You are not depressed despite your favorite pasta dishes? If you've never tried it, give Paleo a try for two weeks. I wonder if you look back like I did, and realize what joy and happiness feel like. Having been on Paleo for about four months, I have a reference point: the way I had felt in the year or two previously. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, sad, frustrated and anxious, the first question on my mind is: did I eat right this week? The answer, without exception, has been NO. (Yes, this means, there has not been a single instance when my depression was caused by any factors other than the carbs in my diet!) I've been too busy, too lazy, and eventually, too depressed to take care of eating properly. Today marks the lowest point in a couple of months. Here is what I am going to do to fix it: I will spend the afternoon cooking!
- This evening, I have invited my husband to have a cooking date-night, making a Paleo quiche. I hope he accepts.
- I would like to make a Kitchen Sink Soup that I have loved previously, possibly using the incredibly rich soup stock I prepared and froze a while back. (The fat seriously helps when I am on a carb-depression)
- Devilled eggs! Haven't made them in years. Should be a wonderful snack/side for a meal.
- I will probably run out to Costco to get a ham and bake my holiday ham creation. It's one of the easiest recipes I have and it lasts two weeks in various forms!
Kate,
ReplyDeleteI know when I eat poorly it definitely redounds to my mood and general experience. The bad part is I'll often get myself into a stress cycle, where I don't feel like eating right because I'm too busy/stressed/whatever so I eat poorly, then I'm hooked right into a carb cycle where I feel awful, but know I'll feel worse for a day or two if I try and pull myself out.
Best to you!
Thanks!
I think you are on the right track. Lifestyle factors are KEY to not feeling anxious or depressed. Whenever I am feeling that way It can usually be traced back to not getting enough sleep, not eating right, or not exercising etc. Something but I can usually find what I have been doing wrong in my lifestyle. You seem to know this and so Im sure you can pull out of it.
ReplyDeleteKevin, you are so right! The cycle is crazy. Yesterday, I got so hungry and frustrated, I ate a slice of pizza for the first time in the four months I've been doing Paleo. But here is the good news. Paleo is so much more about what *to do* for your health than what *not to do*. Just because I ate a bunch of carbs and grains, the right thing to do hasn't changed. I don't feel like I fell off - just had a bad couple of days. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd Dan, thanks for the support! Yeah, knowing the "the truth is out there" just keeps you going. :-)
So glad to see someone else has seen the light! After dieting for a figure competition, I ate everything in sight for months...I gained 20 pounds and was so moody/hopeless/irritable that I eventually started taking anti-depressants. The medication (wellbutrin) made me even foggier and lethargic on top of a sugar & carb-laden diet. I finally realized my diet is to blame for my depression...our bodies (and brains) weren't meant to function on a high-carb diet. I stumbed upon the Primal Blueprint and feel like I've found the answer to my problems...primal/paleo/low-carb is the way to go. For the body AND the mind. I know this post is old but I hope all is well!!
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