Natural Ways to Help Your Body Recover From Depression Part 2

This is the second part of a two part series about how to naturally help your body overcome depression. To read part 1, head here.

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After struggling with depression for four months and almost at the end of my rope, I turned to a naturopathic doctor to see if diet or supplements could help me recover. When my doctor prescribed a course of diet changes, followed by natural supplements, and remained open to antidepressants as a final resort, I knew I was on a good course. I felt reassured knowing that she was trained as both a naturopathic and primary care doctor. She understood how much diet influences health, but also had the resources and confidence in medical drugs as well if the natural solutions did not produce results.

Eat Your Vegis

During the first visit, my doctor discussed a plan to first incorporate a healthy diet based on vegetables at every meal. “Even breakfast!?” I asked. If you like eggs and omelets, this might not sound so bad, but I’m not particularly fond of eggs (translated: I gag on them). My doctor insisted on incorporating vegetables even at breakfast and recommended making smoothies and adding a good handful of spinach to the mix. This has been the best solution for this conundrum. And the bonus is that my kids love smoothies too so they’ve been able to get some sneaky spinach in their diets as well. Here are some of our favorites:

All smoothie recipes have been adapted from Cassie@Wholefully

PB Banana Smoothie

• 2 bananas
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• A handful of spinach
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Maple syrup or honey, to taste
• 1 cup of ice

Orange Cream Smoothie

• 1 banana
• 1 orange or 1-2 clementines, peeled
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• A handful of spinach
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup ice
• Maple syrup or honey, to taste

Berry Smoothie

• 1 banana
• 1 cup mixed frozen berries
• A handful of spinach
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Maple syrup or honey, to taste

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

(our very favorite because, of course)

• 1 banana
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• A handful of spinach
• 1 cup of ice
• Maple syrup or honey, to taste

A Shortage of Cortisol

At the end of the visit, my naturopath also ordered a comprehensive blood work panel. For some strange reason, no psychiatrist ever ordered blood work for me while they were treating my postpartum depression. When my blood work came back, they offered some enlightening results. So enlightening, in fact, that I highly recommend having a doctor order blood work if you are being treated for depression or any other mood disorder.

In my case, we found that there was a hormone deficiency greatly contributing to my depression. My blood results indicated that my body was not producing enough cortisol, a hormone that enables one to handle stress. Of course, too much cortisol could be a bad thing, suggesting there is too much stress in one’s life and we all know that too much stress contributes to a lot of adverse health effects. But too little hormone meant that the smallest stressor felt overwhelming for me.

When my doctor explained the effects of low cortisol, I immediately had an a-ha moment because I often felt so overwhelmed. Usually when I felt overwhelmed I would find myself in a depressive episode, feeling shame and incompetence for my apparent inability to handle even low stress situations. When I began taking a supplement to boost this hormone I felt a huge difference in my mood and ability to function almost immediately.

Heal the Body, Heal the Mind

A few weeks later, I returned to my doctor and reported how much better I was feeling. While I felt significantly better, I knew I wasn’t quite at 100%. So she gave me a natural supplement particularly designed to help people with depression.

After taking the first dose, I felt an immediate improvement. It was if the clouds parted and the birds were singing. While that’s not been my experience everyday, I do believe I’m on the mend. I still know that I always have the option to go back on antidepressants, but I do feel so much better knowing that I’m giving my body a good start to healing itself by giving it the nutrients and supplements it needs to function optimally.

Please pass these posts along if you know anyone struggling with depression. If you are struggling with depression, see your doctor and discuss ways you can improve your diet and request a blood panel if you haven’t had one. If you are interested in natural supplements as an alternative to antidepressants, find a naturopathic doctor in your area and see what they can do for you.

What about you? What natural solutions have you found that have improved your mood or helped you in some other way? Please share with me in the comments.