According to new research, in 2023, rates of burnout, anxiety, and depression will be at record levels. Many companies will be forced to rethink how they can create a supportive work environment for their employees, and according to Mental Health America, 11.5 % of youth, or over 2.7 million, are experiencing severe major depression. Mental health statistics in 2023 show that 1 in 5 Americans suffer from a mental illness. Mental health awareness has become a trend in the last decade, and hopefully, it will continue to remain so as more people wake up to the importance of maintaining a healthy mindset as well as emotional and physical well-being. The factors contributing to depression are many, such as lack of community, emotional support, poor and difficult environment, loss, grief, various family dynamics, etc., and I will leave that for another post.

1. Exercise vs. Antidepressants

For decades now, we’ve come to know that a single workout can elevate mood and that physical activity is associated with decreased symptoms of depression. Besides regular workouts, as a Level II certified yoga teacher with over eight years of experience, I highly recommend substituting your workout routine with at least one yoga session per week, if not two. According to a study, people who exercised regularly had 25 percent lower odds of a major depression diagnosis. A team of researchers from Duke University attempted to test depressed subjects by splitting them into two groups, one that exercised and one that didn’t. They randomly assigned depressed men and women aged fifty or older to either begin an aerobic exercise program or take the antidepressant drug sertraline (Zoloft). Within four months, the mood of those in the drug group improved so much that they were, on average, no longer depressed.

But the same powerful effect was found in the exercise group, the group of people who weren’t taking any drugs. Exercise works about as well as medication. The drug-free group in the Duke study met three times each week for an exercise class. Could social stimulation rather than exercise have improved their mood? With this question in mind, the same researchers subsequently conducted the largest-ever exercise trial of patients with depression. This time, they added a group, so one group took antidepressants, one group took an exercise class, and a new group did exercises by themselves at home. The results? No matter the setting, whether subjects were alone or in a group, exercise appeared to work about as well as drugs at bringing depression into remission. So before asking for a prescription, try a daily workout instead.

2. Antioxidants and Folate | Combat Depression

Accumulating evidence suggests that free-radicals-those highly unstable molecules that cause tissue damage and contribute to aging may play an important role in the development of various psychiatric disorders, including depression. Modern imaging techniques confirm autopsy studies showing shrinkage of certain emotion centers in the brains of depressed patients that may be due to the death of nerve cells in these areas caused by free radicals. These phenomena may help explain why those who eat more fruits and vegetables, which are rich in the antioxidants that extinguish free radicals, appear protected against depression. A study of nearly three hundred thousand people found that greater fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with a lower risk of depression, psychological distress, mood and anxiety disorders, and poor perceived mental health. The researchers concluded that eating antioxidant-rich plant foods may dampen the detrimental effects of oxidative stress on mental health.

A nationwide American study took it one step further and measured the level of carotenoid phytonutrients in people’s bloodstreams. These phytonutrients include some of the yellow, orange, and red antioxidant pigments found naturally in some of our healthiest foods, including sweet potatoes and green leafy vegetables. Not only did people with higher levels of these nutrients in their bloodstreams have a lower risk of depression symptoms, but there was also an apparent dose-response relationship, meaning that the higher the level of phytonutrients, the better people seemed to feel. Among the carotenoids, lycopene (the red pigment in tomatoes) has the highest antioxidant activity. Indeed, a study of nearly one thousand elderly men and women found that people who ate tomatoes or tomato products daily had just half the odds of depression compared with those who ate them once a week or less.

If antioxidants are so helpful, why can’t we just pop a few antioxidant pills? Well, only food sources or antioxidants appear to be protectively associated with depression. The same can’t be said for dietary supplements. This finding may indicate that the form and delivery of antioxidants we consume are crucial to ensure their best effects. Alternatively, antioxidants may just be a marker for other components of plant-rich diets, such as folate. Folate is a B vitamin concentrated in beans and greens. Its name comes from the Latin word folium, meaning leaf because it was first isolated in spinach. Early studies linking depression to low folate levels in the blood were cross-sectional in nature, meaning they were only snapshots in time. For this reason, we didn’t know whether low folate intake led to depression or if depression itself led to low folate intake. However, more recent studies following people over time suggest that low dietary folate intake may indeed increase the risk of severe depression by as much as threefold. However, once again, folate supplements (folic acid) do not appear to help.

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1. Salamba Sarvangasana

Salamba means supported, and Sarva= all, whole, entire, complete; anga= limb or body. In this pose the whole body benefits from the exercise, hence the name. Here are six remarkable yoga poses for diabetes.

How to:

• Lie flat on the back on the carpet keeping the legs stretched out & tightened at the knees, hands by the sides of the legs palms facing down
• Bend the knees and move the legs towards the stomach till the thighs press it.
• Raise the hips from the floor as you exhale and rest the hands on them by bending the arms at the elbows.
• Raise the trunk up perpendicularly supported by the hands until the chest touches the chin
• Stretch the legs straight with toes pointing up (only the back of the head and the neck, shoulders, and the backs of the arms up to elbows should rest on the floor. place hands in the middle of the spine)

Effects:

Sarvangasana is the Mother of asanas. As a mother strives for harmony in the home, so this asana strives for the harmony of the human system. Many of the asanas (poses) have a direct effect on the glands and help them function properly. Sarvangasana does this for the thyroid and parathyroid gland. Healthy blood is allowed to circulate around the neck and chest. It also exercises the liver, pancreas, and spleen and ensures a generous blood supply to them. These organs are thereby kept in a healthy condition.

2. Janu Sirsasana

Janu means the knee. Sirsa is the head. In this posture sit with one leg stretched out on the ground and the other bent at the knee.

How to:

• Sit on the mat with legs stretched straight in front.
• Bend the right knee and move it to the right, keeping the outer side of left thigh and the left calf on the floor.
• Place the right heel against the inner side of the right thigh near the perineum. The angle between the two legs should be obtuse. Try and push the right nee as far back as possible so that the body is stretched from the bent leg.
• Extend the arms forward towards the left foot and hold it with the hands. First catch the toes of the left foot, then gradually catch the sole.
• Keep the left leg stretched throughout by tightening at the knee
• Exhale move the trunk forward by bending and widening the elbows, and rest first the forehead, then the nose, then the lips and lastly the chin beyond the left knee. Do not allow the leg to tilt.

Effects:

This yoga pose tones the liver and the spleen and thereby aids digestion. It also tones and activates the kidneys making it one of many helpful yoga poses for diabetes. People suffering from enlargement of the prostate gland will benefit by staying longer in this pose. You should practice this asana along with Sarvangasana, see pose 1 above. Janu Sirsasana is also recommended for people suffering from low fever for a long time.

3. Paschimottanasana

Paschima means the west and it implies the back of the whole body from the head to the heels. In this asana the back of the whole body is intensely stretched, hence the name.

How to:

• Sit on the floor with the legs stretched straight in front. Place the palms on the floor by the side of the hips. Take a few deep breaths.
• Exhale, extend the hands, and catch the toes. Hold the right big toe between the right thumb and the index and middle fingers and likewise the left big toe.
• Extend the spine and try to keep the back concave. Bend from the pelvic region of the back and also to extend the arms from the shoulders keeping the back flat and the spine straight. Breathe deeply.
• Exhale, pull the trunk forward, and touch the forehead to the knees. (If easy enough grip the soles and rest the chin beyond the knees)
• Hold this position from 1-5 minutes, breathing evenly.

Effects:

A good stay in this pose massages the heart, the spinal column, and the abdominal organs, which feel refreshed, and the mind is rested. Due to the extra stretch given to the pelvic region more oxygenated blood is brought there and the gonad glands absorb the required nutrition from the blood. This also increases vitality, helps to cure impotence, and leads to sex control. This asana tones the abdominal organs, the kidneys, rejuvenates the whole spine, and improves digestion.

4. Jathara Parivartanasana

Jathara means the stomach, the belly. Parivartana means turning or rolling about, turning round.

How to:

• Lie flat on the back on the floor.
• Stretch out both arms sideways in line with the shoulders, so that the body resembles a cross.
• Exhale raise both legs together until they are perpendicular to the floor. Do not bend them at the knees.
• On the next next exhale move both legs sideways down towards the floor to the left until the toes of the left foot almost touch the finger-tips of the outer stretched left hand. Try and keep the back well on the floor.
• Both legs should go down together, keeping the knees tight. Turn the legs only from the hips, and move the abdomen to the right.
• Stay in this pose for at least 20 seconds then bring the legs perpendicular to floor. Repeat other side by lowering legs to the right and turning abdomen to the left.

Effects:

This asana is good for reducing excess fat. It tones and eradicates sluggishness of the liver, spleen and pancreas, making it one of the many optimum yoga poses for diabetes. It also cures gastritis and strengthens the intestines. By its regular practice all the abdominal organs are kept in trim. It helps to relieve sprains and catches in the lower back and the hip region.

5. Mayurasana

Mayura means a peacock.

How to:

• Kneel on the floor with your knees slightly apart.
• Bend forward, invert the palms and place them on the floor with fingers pointing towards the feet.
• Bend the elbows and keep the forearms together. Rest the diaphragm on the elbows and the chest on the back of upper arms.
• Stretch the legs straight one by one. Exhale, bear the body weight on the wrists and hands, raise the legs from the floor (either one by one or together) and at the same time stretch the trunk and head forward.
• Keep the whole body parallel to the floor with the legs stretched out and feet together. Hold the pose as long as you can, gradually increasing the time to between 30 and 60 seconds. Do not put pressure on the ribs.

Effects:

This pose tones up the abdominal portion of the body. Due to the pressure of elbows against the abdominal aorta, blood circulates properly in the abdominal organs. This improves digestive power, cures ailments of the stomach and spleen, and prevents the accumulation of toxins due to faulty eating habits. Mayurasana is very beneficial and one of the most efficient yoga poses for diabetes As a peacock destroys snakes, this asana kills toxins in the body.

6. Ardha Matsyendrasana

Ardha means half. In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Matsyendrasana is mentioned as one of the founders of Hatha Vidya. Matsyendrasana is the lord of the fishes.

How to:

• Sit on the floor, with the legs stretched straight in front.
• Bend the left knee and join the thigh and calf; raise the seat from the floor, place the left foot under the buttocks and sit on the left foot so that the left heel rests under the left buttock. If you can’t sit on the foot place it near the buttock.
• The foot used as the seat should be kept horizontal on the floor, the outer side of the ankle and the little toe of the foot resting on the ground.
• Bend the right knee and lift the right leg from the floor, place it by the outer side of the left thigh so that the outer side of the right ankle touches the outer side of the left thigh on the floor.
• Turn the trunk 90 degrees to the right until the left armpit touches the outer side of the right thigh. Exhale bend the elbow with hand pointing upward. Hold from 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat other side
• For advanced yogis stretch the left arm from the shoulder and twist it round the right knee. Bend the left elbow and move the left wrist to the back of the waist.
• Then swing back the right arm from the shoulder, bend the right elbow, move the right hand behind the waist and either clasp it with the left hand or vice versa. With practice it will be possible to catch the palms and then the wrists behind the back.

Effects:

This pose tones the liver, spleen, and pancreas, making it one of the perfect yoga poses for diabetes. Calcium deposits in the shoulder joints are resolved and the pose helps free movement at the shoulders. It rejuvenates the nerves round the navel. Here, the lower part of the abdomen has the benefit of the practice. The prostate and bladder are not enlarged if one practices regularly.

The post 6 Remarkable Yoga Poses For Diabetes! appeared first on Sentient Muse.

Higher consumption of vegetables may cut the odds of developing depression by as much as 62 percent. A review in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience concluded that, in general, eating lots of fruits and veggies may present “a non-invasive, natural and inexpensive therapeutic means to support a healthy brain.”

What is depression in medical terms?

The traditional explanation of how depression works, known as the monoamine theory, proposes that the condition arises out of a chemical imbalance in the brain. The billions of nerves in your brain communicate with each other using a chemical called neurotransmitters. Your nerve cells don’t physically touch one another. Instead, they manufacture and deploy neurotransmitters to bridge the gap between them.

The levels of an important class of neurotransmitters called monoamines, which includes serotonin and dopamine, are controlled by an enzyme called monoamine oxidase (known as MAO) that breaks down any excess monoamines. People who are depressed appear to have elevated levels of this enzyme in their brains. Thus the theory goes, depression is caused by abnormally low levels of monoamine neurotransmitters due to elevated levels of the neurotransmitter-munching enzyme.

Antidepressants

Antidepressant medications were developed to try to boost the levels of neurotransmitters to offset their accelerated breakdown. But if the excess MAO is responsible for depression, why not just develop a drug that blocks this enzyme?

Such drugs do exist, but they have serious risks-not the least of which is the dreaded “cheese effect,” in which eating certain foods (such as certain cheeses, cured meats, and fermented foods) while on the drug can potentially cause a fatal brain hemorrhage.

Do antidepressant drugs really work?

Thousands of published studies seem to have demonstrated that antidepressant drugs are effective. The key word here, though, may be published. What if drug companies decided to publish only those studies that showed a positive effect but quietly shelved and concealed any studies showing the drugs didn’t work? To find out if this was the case, researchers applied to the Food and Drug Administration under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to get access to the published and unpublished studies submitted by pharmaceutical companies. What they found was shocking.

According to the published literature, the results of nearly all antidepressant trials were positive. In contrast, FDA analysis of trial data- including the unpublished studies- demonstrated that roughly half of the trials showed the drugs didn’t work after all. When all the data, published, and unpublished was combined, antidepressants failed to show a clinically significant advantage over placebo sugar pills. This finding suggests that the placebo effect explains the apparent clinical effectiveness of antidepressants. In other words, improvements in mood may be a result of the patients belief in the power of the drug, not the drug itself.

How to tamp down the monoamine oxidase enzyme safely?

It turns out that many plant foods, including apples, berries, grapes, onions, and green tea, contain phytonutrients that appear to naturally inhibit the MAO, as do such spices as cloves oregano, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This may help explain why those eating plant-rich diets have lower rates of depression.

Even on a day-to-day basis, studies have shown that the more fruits and vegetables you eat, the happier, calmer, and more energetic you may feel that day- and this positivity can spill over into the next day. For your diet to have a meaningful psychological impact, you may need to consume approximately seven servings of fruits or eight servings of vegetables each day.

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