Exercise; How Does It Help With Depression, and Anxiety

 

Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms

Depression symptoms often improve with exercise. Here are some realistic tips to help you get started and stay motivated.

When you have anxiety or depression, exercise often seems like the last thing you want to do. But once you get motivated, exercise can make a big difference.
Exercise helps prevent and improve a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Research on anxiety, depression and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help reduce anxiety and improve mood.

The links between anxiety, depression and exercise aren't entirely clear — but working out and other forms of physical activity can definitely ease symptoms of anxiety or depression and make you feel better. Exercise may also help keep anxiety and depression from coming back once you're feeling better.

How does exercise help depression and anxiety?

Regular exercise probably helps ease depression in a number of ways, which may include:

• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters, endorphins and endocannabinoids)
• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
• Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects

Regular exercise has many psychological and emotional benefits, too. It can help you:

• Gain confidence. Meeting exercise goals or challenges, even small ones, can boost your self-confidence. Getting in shape can also make you feel better about your appearance.
• Take your mind off worries. Exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression.
• Get more social interaction. Exercise and physical activity may give you the chance to meet or socialize with others. Just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood can help your mood.
• Cope in a healthy way. Doing something positive to manage anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol, dwelling on how badly you feel, or hoping anxiety or depression will go away on its own can lead to worsening symptoms.

Is a structured exercise program the only option?

Some research shows that physical activity such as regular walking — not just formal exercise programs — may help improve mood. Physical activity and exercise are not the same thing, but both are beneficial to your health.

• Physical activity is any activity that contracts muscles and expends energy and can include work or household or leisure activities.
• Exercise is a planned, structured and repetitive body movement done to improve or maintain physical fitness.

The word "exercise" may make you think of running laps around the gym. But exercise includes a wide range of activities that boost your activity level to help you feel better.
Certainly running, lifting weights, playing basketball and other fitness activities that get your heart pumping can help. But so can physical activity such as gardening, washing your car, walking around the block or engaging in other less intense activities. Any physical activity that gets you off the couch and moving can help improve your mood.
You don't have to do all your exercise or other physical activity at once. Broaden how you think of exercise and find ways to add small amounts of physical activity throughout your day. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a little farther away from work to fit in a short walk. Or, if you live close to your job, consider biking to work.

How much is enough?

Doing 30 minutes or more of exercise a day for three to five days a week may significantly improve depression symptoms. But smaller amounts of physical activity — as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time — may make a difference. It may take less time exercising to improve your mood when you do more-vigorous activities, such as running or bicycling.

The mental health benefits of exercise and physical activity may last only if you stick with it over the long term — another good reason to focus on finding activities that you enjoy.

How do I get started — and stay motivated?

Starting and sticking with an exercise routine or regular physical activity can be a challenge. These steps can help:

• Identify what you enjoy doing. Figure out what type of physical activities you're most likely to do, and think about when and how you'd be most likely to follow through. For instance, would you be more likely to do some gardening in the evening, start your day with a jog, or go for a bike ride or play basketball with your children after school? Do what you enjoy to help you stick with it.
• Get your mental health provider's support. Talk to your doctor or other mental health provider for guidance and support. Discuss an exercise program or physical activity routine and how it fits into your overall treatment plan.
• Set reasonable goals. Your mission doesn't have to be walking for an hour five days a week. Think realistically about what you may be able to do and begin gradually. Tailor your plan to your own needs and abilities rather than trying to meet unrealistic guidelines that you're unlikely to meet.
• Don't think of exercise or physical activity as a chore. If exercise is just another "should" in your life that you don't think you're living up to, you'll associate it with failure. Rather, look at your exercise or physical activity schedule the same way you look at your therapy sessions or medication — as one of the tools to help you get better.
• Analyze your barriers. Figure out what's stopping you from being physically active or exercising. If you feel self-conscious, for instance, you may want to exercise at home. If you stick to goals better with a partner, find a friend to work out with or who enjoys the same physical activities that you do. If you don't have money to spend on exercise gear, do something that's cost-free, such as regular walking. If you think about what's stopping you from being physically active or exercising, you can probably find an alternative solution.
• Prepare for setbacks and obstacles. Give yourself credit for every step in the right direction, no matter how small. If you skip exercise one day, that doesn't mean you can't maintain an exercise routine and might as well quit. Just try again the next day. Stick with it.

Do I need to see my doctor?

Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program to make sure it's safe for you. Talk to your doctor to find out which activities, how much exercise and what intensity level is OK for you. Your doctor will consider any medications you take and your health conditions. He or she may also have helpful advice about getting started and staying motivated.

If you exercise regularly but anxiety or depression symptoms still interfere with your daily living, see your doctor or other mental health provider. Exercise and physical activity are great ways to ease symptoms of anxiety or depression, but they aren't a substitute for psychotherapy or medications.

Via: Mayo Clinic

Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 Scoop Shakeology (any flavor)
1/2 Mashed banana (optional)
3 egg whites
2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt 

Directions:

Mix all in a blender or by hand.
Play with the consistency. If it needs to be thicker, add more Shakeology. If it needs to be thinner, add more egg whites.
Make as you would regular pancakes.
(Added some PBFit on top with fresh blueberries)
 
Serve & Enjoy
.
If you haven't tried Shakeology yet, you're missinng out on a delicious, clean, filling good your body meal that's gluten free, soy free, made from organic ingredients & packed with over 70 fruits & veggies.

I feel really good about giving it to my kid every day & makes it pretty easy for them to get their nutrients in addition to the healthy food they eat.

If you'd like to try it, let me know and I can send you the link to the sampler along with a meal plan, shopping list and recipes to match.

8 Signs You Are Eating Too Much Sugar

Remember; How you start your day is usually how you end it.  Begin with protein and healthy options, not a big bowl of sugary cereal or a donut that will trigger you to keep loading with sugar and carbs all day.

Sugar is delicious. Anyone who denies that is lying. But because life is unfair, sugar, especially in copious amounts, is really bad for your health. In fact, once you learn about all the ways sugar impacts your body, it’s difficult to look at it the same way (despite knowing how heavenly it tastes).

So how do you know if you’re eating too much? Here are eight red flags your body is sending you that it’s time to cut back on the sweet stuff.

1. You constantly crave sugary things.

The more sugar you eat, the more you’ll crave it. “More cravings then equal consuming more sugar—it becomes a vicious and addictive cycle,” Brooke Alpert, M.S., RD., author of The Sugar Detox: Lose Weight, Feel Great and Look Years Younger, tells SELF. This isn’t just because your taste buds have adapted and left you needing more and more to get that same taste, but also because of how sugar gives you a high followed by a crash, just like an actual drug. “By eating a high sugar diet, you cause a hormonal response in your body that’s like a wave, it brings you up and then you crash down and it triggers your body to want more sugar.”

2. You feel sluggish throughout the day.

What goes up must come down. After sugar causes an initial spike of insulin and that “high” feeling, it causes an inevitable crash. “Energy is most stable when blood sugar is stable, so when you’re consuming too much sugar, the highs and lows of your blood sugar lead to highs and lows of energy,” Alpert says. Eating a lot of sugar also means it’s likely you’re not eating enough protein and fiber, both important nutrients for sustained energy.

3. Your skin won’t stop breaking out.

“Some people are sensitive to getting a spike in insulin from sugar intake, which can set off a hormonal cascade that can lead to a breakout like acne or rosacea,” Rebecca Kazin, M.D., of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery and the Johns Hopkins department of dermatology, tells SELF. A sugar binge can show up on your face in just a few days. If your skin’s unruly, Kazin recommends reassessing your diet, otherwise “you may be treating skin for other issues without getting to the bottom of what’s really going on.”

4. You’re way moodier than usual.

The blood sugar crash that happens when you’re coming off a sugar high can cause mood swings and leave you feeling crabby. Not to mention, if your energy is also tanking, that just contributes to a bad attitude.

5. You’ve been putting on some weight.

Excess sugar is excess calories, and since it has no protein or fiber, it doesn’t fill you up (so you just keep eating it). It also triggers the release of insulin, a hormone that plays a big role in weight gain. When we eat sugar, the pancreas releases insulin, which carries sugar to our organs so it can be used for energy. When you load up on sugar, your body’s told to produce more insulin—over time, that excessive output can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance means our bodies can’t respond to normal amounts of insulin properly and therefore can’t use sugar the right way. The initial weight gain from simply eating too many calories from sugar is being compounded by the disruption to your normal insulin response (there’s a link between insulin resistance and obesity). What’s more, when the pancreas works in overdrive for too long you can develop diabetes.

6. You’ve been getting more cavities.

When bacteria chow down on food particles in between the teeth, acid is produced, which causes tooth decay. Our saliva maintains a healthy balance of bacteria on its own, but eating sugar can impact the pH and throw off the natural ecosystem. This gives the bacteria a chance to thrive and multiply, leading to cavities.

7. Your brain tends to get foggy, especially after a meal.

This fog is a common symptom of low blood sugar.  When you eat a lot of sugar, your blood sugar levels rapidly rise and fall instead of gradually doing so. “Poor blood sugar control is a major risk for cognitive issues and impairment,” says Alpert.

8. Nothing tastes as sweet as it used to.

“Eating too much sugar basically bombards your taste buds,” Alpert says. “This sugar overkill causes your taste bud sugar tolerance to go up, so you need more and more sugar to satisfy that sweet craving.” When your taste buds need lots of sugar to feel like something is sweet enough, it can be tough to lower your base level. However, it you cut back and suffer through it in the beginning, you’ll eventually lower your tolerance again and be content with minimal sugar. You might even start to feel like things are too sweet for you and—gasp!—be happier consuming sugar in moderation.



Via MyFitnessPal: Amy Marturana
Edited by; Maria Craddock

Seared Ahi Steaks

Ingredients:

2 - 4 ounce Ahi steaks
Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper
Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

Heat grill to medium heat
Season to taste
Grill each side for 2 1/2 minutes

Slice and enjoy, you can use Kikkoman Ponzu sauce for dipping.

Spiced Green Beans

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound fresh green beans
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Fresh ground cracked pepper to taste


Directions:

Heat olive oil and add green beans, sauté for 2 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients and sauté for approximately 10 minutes or to desired tenderness. (Stir frequently)

Enjoy

Breakfast Burrito

These are so amazing and so simple, you can add some cheese, beans, and sour cream and make dinner (minus the eggs).

Ingredients:

2 Farm fresh eggs
3 Ounces lean ground turkey
1 Handful of Trader Joe's Roasted Bell Peppers and Onions
1 Handful of baby spinach
Himalayan Pink Sea Salt - to taste
Fresh ground pepper - to taste
Garlic powder - to taste
Mustard powder - to taste
2 Truly Handmade Flour Tortillas (Trader Joe's)

Directions:

Brown ground turkey, add frozen bell peppers and onions, once thawed add spices and eggs. Cook for about two minutes until "scrambled", add spinach and cook to desired texture. Warm tortillas, I still throw them on the open burner! :) 

Enjoy!

Maria Craddock

5 Cheap Meals You Can Make On A Budget

Eating healthy does not have to be expensive.
If that’s the excuse you’ve been using to put off improving your diet, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s simply not true. Healthy food doesn’t mean $10 juices and $12 açaí bowls and so on. Healthy food doesn’t have to be elite. It also doesn’t have to be boring.

Sure, there won’t be much filet mignon on the menu, and you might opt for a 50-cent apple instead of a $5 basket of blackberries, but if you are willing to cook, there are a plethora of low-cost meals available at your fingertips. Also, meal planning can help reduce food costs. Before picking your recipes, look at store circulars before you shop and build your menu around what’s on sale that week. Shop the bulk bins for dry goods like whole grains, legumes, dried fruits, and nuts, and buy just what you need.

To test this “eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive” theory, we compiled a list of my favorite recipes from the Beachbody Blog and calculated how much a serving of each costs using prices gathered at Ralph’s, a Southern California branch of Kroger supermarkets. Since sale items change every week, we relied instead on the normal retail price. Also, we did not include the cost of common pantry items such as olive oil, vinegar, spices, honey, and maple syrup.

Savory Slow Cooker Beans with RiceCost per serving: 70¢
Beans and rice are staple foods in many cultures for a reason: they’re cheap and can easily be transformed into a variety of meals.

Let this savory bean dish cook all day and have dinner ready when you get home from work. If you want to skip the first step, you can soak dry beans overnight in a large pot of water. These beans get great flavor from celery, garlic, and diced green chiles.

Total Time: 11 hrs. 25 min.
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: 10 hrs. 10 min.
Yield: 6 servings, about 1 cup of beans each

Ingredients:

1¼ cups dry red beans (or dry red kidney beans), rinsed
Water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium celery stalks, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 cups low-sodium organic vegetable broth
1 cups water
1 (14.5-oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 (4-oz.) can diced green chiles, undrained
Hot sauce (like Tabasco) (to taste; optional)
3 cups cooked brown rice, warm

Preparation:

1. Place beans in large saucepan. Add enough water to cover beans by two inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; gently boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for one hour.
2. Place beans, onion, celery, garlic, basil, bay leaf, broth, water, and tomatoes in 4-quart slow cooker. Cover; cook on low heat for 9 to 10 hours (or on high heat for 4 to 5 hours), or until beans are tender.
3. Remove bay leaf. Add chiles and hot sauce (if desired); cook for an additional 30 minutes.
4. Place ½ cup rice in each of six serving bowls. Top evenly with bean mixture.

 

 

 

Spinach Salad with Quinoa, Chickpeas, and Paprika DressingCost per serving: $1.48

 

This colorful salad is a show-stopper. Make it for your next potluck or picnic, or amaze your family for dinner any night of the week. The recipe makes 12 portions, and you’re going to want to eat them all. Even after it’s dressed, this salad stores well for up to three days. Quinoa and chickpeas give it a hearty serving of protein. We love the juicy tomatoes and cucumber, but the stars of the recipe are the piquant paprika dressing and the full cup of torn mint leaves. We think once you taste this salad, you’ll want to add mint to all of your salads.

Total Time: 4 hrs. 26 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 16 min.
Yield: 12 servings, about 1 cup each

Ingredients:

1½ cups dry quinoa
Water
Sea salt (to taste; optional), divided use
¼ cup sherry wine vinegar
2½ tsp. paprika
Ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups raw baby spinach leaves, washed, dried
2 (15-oz.) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, drained
1 medium cucumber, unpeeled, chopped
2½ cups halved cherry (or small heirloom) tomatoes
1 cup fresh mint leaves
¾ cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese, divided use

Preparation:

1. Place quinoa in a large saucepan; add water to cover by 1-inch. Season with salt if desired. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and gently boil for 15 to 16 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Drain if there is excess liquid. Chill, covered in the refrigerator, for 4 hours or until cool.
2. Combine vinegar, and paprika in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired; slowly whisk in oil to blend. Set aside.
3. Combine spinach, chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, mint, and ½ cup cheese in a large bowl; mix well.
4. Add cooled quinoa to spinach mixture; toss gently to blend.
5. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to blend.
6. Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup cheese over salad; serve immediately.

Chicken with Quinoa, Oranges, and WalnutsCost per serving: $2.20
Chicken is pricey when money is tight, but in this recipe, the bulk of the volume is comprised of quinoa, fresh herbs, oranges, and walnuts. To make each serving go further scoop half-portions onto fresh spinach or other greens.

This chicken and quinoa dish is packed with healthy proteins and good fats. Walnuts give it crunch, and oranges and herbs give it lots of fresh flavor.

Total Time: 10 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa
3 oz. shredded rotisserie chicken breast (about ½ cup)
1 oz. walnuts, coarsely chopped (about 14 halves)
1 medium orange, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
¼ tsp. sea salt
1 dash ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Place quinoa, chicken, orange, walnuts, and cilantro in serving bowl.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar; season with salt and pepper.
3. Mix well and enjoy.

Tip: Store-bought rotisserie chicken is very versatile. You can bone and skin the chicken and use the leftover meat in other recipes throughout the week. It’s great in sandwiches, soups, and salads.

 

 

 

Sweet Potato Skins with Chicken and SpinachCost per serving: $2.57
These stuffed sweet potatoes look like appetizers, but they’re actually pretty filling since they’re packed with spinach and chicken.

 

We took what is usually a greasy bar snack and turned it into a delicious appetizer that is healthy enough to eat for a meal! These baked sweet potato skins are topped with spinach, spiced chicken, and cilantro, with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Total Time: 20 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 10 min.
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 baked medium sweet potatoes, cut in half
1 tsp. olive oil
½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
4 oz shredded cooked chicken breast, boneless, skinless
1 tsp. all-natural taco seasoning, no salt added
1 cup steamed spinach
8 Tbsp. low-fat plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Scoop flesh out of the sweet potatoes and reserve for another use.
3. Place skins on a baking sheet. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes, or until crisp.
4. While skins are baking, combine chicken and taco seasoning in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
5. Replace sweet potato flesh and top each sweet potato half evenly with spinach, chicken mixture, yogurt, and cilantro.

Lentil and Feta SaladCost per serving: $2.23
Once you’re done chopping the fresh vegetables and herbs to compose this lentil salad, you’re left with a large enough recipe to feed you all week. Plus, it’s a good vegetarian source of protein and fiber.

This lentil salad is a winner in so many ways. It takes a little bit of effort to chop all of those fresh veggies and herbs, but once you’re done, you’ve got enough food for a week’s worth of meals. Eat it in winter, spring, summer, or fall. It’s a good vegetarian source of protein and fiber and has only 221 calories per serving.

Total Time: 1 hr. 15 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 6 servings, about 1½ cups each

Ingredients:

⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp. dried thyme (or 1½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme)
Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
3 cups cooked lentils
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 medium cucumber, finely chopped
3 medium celery stalks, finely chopped
2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes
1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
¾ medium red onion, finely chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

Preparation:

1. Combine lemon juice, oil, and thyme in a small bowl; whisk to blend.
2. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Set aside.
3. Combine lentils, cheese, cucumber, celery, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, parsley, and mint in a large bowl; mix well.
4. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to blend. Refrigerate, covered, for 1 to 12 hours.
5. You can eat it after an hour, but the next day is the best!

Via Team Beachbody Blog, edited by Maria Doney