscles too. So if we are not eating enough protein in our diet (3-5 servings of high quality protein such as seafood and grass fed beef) then we may not have the amino acid building blocks necessary to make the serotonin required for brain and body function. In addition, if you're living an active lifestyle or working out frequently then you're going to need more protein in order to satisfy the demands of muscle building but also serotonin needs in the body.
Scientists have shown in 2011 study that increasing the protein intake in rats from 2% to 10% had an effect on increasing serotonin production levels. Want to read this article for yourself?

So what can you do to help?
1) Make sure you're getting 3-5 servings of high quality protein daily. I recommend high quality seafood or grass fed beef for the best sources. Athletes or those leading an active lifestyle and working out need more like 5+ servings of protein, so if you're questioning if you're getting enough I recommend scheduling a nutritional consultation to discuss your diet and any modifications you should make. My office does phone consultations as well to help for those unable to find a doctor or nutritionist in their area that are trained to discuss these dietary demands with them.
2) If you're not taking a fish oil or omega 3 supplement daily, then you need to add one in. Fish oil is important because it is not only a great source of essential fatty acids but it also helps to reduce systemic inflammation, aids in healing, and increases our nerve response times. Since high quantities of fish oil can thin the blood, I recommend talking to your doctor before taking a high dosage. Standard quantities of 1000-2000mg/day are usually recommended but if your diet is lacking or you have an autoimmune or systemic inflammation it may be advisable to take up to 5000mg/day for up to 6 weeks.
3) If you're depressed or suffering from anxiety and you're currently taking an anti-depressant, I'd highly recommend talking to your doctor about reducing or monitoring your dosage of  medication if you're going to put these above steps into action. I've seen many patients recover or completely eliminate anti depressants once they've restored their dietary protein intake and thus serotonin balance.

5 Ways the Brain is affected by Sugar

Obesity rates are on the rise in the United States and many folks find their weight getting out of control without realizing how obesity really affects their bodies, brains, and their health. The main causes of obesity are due to hormone changes in the body and resistance to the effects of sugar which are due to over indulgence and declining muscle mass due to inactivity.

According to The Indian Sugar Mills Association, sugar is classified as a food "used to improve the palatability of many foods" and is the "cheapest instant source of energy" (ISMA, 2005). However recent research has shown that sugar has similar effects in the brain to select abusive drugs and has a dependency associated with it as well. Sugar is also responsible for changing many psychological and physical functions in the body almost immediately including increasing insulin beyond normal levels, increasing estrogen levels, causing an increase in weight gain, and also effecting aldosterone levels responsible for maintaining blood pressure.

So how does sugar intake and obesity effect our brain?

1) Sugar causes addiction. When we eat sugar the serotonin receptors in our brain that are responsible for "feeling good" are flooded with sugar very similarly to the way heroin acts in our brains as well. This can lead to addiction over a short period of time and can also cause an association between sugar and pleasure. As a result we may associate periods of sadness with a need to eat sugary foods. Think eating ice cream when we are depressed or eating a whole box of chocolates in one sitting. Overtime our brains will eventually dull to this sensation and we will need more sugar to get the same "good" feelings.

2) Obesity causes immune system dysfunction. In a recent study by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, obesity has been shown to cause system wide inflammation in the body which leads to decrease immune responses and it there has also been a causative link associated between the increased inflammation and brain damage to the orbitofrontal cortex responsible for controlling impulsive behavior. After this area of the brain is damaged, children tend to act more impulsively and partake in uninhibited eating patterns that cause further obesity.

3) Obesity increases risk for dementia. Studies have shown that visceral fat which is the fat between our organs in the abdomen specifically causes an alteration of normal hormones in addition to the aforementioned systemic inflammation. This combination can lead to brain damage that can lead to a decreased total brain volume which is associated with a higher risk of dementia as well as poor function on cognitive tests.

4) Dieting fads cause binge eating under stress. According to a study in the Journal of NeuroScience in January they found that  mice who lost 10-15% of their body weight tended to eat more then they normally would in stressful situations and their gene expression for regulating stress responses were changes as well. This combination of gene changes and our previous addiction and association of sugar to "feeling good" can cause people under stress to food binge which can lead to further obesity and hormonal changes.

5) Obesity causes memory loss. A study published in the Journal of American Geriatric Society looked at associations between memory function tests and BMI and found that for each BMI point increase there was a 1 point lower association on the memory function tests. Hypotheses as to why are associated with brain damage due to systemic inflammation and the effects of hormones released by fat.

So what can you do to reduce your risk and adopt some Healthy Habits?

Eat a balanced diet rich in lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Try to cut back on processed foods such as white flour, white sugar, and boxed foods which can lead to body inflammation, sugar addiction, and obesity.  Stay active and engage in regular exercise to reverse changes associated with sugar addiction, insulin dysfunction, and obesity.