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was found to reduce depression, anxiety and to improve sleep while regulating levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
Nutrition And Lifestyle For Depression
A diet low in sugar and refined carbohydrates with sufficient protein is recommended by the more enlightened mental health therapists to ease depression and related brain disorders. Since nicotine and caffeine overstimulate cortisone and adrenaline, they can trigger anxiety, panic attacks, depression, nervousness and heart palpitations and should be avoided. Dr. Michael F. Breslos, a psychiatrist at the University of Arizona, found that even a single cup of coffee or cola produced anxiety attacks in susceptible individuals and ten cups caused almost anyone to have an attack.
Relaxation techniques like biofeedback, meditation, cognitive behavior therapy and visualization enhance the actions of herbs and aromatherapy.
Exercise keeps anxiety in check, reported the University of Virginia in Charlottesville after looking at its effect on 10,000 people participating in aerobic exercise for 30 minutes three times a day. In another study, 60 minutes of weight training or swimming twice a week diminished depression, even if the exercisers did not show measurable improvement in their cardiovascular fitness. Just a short session each day of yoga or the Chinese exercises t'ai chi and qi gong can also shift you into better emotional well-being.

 
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