People all over the world cope with depression every day. Depression is more than just feeling sad, it’s a mood disorder that persists and interferes with everyday functioning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says about 1 in 6 adults will struggle with depression at some point in their life.
While many of us have suffered from (what we think is) depression at some point in our lives, others having been coping with it for years. Luckily, there are some small things you can do to help manage your depression and keep you on the track to happiness.
You may not know it, but the foods you eat could be affecting your state of depression. There are foods that help and hurt depression sufferers. For the sake of this article, we’ll be focusing on 14 types of foods to help manage depression – along with examples of each.
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1. Carbohydrates
Not all carbohydrates will boast positive results when used to help manage depression, but “smart carbs” will. Carbohydrates are linked to strong levels of serotonin which will help boost your mood. WebMD says it hasn’t been proven, but experts believe carb cravings could be linked to low serotonin activity. The source also advises limiting sugary food intake and quenching your carb desires by eating smart carbs like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.