Saturday, December 8, 2012

Anxiety, Depression, and Serotonin


Anxiety, Depression, and Serotonin


If you have suffered from anxiety or depression, chances are you have done some research on the subject and have heard of Serotonin. If not, then listen up.

Though I have a clinical background I am not technical (at least not in terms), so I will define serotonin and its properties as simple as possible. Serotonin is a hormone that our brain produces to help us feel good. Serotonin is partly responsible for regulating mood, curbing anxiety and depression, and relieving stress to name a few of its attributes.  Serotonin can also be found in many foods we eat. Here is a list of foods that have high and moderate amounts of serotonin:

High Serotonin Levels                                               Moderate Level of Serotonin

Tomatoes                                                                     Avocado

Pineapple                                                                     Cauliflower

Plantains                                                                      Broccoli

Banana                                                                       Cantaloupe

Kiwi                                                                            Eggplant

Plums                                                                          Dates

                                                                                    Figs

                                                                                    Grapefruit

                                                                                    Honeydew Melon

                                                                                    Spinach


In many cases, anxiety and depression can be completely eliminated through a simple diet change (implementing the foods above), a regular exercise routine, and proper breathing exercises. The reason why these little changes are so effective goes back to serotonin.

When we take care of our bodies by consuming good fuel and exercise regularly we feel better. This is because our production of serotonin is optimized. If we eat bad and are sedentary, our bodies tend to not function as well thus do not produce optimum levels of serotonin thus the consequence is generally moodiness, anxiety, depression and so forth. If you’re looking for a quick fix to anxiety, get your serotonin production up!

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