Food for Thought

It could be said that man and woman’s best friend is food.  Just think about it, where do you tend to bond most with people you know? At the lunch table in the cafeteria, at a pizza parlor, at an ice cream shop, over popcorn while watching a movie, or even at BBQ’s and sports events where food is the thing to bring.  When winter arrives and you can’t do anything outside because of the weather, what do you like to do? Grab a snack.  If you are stressed out about family issues, schoolwork, and relationship problems, what do you do? Grab a snack.  It is actually quite natural for us to grab a snack when we are bored or stressed out.  It can be considered even healthy-if you chose the right snacks. 

According to an article found on WebMD, there are foods that you can eat during the winter months to help fight depression (Lawrence, 2005).  Due to the lack of sunlight during winter, levels of serotonin (a chemical in the brain that helps make you feel happy) decrease, but then increase as the days get longer during springtime.   By eating foods that are high in carbohydrates and proteins during the shorter days, it will boost serotonin levels in your brain and thus decrease the symptoms of depression.  But what do foods like this look like? They are known as fruits (bananas are great!), popcorn, nuts, veggies, as well as many other things.  To check out more types of food and other ways to increase your feel-good in the membrane chemical, click on this link “Foods that Fight Winter Depression.”

Eat up!!

A Serious Subject

One of the most painful of all issues with which one deals in life, whether directly or indirectly, is teen depression. If you are experiencing or have experienced this you know how tough it can be to shake. If you have had a family member or loved one that has dealt with this issue the pain is very real to you also. This last week Michael Blosil, the son of Marie Osmond, took his own life after struggling with depression for years; he was 18 years old. This was a shock to all and has devastated his family.

According to teendepression.org, “About 20 percent of teens will experience teen depression before they reach adulthood.” Other startling statistics are that “30 percent of teens with depression also develop a substance abuse problem,” and that “untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, the third leading cause of death among teenagers.”

If you are suffering from depression, understand that you do not have to deal with it alone. Get help. Tell somebody. Tell a parent, a counselor, a teacher, or somebody that can help. If you are concerned about someone who may be dealing with depression, look for these warning signs.