The Tough Economic Times Diet

By Dr. Nicole Sundene

Jay Leno joked last night that “the economy was so bad that women in LA had to resort to diet and exercise to look good.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that one.  Because the REAL dark irony is that a whole food diet and lifestyle will help you look a million times better than anyone botoxed or pumped full of collagen. Trust me, I assisted the dermatologist back in the day.

During these Tough Economic Times (TET) times we can at least laugh because laughter is still free AND it burns calories.

Despite the “Obesity Tax,” politicians have yet to tax us for laughter.  Perhaps I shouldn’t give them any ideas!

Feel free to leave your frugal “TET Diet” tip in the comments section.

As with everything, going with the flow seems to be the most logical cure for this economic crisis.

As we learn to move away from “Unfulfilled Consumerism” and make choices that are healthier for the environment as well as our pocketbooks, we can certainly remind ourselves of some great dieting tips brought on by these “tough economic times.”

Weight Loss Tips We can Learn from these Tough Economic Times:

1.  Drink a cozy warm mug of water in lieu of your expensive latte.  Warm water gives your intestines a bath, aids elimination, while still making you feel like you have a warm drink to comfort you during the traumatic morning time (well for me).  For more detox on the cheap just add a squeeze of fresh lemon.

2.  Eat less. Yes! I am guessing that since 1/3 of America is obese and many of us are overweight that we can just eat less. I love the Swedish Proverb, ““Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Love more, and all good things will be yours.”

Maybe it is just because I am Swedish, or maybe it’s because it’s great advice.  But longevity studies indicate that the less we eat (within reason) the longer we live.  Never starve yourself as that slows your metabolism down.  Instead try eating five small meals a day.  Focus on whole foods and simply stop  bit before you actually feel full (more on this later).

3.  Chew chew chew your food! If we are eating less we need to be chewing more so that we can spend our time eating and not feeling like we are deprived because we are eating less. Spend the same amount of time eating less food. It works.

4.  Take a break. Everyone needs a break, especially your poor stomach. At the beginning of your meal, visually or physically divide your plate in half.  When you reach that half way point, take a little break.  Let your body digest for a few minutes, it takes about twenty minutes to register that we are even full so give yourself some time to ENJOY your food, and you may as a result spend less time eating.  That is more leftovers for later, remember “The Doggie Bag” is the hot new trend of 2009.

5.  Share your food. Not only will you look cool while you feel generous, but you’ll be reminded of how much you actually have, while secretly saddling those around you with those unnecessary calories.  We all know that the easiest way to look thinner is to fatten up those around us *wink*

6.  Split your food. If you aren’t the sharing type then visually split your food in half and eat the next portion of it the next day. Restaurants have trained us to think that a normal portion size is over 2-3 times of what it truly is.

I try to make three meals out of every restaurant meal.  A habit I got in after waiting tables and throwing pounds and pounds of food away after clearing tables all day. It was such a waste!

It may not have been cool before to ask for that “to go” box, but it sure is now.  Set the example.  Take the doggie bag, and remember that you can also save money on kibble by feeding your dogs leftover meat, veggies, cottage cheese, yogurt (non-sweetened), potatoes, and rice.  Just don’t give them too many grains, bread, wheat, sweets, etc.

7.  Focus on disease prevention. Staying healthy and eating the basic boring whole foods diet is exactly what prevents disease, and it is cheap!

8.  Walk everywhere. I know gas prices are down but still, it is really fun to challenge yourself with basic exercise errands around your urban area.

9.  Find a walking buddy. If you live in suburbia and can’t challenge yourself with walking to your errands, find a walking buddy (aka free counseling.) Since no one can afford real counseling during these tough economic times, remember that nothing makes people vent their stress like a nice long walk. Walking means burning calories, and spending time that we could be wasting eating.

10. Make it a Gym Date, as Fitness Trainer Bonnie Pfiester reminds us. You will be a cool role model, and for just a ten dollar guest pass, you can keep your date busy for several hours.

11. Drink water and only water. If your only beverage of choice is filtered tap water you will save oodles on both your pocket book and waistline. We never want to drink our calories. Read “One Soda per Day Can Change Your Waistline.”

12. Stressed? That is great, try eating less instead of eating more. It is not normal for us to be “running from the proverbial bear” while we are trying to digest a double bacon cheeseburger, curly fries, and a chocolate shake.

Under stress, our digestive systems essentially shut down while blood and oxygen are shunted to our muscles and cardiovascular system. The more stressed you are, the more you will benefit from a nourishing diet eaten while you are calm and sitting down.  Try a few minutes of breathing exercises before your meal. Over-indulgence is not your friend during TET times.

13. Plant your own food. Spring is the time to start thinking about cheap food you can plant and grow to enjoy later.  I love planting zuchini, squash, potatoes, onions, garlic, and so forth because they are so simple to grow as I mentioned in my article “The Top Eleven Laziest Foods to Grow.” If you don’t want to grow your own, make your kids do it by “Planting an Organic Kids Garden,” and that teaching activity should help kids eat more veggies. Don’t forget to let some “Berries Run Wild” on your property.

14. Grow your own herbs. Do you need to take stock in the tons and tons of supplements you are paying top dollar for in your cupboards, when the herb growing season is about to start? Many healing plants chock full of the antioxidants you are paying top dollar for, literally grow like weeds in your back yard! If you don’t spray your yard with pesticides you can use rosemary, dandelion, stinging nettles, garlic…and if you aren’t sure what to do with an herb growing in your yard…just ask me! If you are stressed you can easily grow lemon balm and lavender as I mentioned in, “The Fifteen Most Fabulous Herbal Sedatives.”

15. Eat at the Kitchen Table! If you can afford to eat out, then by all means please go out and stimulate the economy.  But for everyone on the TET Diet, eating out is bad for our wallets and our waistlines.  When we eat out at poor quality cheap fast food, fried, fatty places we are likely causing disease and not preventing it.

You should at least be eating one meal a day at the kitchen table if not two.  Kitchen Table time is important family bonding time, improves posture, digestion, and saves us in both the long and short run.  If you can make three meals at the kitchen table a day then you get  gold star!

What is your TET Diet tip?

Dr. Nicole

Related Reading:
Best Weight Loss Diet 2008
The Best Long Term Weight Loss Plan

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Autism: 10 Strategies for Implementing Diet Changes

By Tara McClintick

Why are food and diet some of the most challenging aspects of raising a child with autism? Make the decision to change the way your child, and perhaps your whole family, is eating and – BAM!!! You seem to hit walls of resistance every which way you turn!

The walls are so thick that you may even wonder, is this even possible? Is it worth it? If you have answered “no” to those questions before, you are not alone.

I have too. Then I realized that if I ever wanted things to change in the outside world, my inside world must change first. I want to find ways around those walls. Heck, I’d like the walls to come down!

Are you with me? Here are some ideas I’ve found helpful…

1. – Prepare Your Attitude – how you approach any changes you want to make will greatly influence how others will accept it. Be grateful for what you are learning and the new hope it offers! Be enthusiastic about finding and adding nutritious foods that also taste good. Be clear on why you want to create change and embrace the challenge vs. a “poor me” or “poor kid” outlook. The opportunity in front of you is a gift that will enrich not only your child’s life, but yours as well. Believe that you can do this, and so can your child.

2. – Plan a Strategy – Take time to really devise a do-able adjustment period. Figure out which foods will stay and which will be phased out. Introducing new foods before phasing out favorites sometimes works best, but not always. When will be the best time to begin making the changes? Plan a schedule for creating and trying a few new recipes a week. Write out your ideas, sample menus, and goals for implementing changes. Clean out or finish off the items no longer desired in your kitchen, and begin bringing in the new foods.

3. – Prioritize – Fast food and ready made meals have allowed our society to put eating habits on auto-pilot. Conscious planning and food preparing is going to take time, probably time you feel you don’t have. Go on a laundry strike if you have to, unplug the TV for a week or so, whatever it takes! Do not feel guilty or crazy for wanting to prioritize your child’s health. The human body is our true vehicle here on earth, not the automobile. Autism is a complex, sensitive condition. If your car was struggling to function as it was designed, you’d find the time and money to address the issues. Our bodies are even more worthy of attention and care.

4. – Assess Who’s on Board – If your child is not under your care at all times, then you’ll have to discuss your plans with the other people involved. This does not always go over well, as you may already know. Try not to take it personally, the reasons often have more to do with the inconveniences they are afraid of experiencing. They are also simply not as motivated to acknowledge the low quality of the standard American diet.

Consider their situation and help them come up with ideas that they feel would be do-able.If you can not convince another individual to support your efforts, you may have to prioritize and make adjustments in your child’s care. This may sound extreme, but you are only in control of your decisions. Taking a gentle but strong stand is nothing to feel guilty about. Family and social gatherings, etc. may also require adjustments. I have, at times, simply decided it was not worth the temptation or battles. Instead, I chose something more relaxing to do with my son.

5. – Prepare Your Child – This is very important, regardless of how much you think the child can comprehend. A child diagnosed with autism often understands way more than he/she can express. Your attitude, explanations, and loving encouragement can have more of an impact than you might imagine. Excitedly tell your child you are going to be trying new foods to help his/her body feel great! Find or take photos of food options to be able to show your child his/her choices visually if necessary.

If your child has a self-selected, extreme diet of just one or two foods, you will have to be strong as well as clear on your intentions. Have lots of yes choices around. Children can smell a parent waiver, so clean out pity and ambivalence! There is no need to feel bad when your child has plenty of healthy foods to choose from. If you do cave, don’t beat yourself up. You’re human. Laugh, learn and move on.

6. – Be Creative – Have fun with brainstorming ideas and new ways to present foods to your child. Funky plates and bowls, crazy straws, chunks of good stuff on toothpicks, healthy dips, tasty samplings served in an ice cube tray, etc. Make a list of you child’s favorites and brainstorm what it is about those foods that he/she’s so passionate about. For instance, my son loves flavor –sweet, spicy, salty –I call him “spice boy” because he’ll pour and lick spices straight from a plate.

Giving him foods that I can flavor up for him, or let him sprinkle on the spice, sometimes entices him to enjoy things I would have never expected he’d like. If your child won’t eat something, find another way to prepare and/or offer it. Home-made popsicles, juicing, and nutritious smoothies have been some of my most successful approaches toward getting my child to consume vegetables he may not otherwise consider. You know your kid best, so your ideas may be different than anyone else’s.

7. – Give it Time – Persistence, perseverance, and patience are important. We live in a “take a pill” world and expect immediate relief and results. Optimally feeding the body is more like growing a harvest vs. growing weeds. It takes more effort and time, but the results will show up when the time is ripe. The conditions and symptoms of autism can have multiple levels, and the human body is amazingly able to adapt and create homeostasis within the body’s circumstances.

As diet changes, some changes may be noticeable while others may take more time to surface. Think of the process of weight loss. The slow, gradual changes due to exercise and healthy eating may take longer, but the results are more likely to be long-term. Believe that healthier daily eating choices make sense regardless of immediate results. However, if you are NOT seeing any positive results after a 6 month period, you may need to take a different approach. See #8 & 9 for more info.

8. – Keep Learning – The world of healing through nutrition is HUGE and the internet and books are chock full of both accurate and inaccurate information. Most western doctors actually have very little training and/or expertise in this area. Using common sense is also important. Prayer and spiritual guidance can help you guide you through your unique, individual circumstances.Where is the information you are listening to coming from?

I prefer information that is backed-up by healthy human beings, someone who has experienced a significant healing transformation, and/or based on the habits of societies that enjoy longevity and minimum health issues. These, to me, have more credential than isolated studies that try to pin point one teeny factor to prove a point. Human beings and their bodies are simply too complex. Health requires a more holistic approach.

9. – Have Fun Exploring – Cookies can be made with acorn squash – who knew?!? Books and cookbooks, internet searches, and internet groups provide limitless support and ideas for improving one’s health through food. Gluten-free/Casein free, The Feingold Diet, The Body Ecology Diet, The Specific Carbohydrate Diet, The Cave-Man Diet, Nourishing Tradition Diet Principles, all of these have benefited some children immensely and have had little effect on others.

The only way you can find out is through trying. Don’t let the scoffers stop you, hold on to the stories of the try-ers and believers. The ones who found their answers often did not find it on the first attempt. Again here is where persistence, perseverance, and patience have the potential to pay off big time.

10. – Don’t Stress About Infractions – In a world of packaged, convenience, and processed foods, slip ups are going to happen, no matter how well you plan and organize. When you find out, it’s too late to do anything about that infraction so let it go. Focus on changes and parts of your plan that are working. Use the infraction as a learning experience that can help you think of what other adjustments and ideas can be made to prevent future infractions.

Anger and frustration are a wast of your valuable energy. Hand them over to God, and surrender to peace. Don’t fall for the all or nothing lie, either. If you at this time can not possibly do all the diet changes you’d like, start where you can and build. I hope you gain momentum which each blessed day.

Someone once told me that to God, my son (who still shows every symptom of severe autism) is already whole and healed. There is nothing to be fixed. In my heart I believe that is true. But what I see everyday with my eyes is that he is not yet able to function fully within the world as it is now. I explained, and asked if I was contradicting the belief in my heart by trying to help him. The reply was, “Not at all!” I will never forget the next words:

“Like a pearl in an oyster, your son is perfect. Whether within the oyster or brought out and polished for the world to see, to God it makes no difference. He’s still the same perfect pearl. God understands your attempts to reveal his brilliance to the world”

God loves our children regardless, just as we parents do. Believe in your child’s brilliance. Seek ways to share it with the world.

Author: Tara McClintick is an Early Childhood/Special Education teacher as well as a Son-Rise mom. A great deal of Tara’s 20+ years experience has been working one on one with her youngest son, Jake, who was diagnosed with severe autism shortly after his first birthday.

Jake is now 13 and together they continue the journey towards learning and recovery through nutritional and natural methods. Tara also creates fun, unique picture books for kids using real-life scenes and images www.BooksByTara.com.

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

The Autism Diet Connection

By Tara Mclintick, mother of a child with autism

What is the best diet for an autistic child?

The connection between diet and autism is complex and not fully understood yet. Although I am not a doctor, here is what I know:

1. Food allergies and sensitivities are extremely common among individuals with autism.

2. “Leaky Gut” and other digestive issues (chronic constipation/diarrhea) are common.

3. Artificial coloring/flavorings and preservatives can have a extreme effects on behaviors.

4. Salicylates, even naturally occurring in healthy foods, can be hard to tolerate.

5. Sugar and refined carbohydrates exacerbate yeast and dysbiosis issues, which are also common.

6. Some children show remarkable improvements, even full recovery, by removing gluten/casein proteins from the diet. The Specific Carbohydrate and Body Ecology Diet also have resulted in major improvement and/or full recoveries in many children.

7. Mineral deficiencies are suspect of weakening the body’s natural de-tox system. Consequently the body’s ability to remove heavy metals and other toxins are impaired significantly.

8. Heavy metal toxicity effects cellular function and leads to issues such as calcium oxalate crystals wrecking havoc in various soft tissues of the body.

9. The overburden of toxins and heavy metals cause liver, thyroid, and adrenal stress as well as damaging the sensory and nervous system and brain functioning.

10. The damaged endocrine system leads to hormonal imbalances, auto-immune response and/or other alterations of the immune system as well as inflammation are common.

At the last DAN! conference they referred to this growing condition as “autisms” because it is only symptom/behaviorally diagnosed. The root cause is unknown (although many parents believe the growing amount of immunizations are the straw breaking the camels back).

There is no one sure strategy towards recovery. Specialized diets, vitamins, specific supplements can have an extraordinary results for some individuals and apparently little effect on others. A holistic movement towards whole foods and a cleaner environment, and awareness of what we are exposing are very young children could make a major difference for everyone involved.

Author Tara McClintick is an Early Childhood/Special Education teacher as well as a Son-Rise mom. A great deal of Tara’s 20+ years of experience has been working one on one with her youngest son, Jake, who was diagnosed with severe autism shortly after his first birthday. Jake is now 13 and together they continue the journey towards learning and recovery through nutritional and natural methods. Tara also creates fun, unique picture books for kids using real-life scenes and images www.BooksByTara.com

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

What Diet Is Best For You?

Dr. Nicole, what is the best diet?

The best diet is the diet that works for YOU.

The best diet is something that you can healthfully follow for the rest of your life.

The best diet for you is the diet that gives you energy, keeps your health in balance, helps you to be emotionally stable, maintains your religious or spiritual ethics and is sustainable for the environment.

With that being said, I am happy to announce that we have a variety of great diet plans to choose from and follow. If you are new to a particular diet and want some help simply leave your question or request for support in the comments section so that we may assist you with your goals.

Diets for health, wellness and weight loss:

The Whole Foods Diet

The Weight Loss Diet

The Low Glycemic Index Diet: stay feeling full longer, by eating a diet with a high “satiety index”.

Therapuetic Diets:

Allergy Elimination Diet

Anti-inflammatory Diet

Blood Pressure Lowering Diet and Helpful Tips for Reducing Sodium

Candida Diet

Cholesterol Lowering Diet

Diabetes Diet

Detox Diet

The Diet for Depression

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

How to Eat Healthy While Traveling

 By Bonnie Pfiester, Fitness Trainer

Traveling is a dieter’s nightmare.

Traveling can destroy a diet if your not careful.

Traveling can be tough for dieters. Convenience store junk food, the infamous airline snack box and combo meals all add up to a diet disaster.

There is something about traveling that makes us think we’re hungry. Let’s start with road trips. I don’t know about you, but Steve and I have the worst snack attacks when driving long distances. Although the need to feed mostly stems from boredom, the million billboards showcasing juicy hamburgers don’t help either.

Once a billboard convinces you to stop and eat, you find yourself driving down an unknown road with restaurant after restaurant calling your name. Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Denny’s, Dairy Queen, Applebees – they all have a special, or menu item, to capture your attention.

Once you decide where to eat you, have to battle the menu. No matter how many times I’ve been to a restaurant, and even if I know what I should order, I still feel the need to read the entire menu. What in the world am I thinking? I’m just welcoming temptation. Before you know it, I’ve justified why I can afford to eat a Hamburger and fries.

If you are not traveling on the ground you have a different set of problems. Opposite of having too many choices, airline passengers have very few food choices. You’re trapped 35,000 feet in the air when a stewardess offers you an unappealing selection of nuts, cookies, crackers and cheese surprise. While first classers eat their high-calorie mystery meal, coach passengers get a sorry selection of the most boring sandwiches, bagels or salads they’ve ever wasted calories on.

In any case, the answer to the dieter’s traveling blues is planning ahead. You’ll pack your toothbrush so why not pack your food? It’s not like you don’t know you’re going to be stuck in a car or plane for several hours.

First, pack healthy snacks like pretzels, whole fruit, veggies, yogurt, cheese sticks, beef jerky, lunch meat, nuts, rice cakes or protein bars to prevent you from getting hungry and making poor choices. Second, learn to say no – plain and simple. Third, keep a calorie book on you. It’s much easier to cheat when you don’t know what you are eating. Lastly, bring other things to entertain you besides food, like a good book or magazine.

Traveling will always be tough for dieters, but with a little planning you can beat the need to feed.

~Bonnie

Bonnie Pfiester is a Personal Trainer, wife to the famous fitness trainer Steve Pfiester of the reality TV show “Fat March”, and owner of the women’s health club Longevity Fitness.

You can enjoy more of Bonnie’s fitness and beauty articles at www.BonniePfiester.com or here at the kitchen table by visiting the Bonnie Pfiester page.

You are invited to leave your fitness and sports nutrition questions in the comments below for Bonnie to briefly answer or write about in future articles.

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

How to Enjoy Holiday Treats without Fattening Up

By Bonnie Pfiester, Fitness Trainer

Everyone knows it’s easy to gain weight over the Holidays. Christmas parties and yummy treats seem to replace exercise and healthy food. Once high calorie foods are in our view it’s hard to get them out of our head.

Although most people admit going off their diet this time of year, we still act shocked at how fat we feel by New Year’s Day. Did we really eat that much?

Over the years researchers have found we don’t gain quite as much weight during the Holidays as we once thought, but we do gain some weight. I feel like I already gained 10lbs just from Thanksgiving alone. There’s no wonder we end the season feeling like a fat Santa.

First, our bellies stay stuffed. Family and social gatherings are always centered on enormous feasts, making overeating a trend of the season. It’s as if we’ll never be able to eat again. Interestingly enough, no matter how disgusting or fat we feel after pigging out we often repeat our actions the very next day.

Another reason we gain weight is because we snack more. Between large feasts and fancy parties are delicious sweets. Chocolate covered pretzels, fudge, fruit cake, Christmas cookies – you name it, they are all floating around every office in the country. Of course we’re going to eat it! We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings right?

The next explanation for fattening up over the Holidays is because we drink more calories like eggnog, cider and hot chocolate. Alcoholic beverages replace water. All the sudden you’ve added several hundred calories to your day in just beverages alone.

Lastly we feel fat because we don’t workout as much. If we could just burn as many calories running errands as we do running miles we’d be set.

Unfortunately we trade workouts for shopping and our neglected muscles begin to feel mushy. In the end we feel like Santa looks – no wonder gyms are so busy each New Year!

So how can we survive the Holidays?

We have to make time to work out so we can “afford” to eat the extras if we want them. Doing more cardio makes room for more calories and lifting weights helps you to feel nice and firm instead of fat and flabby.

The Holidays are hard for all of us. As my grandmother once said, “you can’t always change your circumstances, but you can change how you respond to circumstances and that’s what counts.”

Average Calories in Popular Christmas Treats:

• Chocolate Fudge with nuts: 472 calories (1 serving)
• Pumpkin Pie: 340 calories (1 slice)
• Pecan Pie: 503 calories (1 slice)
• One Brownie: 242 calories, (2” square)
• Chocolate Covered Pretzels: 190 (13 pretzels)
• Chocolate Chip Cookie: 210 (1 cookie)
• Eggnog (non-alcoholic): 343 calories (1 cup)
• Apple Cider: 130 calorie (1 cup)
• Nestle Hot Cocoa: 112 calories (1 packet)

Approximate Calories Burned During Activity: (calories vary per individual)

• Walking: 135 calories per hour
• Walking for exercise: 230 calories per hour
• Power Walking: 400 calories per hour
• Jogging: 600 calories per hour
• Yoga: 240 calories per hour
• Aerobics: 400 calories per hour
• Spinning: 440 calories per hour

Bonnie Pfiester is a Personal Trainer, wife to the famous fitness trainer Steve Pfiester of the reality TV show “Fat March”, and owner of the women’s health club Longevity Fitness.

You can enjoy more of Bonnie’s fitness and beauty articles at www.BonniePfiester.com or here at the kitchen table by visiting the Bonnie Pfiester page.

You are invited to leave your fitness and sports nutrition questions in the comments below for Bonnie to briefly answer or write about in future articles.

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

Resources and Self Help for Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune condition that attacks the central nervous system.

The attack of the myelin sheath that insulates nerve fibers (pictured) results in the sclerotic plaques that cause nervous system dysfunction.

Without this sheath functioning properly the nervous system is not able to quickly send the electrical impulses that control bodily functions.

Resources for MS:

• Multiple Sclerosis defined

• Multiple Sclerosis at WebMD

• National MS Society

• Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre: UK

Self help ideas to discuss with your physician:

• Vitamin D and B12: Ask your doctor if you can start using these vitamins as they have good research showing benefit for those with MS.

• Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune condition that is exacerbated by inflammation. Most prescription medications work to temper the immune system.

• Allergy Elimination Diet: Consider the possibility that certain food allergies or intolerances may be exacerbating your symptoms. Especially if you have the “relapsing and remitting” form of MS. Try “Dr. Nicole’s Salmon Recipe”.

• Eliminate all “McInflammation”: Eating fast food and refined foods is like throwing gasoline on the inflammatory fire.

• Add Omega 3 Oils: For MS I would go straight for the fish oil, as it is the more potent anti-inflammatory of the two. These oils are needed to repair the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibers that is destroyed by the immune system. The nervous system then has to create connective tissue to “repair” the damage and thus we end up with the “sclerotic plaques” that show up on MRI’s.

• Reduce Stress: Stress exacerbates all chronic disease, try deep breathing and reduction of activities and demands until your symptoms are under better control.

• Quit Smoking! The most important thing on this list to reduce the inflammatory burden on the system. Smoking causes cancer because it causes reactive oxygen species known as “free radicals” to attack healthy tissues and destroy them.

• Join a support group: You can join the MS community over at Daily Strength to find other people challenged by this disease.

Although I have suggested some diet and lifestyle self help ideas, any chronic disease diagnosis should have an alternative medicine expert such as a licensed naturopathic physician on your team. Please don’t try to do it all alone.

Hope that helps, let me know if you have any additional questions by adding them in a comment to this article.

~Dr. Nicole Sundene

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™

The Best Diet for Those with Depression

The term depression has several meanings:

(1) As a human affect, it arises from the disruption of life’s normal balance, usually following a loss, conflict or trauma

(2) It can be a symptom of an underlying medical condition or the side effect of a medication

(3) It’s also a clinical syndrome of varying severity, based on brain chemical (neurotransmitter) disturbances and

(4) Finally, depression can result from any combination of all three processes. The causes are not fully understood, but are many and varied.

Depression affects the entire body. In addition to the more noticeable affects on the nervous system, moods, thoughts and behavior, numerous studies in a field of research known as psychoneuroimmunology have shown that depression affects the functioning of every type of body cell. Immune functioning, allergies, bone density, cardiac and vascular functioning, endocrine balance, digestion, fertility, ageing and longevity—any and all aspects of our physiology are inextricably tied to our mental, emotional and spiritual health (or lack of).

People from all walks of life and of all ages suffer from depression and its prevalence seems to be increasing. It’s estimated that 5-12% of men and 10-20% of women in the U.S. will suffer from a major depressive episode at some time in their life. The percentage of teenagers diagnosed with clinical depression has increased five-fold over the past forty years.

Symptoms of depression typically include chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, headaches, backaches, digestive problems, irritability, loss of interest or pleasure in everything in general and feelings of worthlessness or inadequacy. Commonly there can be a preoccupation with death that sometimes results in suicidal ideation and/or attempts. Treatment options vary widely, though any given treatment does not necessarily work for everyone.

The Role of Diet in Depression
Diet greatly influences the brain’s behavior. The levels of brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters, which regulate our behavior and are closely linked to mood, are controlled by what we eat. The neurotransmitters most commonly associated with mood are dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. Deficiencies, excesses or imbalances of these cause mental and emotional disturbances and affect our perception of pain and pleasure. Neurotransmitters carry electrochemical impulses between cells. Serotonin plays a role in mood, sleep, relaxation and appetite. Dopamine and norepinephrine play a role in hunger, thirst, digestion, blood pressure regulation, heart rate, respiration, thermoregulation, aggression and sexuality.

Adequate protein consumption and absorption (requiring proper digestion) is essential in order to have enough precursor amino acid building blocks in order to synthesize any neurotransmitters. Their production also requires nutrients such as fatty acids, Vitamin B3, iron, folate, Vitamin B6, copper, calcium, magnesium and lecithin, among others. The absorption of precursor amino acids depends on the consumption of adequate complex carbohydrates.

Note: The dietary recommendations and guidelines below include foods to which some individuals may have allergies, intolerances and sensitivities. In those cases, those foods should be avoided. Persons taking medications should not consume any of the herbal teas described without first consulting your physician/clinician regarding potential interactions. Dietary choices should be modified to meet your personal dietary needs. Consult your physician/clinician for further information regarding nutrition and your individual medical condition.

Dietary Recommendations and Guidelines

• Avoid sugar and both artificial and natural sweeteners of all types, even honey, molasses and fruit juice. Stevia is an acceptable “sweetener”.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine and soft drinks.
• Avoid junk food, processed and refined foods, foods high in saturated fats or hydrogenated (trans) fats. Healthy fat choices include polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and oils that are organic and cold-pressed.
• Identify and eliminate food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities. Gluten found in some grains has been linked to depressive disorders. Gluten-containing grains include wheat, spelt, rye, triticale, oats, barley and kamut.
• Eat adequate lean sources of protein (0.8 g/kg body weight daily). Emphasize wild, cold-water fish (salmon, halibut, mackerel, etc.), legumes, nuts and seeds. Organically raised poultry and eggs are also good protein sources. Fermented dairy products are also acceptable (yogurt, kefir, cheeses, etc.)
• Every meal and snack should be balanced, containing some protein, fat and complex carbohydrates.
• Food choices should be whole foods (unprocessed and unrefined), organic whenever possible, including at least five servings daily of vegetables and fruits. Grains should be whole and unrefined, especially rice, corn, quinoa, millet and amaranth. Fresh food is always preferable to frozen and frozen is always preferable to canned.

Note: In addition to dietary interventions, adequate daily exercise, sleep, full-spectrum lighting and counseling or other mental/emotional support are important factors in reversing depression and are prescribed in conjunction with supplements, botanicals and homeopathy.

Work on things gradually one at a time. Pick the improvements that you can easily make and start with those first. Inform your friends and family that you are trying to eat differently so that you will feel better. Ask for their support while making these changes. Depression is a serious condition that requires support from a physician, counselor, or other qualified therapist. Be sure to check with your health care provider before making any changes to your health care routine to ensure that you get the best care possible.

Resources
Balch, Phyllis and James. Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing, 3rd edition. 2000. Avery.
Brown, Kathleen. Herbal Teas: 101 Nourishing Blends for Daily Health and Vitality. 1999. Storey Books.
Hafen, Brent, et al. Mind/Body Health. 1996. Simon and Schuster.
McIntyre, Anne. Drink To Your Health: Delicious Juices, Teas, Soups and Smoothies That Help You Look and Feel Great. 2000. Gaia Books.

©KitchenTableMedicine.com, LLC ™