![]() The MIND diet is a mashup of a Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, which has been shown to reduce hypertension, diabetes, heart attack and stroke. Multiple studies show that a plant-forward approach - full of greens, vegetables, berries, whole grains, lean proteins including beans and healthy fats including nuts - can help reduce the risk of disease. "I always recommend the Mediterranean diet or the MIND diet," says Sahakian. The researchers found that people who maintained a healthy pattern of eating were less likely to have an episode of depression. "Whereas a lifestyle change can have a more permanent and lasting effect." Noordsy and his colleagues use a range of evidence-based recommendations and tools, from medicines to therapy to behavioral approaches including fitness, nutrition, sleep and stress management, to help empower patients. "But physical exercise has more durable effects than an antidepressant does," he says.įor some people, medication gives them a benefit in the beginning, but then it fades over time, Noordsy says. Antidepressant medicines tend to be faster in treating an episode of depression, says Douglas Noordsy, a psychiatrist with the Stanford Lifestyle Medicine Program. A previous study, based on data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveys, found that people who exercise regularly report fewer days of bad mental health.Īnd a recent meta-analysis found that physical activity was more effective than medications in reducing symptoms of depression. There's a solid body of evidence linking physical activity to improved moods. If you have insomnia or trouble sleeping, there's lots of evidence that these strategies, based on cognitive behavioral therapy, can help. And though dreaming is still a bit of a mystery, the idea that dreams may help us regulate our emotions goes back decades. For instance, a well-rested person is better at fending off the common cold. Not only does sleep enable us to consolidate memories, helping us remember what we've learned during the day, but research shows it plays a key role in keeping our immune systems strong. "A lot of us think of sleep as a kind of a passive process, but it's an incredibly active process," Sahakian says. Sleeping seven to nine hours per night, on average, reduced the risk of depression by about 22% in the study. The power of restĪt the top of the list is a good night's rest. It's much more complex, and increasingly, a body of evidence points to the importance of habits and behaviors to help keep mental health strong. But in recent years, as science has evolved, it has become clear that depression is not just a chemical imbalance. Of course, serious depression needs to be treated, and medications and therapy help many people feel better. C-reactive protein concentrations rise in response to inflammation. Researchers also analyzed markers of inflammation, including C-reactive protein, which is linked to depression, and found that a healthy lifestyle is linked to better scores. Researchers identified seven healthy habits and found that people who maintained most of them - five or more- cut their risk of depression by 57%. The study included data from nearly 300,000 people in the UK Biobank database initiative. "I think the biggest surprise is that if you have a favorable lifestyle, you can reduce the risk of your getting depression by 57%, which is really quite a massive amount," says study author Barbara Sahakian, a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge. They found a reduction in the risk of depression held up even among people who have genetic variants that make them more susceptible. Researchers used Mendelian randomization - using genetics to study behavior - to confirm a causal link between lifestyle and depression. In fact, a new study finds that people who maintain a broad range of healthy habits, from good sleep to physical activity to strong social connections, are significantly less likely to experience episodes of depression. Your answers to these questions may help explain your mood - and your risk of depression too. How well are you sleeping? Are you eating foods that nourish you? Did you make time for a favorite hobby and exercise? Did you gather with friends or loved ones? ![]() You can jot them down in a journal to keep track. If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, here’s a strategy that may help boost your mental health: Spend the next week observing your daily habits.
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