Kristi Whitley

Healthy Living

S.A.D.​Seasonal Affect Disorder

 
 According to www.mercola.com, “Every year, 230 million prescriptions for antidepressants are filled, making them one of the most-prescribed drugs in the United States. Despite all of these prescription drugs being taken, more than one in 20 Americans are depressed, according to the most recent statistics from the CDC.” The lack of nutrition in the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) plays a big part in these statistics. The S.A.D. causes:

Vitamin B deficiency
Omega 3 deficiency
Magnesium deficiency

Healthy Diet


If you are normal weight and consume a “healthy” diet consisting of whole wheat bread, beef, chicken, or fish with at least 2 out of 3 meals, with occasional pasta, candy, cookies, crackers, yogurt, vegetable oil, pizza, hamburgers, chicken fingers or sandwiches, and diet sodas you are definitely deficient in these nutrients. This is the definition of the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.)
 
The S.A.D. causes excesses of these:

  • Omega 6 oils (inflammatory)
  • Gluten (inflammatory)
  • All grain flours and starches (inflammatory)
  • MSG (toxic)
  • Aspartate (toxic)


Inflammation in the Brain


Deficiencies in Vitamin B’s, Omega 3 fatty acids and magnesium along with excesses of Omega 6 fatty acids, gluten, grains, flours, starches, MSG, aspartate, and environmental and food toxins all cause brain inflammation. The effects of these on the brain include:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Panic attacks
  • Confusion
  • Forgetfulness
  • Alzheimer’s
  • Parkinson’s
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty thinking clearly
  • Loss of balance
  • Tremors
  • Muscle spasms
  • Aches and pains  


Truly Healthy Diet


The best way to protect the brain is to eat a whole-food, plant-based diet. 10-15 servings of vegetables a day is preferable to any grains or animal products. Completely eliminate any packaged or pre-made food items from your diet until you can clean up the toxins and lose your taste for MSG, trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup. There are some safe packaged foods but you must first read the ingredients.
 
Faster Food


Here are my suggestions for the best and fastest foods. You can find me in my car in the parking lot of the mall or shopping center eating these! Pack a cooler or insulated bag with a bottle of partially frozen water (half bottle of frozen water filled the rest of the way with room temp water) and add your choice of the following:

  • Bowl of salad with dressing on the bottom
  • Hummus, carrot, celery, zucchini,  & pepper sticks and gluten-free, whole-grain crackers
  • Raw nuts and raisins (no cooler necessary)
  • Quinoa, rice, or bean salad
  • Cole slaw with dressing on the bottom and toppings of nuts and raisins
  • Homemade granola with almond milk in a jar
  • Granola, almond butter and honey sandwich on gluten-free, whole-grain bread (no cooler necessary)
  • Thermos of hot soup or stew (no cooler necessary)


 Anti-inflammatory Supplements and Foods


Here are some foods and supplements that will help reduce brain inflammation and increase immunity at the same time.

  • Coconut oil, consumed off the spoon or used in sautéing and baking
  • Greens and beans
  • Omega 3 supplements.  I use 3/day of Omega Pure 820 by Xymogen from Naturalhealthyconcepts.com
  • Magnesium supplements. I use 400mg 2x/day
  • Vitamin B supplements. I recommend 1-2x/day of B Activ by Xymogen from naturalhealthyconcepts.com
  • Vitamin D3. 5,000iu per day minimum
  • Curcumin. I use DIMension by Xymogen from naturalhealthyconcepts. 2/day
  • Selenium. 200mg/day max
  • Melatonin. Not just a sleep aid. Helps reduce inflammation. 3mg at bedtime


 
I hope that today you will be determined to protect your brain and restore it to health via what goes in your mouth. Here is a great recipe to get you started!
 
All the best,
K
 

Quick and Easy Stew with Kale and White Beans
 
This recipe is from drfurman.com. I use 2T olive oil and 2T coconut oil instead of water to sauté my vegetables. Also, I use fire roasted tomatoes instead of plain and 2 “Not Chicken” bouillon cubes with 2+ cups of water instead of vegetable broth. I adjust the salt with smoked salt. The smokey flavor of the tomatoes and salt make it more comforting and hearty to me.
 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients:
2 bunches kale, tough stems removed and coarsely chopped
¼ cup water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dr. Fuhrman's MatoZest or other no salt seasoning blend, adjusted to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste
3 cups cooked cannellini or other white beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans low sodium or no-salt-added, drained
3 cups diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable broth, low sodium or no salt added, or more if needed to achieve desired consistency

Instructions:
Add kale and water to a soup pot, cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring occasionally. Add onion, garlic, MatoZest, black pepper and red pepper. Continue to cook, uncovered, for 5-7 more minutes.
Add beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Per Serving:
CALORIES 177; PROTEIN 14g; CARBOHYDRATES 34g; TOTAL FAT 0.9g; SATURATED FAT 0.2g; SODIUM 40mg; FIBER 8g; BETA-CAROTENE 4980ug; VITAMIN C 71mg; CALCIUM 163mg; IRON 4.6mg; FOLATE 103ug; MAGNESIUM 86mg; ZINC 1.6mg; SELENIUM 1.8ug