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 Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:06 am
I started being a vegetarian on January 1st and although I messed up at one point, I have not eaten meat for a month now. I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian I guess since I still eat eggs and dairy, though not so much with eggs.
Anyway, I was diagnosed with depression about 5 years ago. I've never eaten that much meat in the first place but lately I've been getting really depressed, having emotional breakdowns, and wanting to cut (I used to)...
I was just wondering if a lack of nutrients/vitamins in my diet could affect my depression... If anyone has any insight, I'd be happy to hear it.
P.S. I'm going to see my psychiatrist and general doctor sometime soon.
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 11:21 am
{ Regenbogencolours }
I've been a vegetarian for about a half year now, and I didn't have to fight with such changes. Maybe you're overall eating is not healthy enough? I'm not sure if that can affect anything, but if you're not eating enough vegetables and fruit (only things like rice etc.) that may be a cause of it. Or aren't you drinking enough? I'm always feeling way better when I drink about 2 liters a day. It's not easy but you just should always carry a bottle of water with u smile
Hope you're feeling better soon 3nodding
{ Become a hero made of ordinary marrow and extraordinary heart }
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 11:34 am
I would imagine that diet can have an impact on things like that. That doesn't mean you can't be veg of course. It just means you're probably not eating a balanced veg diet.
Think about what you eat. Do you get enough fruit? Vegetables? Beans? Fluids?
I'd recommend talking to your doctor about it too for some more insight. Until then you might want to take vitamins if you don't already. You can also do some research on nutrition. There are things online where you can track what you eat, and it'll estimate the nutritional content of everything.
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 1:31 pm
The only thing that is hard to get in a meat free diet is B-12 (or at least it's hard for a vegan diet anyway,) Take a B complex vitamin, if you have problems with stress and depression you should anyway.
I've had problems on and off with depression and anxiety for years too and really I think it's not the dietary aspect of vegeatarianism/veganism that makes depression worse. It's usually the isolating aspect of it.
My friends are really resistant to my veganism and it depresses me because they just have no care for my needs. Then I feel unloved, then I feel depressed.
Know what I mean? The stress associated with not being able to eat things, which is a primary social bridge is supreme for some people and you can do some things to make sure it doesn't get to you.
- It's been said, but eat a balanced diet. Complex whole grains, beans/lentils/tofu, and lots of dark leafy greens. Mushrooms I've heard are a good source of B-12
- Take a B-complex.
- Make sure you carry some kind of food with you at all times. Something yummy that you like. Cliff bars make some yummy yummy protein bars that are good for you and taste like a treat.
<3 Feel better soon and don't let it snowball into something unmanageable.
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 2:17 pm
When I first went vegetarian I did have depression for a few months. Maybe its the isolation, like Seraphsody said, but to me that doesn't make sense. I'm vegan now and even more isolated but I'm less depressed than a year ago when I was vegetarian.
The question made me research and I got a lot of mixed answers. A few people say there's no connection to diet and depression, but others say things such as vitamin B, omega 3, and P11 (a kind of protein) can have an affect on ones mood.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in your brain that, among other things, controls mood. P11 is the receptor that is needed to process serotonin. The more P11 the more serotonin you have and the less depressed you feel.
There's a fake sweetener called aspartame that, in 1994, was shown to increase depression symptoms in people who already had depression. So I would avoid that. Apparently its found most common in "diet" foods.
Dark chocolate would be a good idea too. Something in it stimulates serotonin production.
Just eat a balanced diet and you'll be fine.
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 6:48 pm
Thank you everybody for all your help, I really appreciate everything you have said.
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Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 8:50 am
I'm vegan now, but before when I was vegetarian and I used to drink milk, I would get depressed A LOT. So I became vegan and it went away, but a few times I slipped up and drink milk or ate cheese or whatever and I would get really really bad. A few months ago I was reading a book and came across this thing about how since milk turns into an opiate in your system it can cause depression.
It probably doesn't help that you've been to a doctor and diagnosed with depression, but try to eat a more like balanced diet and try to cut out diary. You never know, it really might help, it worked for me.
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