The popular way to treat depression is with pharmaceutical pills. While this is certainly helpful in the cases of severe depression, there are natural ways you can treat mild depression. One method is to use juices and juicing to combat the causes of depression.

Stress and depression can cause a vicious cycle. If you are battling anxiety, stress, and depression then your body is under attack.

 

 

Carbs = Depression?

 

There is a popular theory that carbs from refined products (bread, boxed food) and the sugar they turn into can cause depression. One reason is that it creates a chain of unstable mood elevations and declines. Some people think this can lead to emotional problems ranging from mild depression to bi-polar disorder.

 

Here is an interesting piece on the history of low carb diets, blood sugar, and their connection to mood.

A study at Harvard found that people who ate lots of carbs (pasta, bread) were more likely to be depressed than those who didn’t by almost 40 percent.

Eliminating carbs from your diet is one step; the next step involves adding nutrients to your diet that will help prevent deficiencies that can cause depression.

 

Vegetables and Fruits Prevent Depression

 

So, if carbs cause depression, what types of food prevent depression? Fruits and Vegetables. Or, more precisely the vitamins and minerals that are in vegetables.

Boost Your Serotonin Naturally With Watermelon

 

Most anti-depressants aim to deal with serotonin, the neurotransmitter that deals with mood. A natural method is to increase your intake a B vitamins. B vitamins are well known for being important for maintaining neurological health. However, there are also studies that show that B vitamins are necessary for the production of serotonin. A good source of B vitamins for your juice is watermelon. You should

 

Magnesium

 

This mineral is vital for the production of serotonin. Apples, carrots and spinach are all very high in magnesium. This is great because these are fantastic for juicing.

 

 

Folate

 

Folate, specifically delpin, has been found to be effective in improving the positive results of anti-depressants. It is also used by people who are not on anti-depressants. If you want to naturally combat depression, then you need to take delpin. I always think that its best to get your vitamins from food, so I would recommend getting folate from dark, leafy greens such as spinach and kale.

 

Vitamin C and Dopamine

 

Dopamine is the “feel good” neurotransmitter. One of the main reasons people do hard drugs is that they artificially flood the brain with dopamine. Of course this is a terrible idea because it can create an imbalance in the brain and re-wire neural pathways. Too much dopamine has been linked with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Too little dopamine is a symptom of Parkinson’s.

 

So, as you see, dopamine is incredibly important. One way to ensure that your body produces the correct amount is to have enough vitamin c in your diet. This study linked vitamin C with dopamine production.

 

One problem with taking vitamin c supplements is that so many are made in China. That’s why I recommend getting Vitamin C from citrus such as lemon as well as dark leafy greens. Many people are surprised to learn that leafy green vegetables have so much vitamin C. It’s probably because people are told over and over that citrus, particularly orange juice is where they get their vitamin C. There’s nothing wrong with orange juice, as long as its fresh, but leafy greens don’t overload you with sugar and they also have powerful antioxidants that you won’t find in oranges.

Here’s a good example of a juice for depression:

• 1 Organic Lemon
•  1 Organic Granny Smith Apple
•  1 Cup Chopped Kale (Organic and Lacinato if you can find it)
•  1 Cup (or large slice) or watermelon.

I always tell people to use an auger juicer. This type of juicer extracts the most juice, is cold press, and doesn’t destroy enzymes. If you are going to use an auger juicer you might have to chop up your fruit and veggies before you feed them into the chute. Unless you have one of the cool new machines with a wide spout!

Peel the outermost green rind off of the watermelon. You want the interior green flesh; you just don’t want the outer most flesh.

Slice the lemon into quarters, slice up the apple. Then juice.

The lemon should add enough tartness for the juice. If you find that it is too tart, or not tart enough, then adjust the lemon. Remember, you want to definitely get organic lemons because you want to juice the lemon skin. That’s where all of the powerful lemon oil is.