Sad
Numerous research studies show that depression is one of the prevalent mental disorders which is currently suffered by many people across the globe.
A teenager approached me a fortnight ago, and complained bitterly about her seemingly unending anxiety and episodes of mood swing; She said, “Auntie Clare, why do I always have to stay awake at nights thinking, worrying if I have to continue staying alive?” According to her, “everything I need to be happy, my parents provide for me even before I ask.”
On a similar note, a midwife friend also approached me yesterday evening, and complained of how she has been feeling sad for some days, worried as if anticipating an impending doom, her heart skips occasionally, she can’t sleep, and not able to trace the condition to any recent happening or any underlying medical condition.
The disease condition of depression is linked to emotional, genetics, bio-chemical, and environmental factors. Individuals with chronic health conditions tend to be more prone to depression than persons who don’t have. Also, persons who live sedentary life-style, and over-indulge in unhealthy eating are more susceptible to depression than those who avoid excesses.
Signs and Symptoms of Depression at a glance...
The list of signs and symptoms of depression seems inexhaustible, I can’t possibly do justice to all of them on this platform, but the following signs and symptoms may help you take a decision if you have to visit your healthcare provider to discuss possible causes and treatments against your ailing health condition:
- unexplained feelings of sadness/low mood
- uncontrolled feelings of guilt
- feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness
- thoughts of suicide
- unexplained loss of energy without any physical exertion
- uncontrolled cravings; using food, smoking, and alcohol as emotional crutch
- uncontrolled anxiety
- difficulty in falling asleep, or getting back to sleep after waking up in the night
- muscle cramps, headache, and unexplained pains
- personality disorder
- obsession of impending doom
Could it be magnesium deficiency?
Did you know that your depressive mood could be as a result of depleted level of magnesium? There are many health conditions that could lead to depressive mood: stress, obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease conditions but current clinical studies and numerous research results show a strong correlation between depression and magnesium deficiency.
Before I came across Dr Peter D’Adamo’s book on how to eat according to your blood type, I had suffered continual episodes of depressive mood! Little did I know the ill-condition was caused by low level of magnesium.
Magnesium deficiency is a silent killer period!
All the signs and symptoms of depression mentioned above hunted me like a ghost plus more! I even suffered claustrophobia, panic attacks, and hyperventilation!
Are you depressed today? Is your depressive mood associated with magnesium deficiency?
You aren’t alone!
Until I read about panic attacks and magnesium deficiency in Dr Peter D’Adamo’s book, I couldn’t figure out the cause of my problem. So, I did an in-debt study on the subject of magnesium deficiency and found that many individuals are highly deficient (a significant size of American population is deficient).
Signs and Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency at a glance:
- distorted breathing
- muscle cramp (I suffered this for two months!)
- drowsiness
- severe headache
- sleep disorders
- rootless-ruthless-anxiety! (bad experience for me!)
- depression
- irritability
- confusion
- changes in metabolism
- chronic fatigue (horrible nightmare!)
- chest pain
- irregular menstruation (women)
- nausea as if heavily infested with worm
- facial tics
What are the possible causes of magnesium deficiency?
Unchecked high levels of stress could be the cause of your depleted level of magnesium.
Negative alterations on magnesium balance could be as a result of taking too much alcohol, purgatives, kidney problems, diuretics, stomach disorders, white flour products, artificial sugar, soda, over-indulgence in coffee drinking…
Certain medications can actually lower magnesium levels just as it was in my case; antibiotics. My case was also as a result of high level of prolonged stress.
Do you have any of the above listed signs and symptoms? If you answer yes to most of them, you may have to visit your doctor for a proper analysis.
Has the doctor confirmed your depression is linked to magnesium deficiency? Don’t give up on life yet, it is a treatable condition. Here are the three major steps I took to kick out the life-threatening condition.
Bear in mind that the following steps I took aren’t a “general rule of thumb”, your doctor would’ve to tailor your treatment according to your health history and current state. That said, let’s go…
1. EXERCISE
The benefits of exercise to the human body and mind can’t be over-emphasized: lowers blood pressure; aids in weghtloss; reduces high doses of insulin for diabetics; relieves depression...and more.
When you engage in physical exercises, your body releases endorphin; the “feel good hormone” which almost immediately puts you in a unique state of euphoria. Yes, that is what exercising does for me; lifts my mood almost immediately.
So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and exercise yourself out of depressive mood! I’m convinced you’ll love the feelings.
It was the first step I took to combating the life-threatening depression.
I jogged, took long walk on daily basis, and joined a gym for taekwando training.
You’ve heard some of the benefits of exercise but then, here comes the caveat; “you can’t out-train a bad diet”
2. DIET
While depression may be generally perceived as a condition of emotions and bio-chemical process, your diet can play a major role in the development and management of depression.
Your food and beverage regimen must be controlled in order to achieve optimal results; processed food, junk foods, and soda drinks strip your body of beneficial minerals while loading it with unwanted toxins. It goes without saying, unless you adopt a healthy eating habit, you are not likely to impact your depressive mood positively.
That said, I basically avoided all processed, junk food, and sugar! I ate whole foods, increased my in-take of fiber, and juiced leafy green vegetables on daily basis. The foods I ate mostly consisted of magnesium-rich foods: Quaker Oat; red rice, and brown rice which I took in small portion sizes with more leafy green vegetables.
I juiced mostly on Spinach leaves, Basil leaves, Peppermint leaves, and African pumpkin leaves.
My beverage only consisted of water and pure unsweetened Cocoa powder which is also high in magnesium.
You may also note that in severe cases of magnesium deficiency, diet alone may not guarantee quick recovery; your doctor may consider placing you on magnesium supplements.
3. MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENTATION
All magnesium supplements are not “equal”. . .
While it may not be a bad decision to stick to magnesium-rich food sources, research shows that combining magnesium-rich foods and absorbable forms of magnesium supplements will deliver faster and optimal results.
Certain forms of magnesium supplements can’t be absorbed easily by the body; magnesium glycinate, magnesium citrate, and magnesium lactate are majorly advised for supplementation as they are easily absorbed by the body, while magnesium sulphate is one of the poorly absorbed oral forms of magnesium.
Can one increase magnesium level transdermally?
Yes, application of magnesium oil, ointment. . .on the skin gives positive results also. Some persons are of the opinion that transdermal magnesium doesn’t work but experience they say, is the best teacher.
Infact, the first course of magnesium supplement I had wasn’t oral. It was rather
Epsom salt bath. I had Epsom salt full-bath and foot-bath three times a week in alternate manner.
I had oral magnesium supplements but they were in combination forms; the supplements contained other vitamins and minerals but I made sure the forms and dosages of magnesium they contained conformed with the recommended forms and dosages. The one I take currently is even in combination with ginseng but...
You must consult your doctor before taking any form of magnesium supplements; drug interactions may occur, and produce detrimental effects!