Posted on 08/16/2024 5:59:01 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Our world-first trial shows improving diet and doing more physical activity can be as effective as therapy with a psychologist for treating low-grade depression.
Our trial targeted people with elevated distress, meaning at least mild depression but not necessarily a diagnosed mental disorder. Typical symptoms included feeling down, hopeless, irritable or tearful.
We partnered with our local mental health service to recruit 182 adults and provided group-based sessions on Zoom. All participants took part in up to six sessions over eight weeks, facilitated by health professionals.
Half were randomly assigned to participate in a program co-facilitated by an accredited practicing dietitian and an exercise physiologist. That group—called the lifestyle program—developed nutrition and movement goals:
- eating a wide variety of foods - choosing high-fiber plant foods - including high-quality fats - limiting discretionary foods, such as those high in saturated fats and added sugars - doing enjoyable physical activity.
The second group took part in psychotherapy sessions convened by two psychologists. The psychotherapy program used cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the gold standard for treating depression in groups and when delivered remotely.
In both groups, participants could continue existing treatments (such as taking antidepressant medication).
We found similar results in each program.
Over eight weeks, those scores showed symptoms of depression reduced for participants in the lifestyle program (42%) and the psychotherapy program (37%).
There were some differences between groups. People in the lifestyle program improved their diet, while those in the psychotherapy program felt they had increased their social support—meaning how connected they felt to other people—compared to at the start of the treatment.
There was also not much difference in cost. The lifestyle program was slightly cheaper to deliver: A$482 per participant, versus $503 for psychotherapy.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I’d much rather eat healthier.
Working for me! Don’t need a shrink or regular doctor, in myid 80’s.
Or the Amish work ethic.
Sometimes one is too depressed to exercise or expend the energy to eat well.....if the depression is due ONLY to biochemistry sometimes an antidepressant can help. Difficult to figure out if person has biochemical problem or not.
So, if I were depressed, I could walk around eating dark chocolate and feel better. And saving the cost of the shrink, go out for a nice steak. Nice.
I read in my research about manic depression that the only effective medication for Depression is vitamin D i.e. SUNSHINE. I have demonstrated that for half a dozen people who were either manic depressive or stuck in a deteriorating long term depression. One surprised me a year after I got her started taking D3 supplements. Her whole persona had changed in the year since I had last seen her and she was a happy person and she told me that she had quit taking Methadone. That was a shock to me that she had been a heroin addict until I thought about it. Horse addicts are mostly if not all night people and rarely experience sunshine- vitamin D. They are depressed and the H keeps them depressed but numb. Sunshine is thus probably an effective treatment for Heroin and perhaps opioid addiction. I am just speculating about that, especially about the opioid part but it seems likely to me.
The Amish work ethic and long hours in the sun getting lots of vitamin D.
If you are depressed then you can take Vitamin D3 supplements and no more depression. Or flu. Or colds. All are the result of Vitamin D deficiency. Sunshine works best but is not always available as one covers up in the winter. Ever hear of winter blues?
There is actually very little evidence that saturated fats, especially animal fats, are bad for you. The contrary is more likely.
It worked for me. My health was failing, in and out of the hospital. I ended up too weak to do much and had been a doer all my life. I gradually regained some strength but not much. I had only a little fight left in me and my main health issue is COPD, no cure. Looking back I realize I was also seriously depressed. Depression was something I didn’t even consider then, I have always been an optimist.
I woke up one morning and decided to fight, changed my diet drastically and began walking. As I could do more I have done more and more.
I have not been in the hospital since November and am getting stronger, feel better than I have in years. My pulmonologist is amazed and been taking me off of one medication and another.
I have a great doctor, but if I had been unwilling to change my lifestyle I am pretty sure I would not still be here.
...buttered popcorn but I sit and watch a movie, though I guess I could mount the popcorn bowl on the treadmill. :)
Here's a tip.
Experts say substituting cucumber slices for potato chips can eliminate up to 90% of a person's reason to live.
Chocolate is an anti inflammatory. I used to eat a lot of %100̀ chocolate until I realized the migraines came therefrom.
We had horses and got a lot of sunshine while riding. Although we spent a lot of time with them I don’t know if that would be considered addicted to horses.
A person’s feelings of depression are real and important. But only to them. Making other people respond to your feelings of depression is like having an imaginary cat and expecting other people to pet it.
>Experts say substituting cucumber slices for potato chips can eliminate up to 90% of a person’s reason to live.<
LOL! Makes sense to me.
There is a mind body connection.
Good food good sleep sunshine and sweat and movement indeed do help our mental state.
Good theology, love, companionship and conversation also help.
Physical illness and injury can bring you down as can loss, abuse, and pain.
Pharmaceuticals I am sceptical of and would only use in a temporary, tapering situation.
Yes, an option for low-grade depression, basically sub-clinical in many cases.
For moderate to severe Major Depressive Disorder don't waste your time.
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