Stop Candida Overgrowth To Restore Gut Balance
Yeast overgrowth is more common than most people think. For years, the holistic health community has linked yeast infection and overgrowth to depression and other mental illness, and numerous studies22 now back that anecdotal evidence.
A diet high in sugar and heavily-processed foods, especially during and following antibiotic use, is the perfect environment for the candida fungus to grow out of control in the digestive tract and cause all sorts of problems. One of those problems: difficulty absorbing different nutrients. The second brain in your gut cant work properly with a massive yeast overgrowth.
Cut out sugar , try to avoid alcohol, minimize fermented foods while you starve out candida, and take a broad-spectrum probiotic/prebiotic/enzyme to restore that crucial balance in your gut.
Swiss Chard Strawberry Smoothie
When I can make it to Whole Foods, I buy Swiss chard because it always tastes good in a smoothie, and its incredibly nutritious. I like to blend it with berries, but warning: The color isnt appealing. Just imagine that it’s chocolate.
- 4 cups chopped Swiss chard
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 cup water
Calm Your Mind And Get Rid Of Anxiety With This Anti
Jun 15, 2015Carly FraserSave For Later
Bananas are a miracle fruit for people dealing with depression, anxiety and stress. Theyre packed full of brain-healthy nutrients like vitamin B6, potassium and natural fruit sugars that help feed the brain in times of stress.
This anti-stress banana smoothie helps deal with moodiness, nervous habits, depression, irritability, racing thoughts and poor concentration. Bananas are one of the few fruits that contain the amino acid tryptophan and vitamin B6, both of which help to produce the natural chemical serotonin in the brain . More serotonin production means better moods, better sleep, and overall feelings of euphoria.
The high potassium levels in bananas is also great for helping counteract stress. Potassium helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain, and regulates the bodys water balance. When we get stressed, our metabolic rate rises, and our potassium levels are reduced so this smoothie helps prevent that!
An anti-stress banana smoothie also wouldnt be complete without coconut water. Coconut water helps balance our electrolyte levels to keep us calm and anxiety-free.
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Natural Foods And Herbs To Combat Anxiety And Depression
Depression and anxiety disorders are mental health conditions and are both classified as mood disorders. They are more common than most people realize, with 40 million adults in the U.S. coping with an anxiety disorder and nearly as many dealing with major depression at some point in their lives.
When left undiagnosed and untreated, these disorders can cause symptoms that make the routines of daily life difficult to impossible. Living with anxiety or depression untreated is no way to live. Treatment with medications and therapy can help relieve symptoms, but so too can certain herbs, supplements, and foods, many of which blend well in smoothies.
What Is Anxiety Disorder
Depression and anxiety disorders often occur together, but not always. If you have an anxiety disorder, you feel anxious or fearful to a degree that interferes with your life. As with depression, feeling anxious or worried is normal at times, and is often a useful response to stressful situations, but when it persists, disrupts your life, or is not caused by anything obvious, it could be an anxiety disorder. There are several different types of anxiety disorder:
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Best Ingredients For Anti
Lets see which ingredients an effective anti-anxiety smoothie recipe may contain.
Turmeric Recent research suggests that there may be a link between chronic inflammation and depression. Turmeric has potent anti-inflammatory properties and may help fight inflammation. Its component curcumin is believed to boost brain health and may help relieve anxiety.
Turmeric has been widely studied. Several studies found that curcumin may reduce symptoms from anxiety and depression. This study even revealed that curcumin could help make certain antidepressants more effective.
Keep in mind however that you shouldnt experiment with turmeric all by yourself. If youre taking antidepressants or other medication, talk to your doctor before adding turmeric to your diet. It runs the risk of interfering with your medication!
You should never use turmeric or curcumin instead of prescribed medication. The spice, as well as other natural anxiety and depression remedies, should only be tried under your doctors supervision.
You can add fresh turmeric root to your smoothies or use organic turmeric powder. In all cases, always clean your blender jar directly after making your smoothies to help prevent turmeric stains.
Pumpkin Seeds If youre suffering from anxiety, pumpkin seeds should be on your shopping list. Pumpkin seeds are a natural source of tryptophan. Tryptophan can help your body produce serotonin, the chemical responsible for happiness.
How To Fight Depression And Anxiety Through Food
With nourishing and comforting recipes that will boost your energy!
This delicious smoothie has the perfect mood-boosting combination of natural ingredients and superfoods to give you a great start of a day.
When in doubt check the main ingredients in this smoothie and its super healing and energizing powers:
- Berries loaded with antioxidants which have the healing power to repair damaged molecules.
- Bananas serious mood-lifting food, with their combination of vitamins B6, A, and C as well as fibre, tryptophan, potassium, phosphorous, iron and healthy carbohydrates.
- Chia Seeds The Superfood deliver a massive amount of nutrients with very few calories They are loaded with fibre, protein, Omega-3 fatty acids and various micronutrients. They also reduce food cravings, help you stay hydrated, and help lower blood pressure.
- Spirulina a beautiful powdered algae! It is a source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Eating five grams of spirulina provides about 230 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowances of vitamin A and beta carotene, 150 percent of the RDAs of vitamin D and vitamin B12, and 125 percent of the RDA of vitamin K.
Investing in clean simple ingredients and getting organic foods is a great way to start healing and nourishing your body.
Ready to try this gorgeous healthy smoothie that is also perfect as a post-workout snack?
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Herbs Supplements And Dietary Changes
If your symptoms are mild or you want to include dietary and lifestyle changes in your overall treatment plan for depression and anxiety, there are a number of natural products that can help. The supplements and herbs can easily be added to your daily smoothie to make it easy to include these useful products as part of your everyday routine. Most of these can be found in a variety of forms including extracts, tablets, teas, and powders. Extracts and powders are particularly well-suited to being blended into any smoothie or elixir recipe.
For depression:
For anxiety:
Ashwagandha Elixir
- 1 cup raw milk or nut milk of choice
- 1/2 teaspoon Ashwagandha powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 teaspoon honey
Healthy Fats Can Improve Your Mood
Are you getting enough essential fatty acids? A whopping 90% of Americans are deficient in omega 315. Many studies link deficiency to major depression16, since you must have omega-3 to break down and transmit the happy hormones serotonin, epinephrine, and dopamine.
And its not just the lack of omega-3 thats the problem. Its the excesses of omega-6, found in refined oils like fried foods, chips, etc. Most Americans are getting the bulk of their fatty acids from omega 617 and only a tiny percentage from omega 3.
Why is this a problem? We need an even balance of omegas, but in the Standard American Diet, the ratio is an average of 16:1 in favor of omega-618. This causes inflammation in the body and can lead to numerous health problems, so the more omega-3s we can get in our diet to bring down that inflammation, the better.
To add more healthy omega-3 into your diet, enjoy walnuts or walnut oil in your meals, or add a couple tablespoons of chia, flax, and/or hemp seed in your diet. The sprouted varieties of these seeds are more bioavailable than the plain seed or seed oils, and adding sprouted flax powder to a green smoothie is one of the quickest and best ways to boost your omegas.
Theres a clear link between obesity and depression.19
The clear path to getting rid of extra weight is to eliminate white flour and sugar. I promise that you will not miss them like you think you will. Even if you have a lot of weight to lose, dont despair. Ive been there. You can do this.
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Dr Ramsey’s Kefir Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients3/4 cup plain full-fat kefir 1/3 cup white beans 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries 1/2 large banana 2 Tbsp raw, unsalted almonds 2 Tbsp raw, unsalted pepitas
1. In the following order, put the kefir, beans, water, blueberries, banana, spinach, almonds, and pepitas into a high-powered blender. Blend for 30 to 45 seconds, until all the ingredients are incorporated. Pour into a glass and serve immediately.
Get more healthy snack ideas in .
Smoothies To Make You Smile
Overindulging on junk food and treats may make you happy at the time but the high is usually short lived and often leaves us feeling bloated, guilty and craving more of the bad stuff. There is a direct link between the food we eat and the way we feel, which is why nutrition is important, not just for our waistline but also our mind. What we eat everyday can impact our mood and help to treat mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Here are 5 brain-healthy smoothies to help promote a positive mood and put a smile on your face.
Nutty Slender SmoothieAlmonds contains a variety of different nutrients long known to be critical to mental health. Among them are Folate and the amino acid tyrosine, a precursor for a feel-good brain chemical called dopamine. View the recipe here.
Blackberry SmoothieBlueberries and Blackberries are vitamin-rich berries that boost brain health via their high content of antioxidants, specifically flavonoids. Berries have been found to slow memory impairments and motor coordination that are typically associated with ageing. View the recipe here.
Triple Threat SmoothieLeafy greens such as spinach and kale contain magnesium which can positively impact the levels of the feel good brain-chemical serotonin and thus boost your mood. View the recipe here.
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Foods With High Pesticide
Those foods grown with heavy pesticide can be bad for your mood as well as well-being. These foods include peaches, strawberries, celery, blueberries, apples, sweet bell peppers, cherries, potatoes, and grapes. It is suggested that if you keep buying these foods, you had better choose organic ones for getting the most of nutritional benefits and least of negative pesticides.
This Green Smoothie Can Help Fight Depression And Lower Anxiety
Let food be thy medicine! There are always instances where the help of western medicine can prove incredibly useful, however often times we need to address the underlying causes of our issues first to see if there are simply changes we can make to heal ourselves first.
Often times, things like depression or anxiety stem from a nutrition deficiency. With a diet rich in processed foods, the body can become very imbalanced and this leads to mood disorders in addition to a host of other ailments. The first step to changing brain chemistry is to examine the diet. So removing processed foods and replacing them with whole foods rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants is a great step in the right direction.
Ingredients:1 frozen or fresh banana1/3 cup mangohalf cup or handful of spinach1 small handful of mint1-2 scoops Organifi Green Juice Powder *contains Ashwagandha for stress reduction, weight loss, anxiety, mood balancing.1 cup coconut water, almond milk or water
Instructions: Blend together until smooth and enjoy.
If you want to try out Organifi, theyve extended a discount to the Young and Raw community, so you can click the coupon below to try yours. Let me know how you like it!
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Smoothie Recipes For Anxiety
If youre suffering from anxiety, youre not alone! Its very common and affects millions of people worldwide. In fact, anxiety is one of the most common illnesses in the US. Nearly 18% of the population, or 40 million adults, struggle with anxiety.
Switching your diet and drinking anti-anxiety smoothies may change your mental health.
Smoothies are an easy and quick way to incorporate more of the good stuff into our diet. There are certain foods that may help ease anxiety and can be beneficial for promoting healthy brain function.
Before Ill get to my favorite smoothie recipes for anxiety, its necessary to add a few words of caution though.
Anxiety and depression are serious illnesses. You should never use smoothies instead of professional medical treatment. Smoothies can be a good supplement to a balanced diet, but always consult your doctor before making dietary changes. They can help you find your individual treatment plan.
Best Smoothie Ingredients For Anxiety And Depression
Almost everyone is struggling with anxiety at times. If the nervousness comes to a point where it prevents you from doing your everyday tasks, medical treatment is the most obvious solution. First though, or even simultaneously with the therapy, you should try a natural way. Some foods have proven health benefits, including a positive impact on the brain and our mental and emotional state.
Chia Seeds
Some foods have a positive effect on the production of certain brain chemicals. Chia seeds, which contain high amounts of tryptophan, are one of these foods. Tryptophan plays an important role in the brain chemistry. It promotes the production of the neurotransmitter, serotonin, which is known to relieve depression and anxiety.
Walnuts
Many peoples diet lacks Omega-3 fatty acids. According to one study, Omega-3 fatty acids can help to fight depression. Patients suffering from manic depression were given a placebo for four months alongside normal medicines, while the other group received omega-3 fatty acids. In the second group, the number of relapses was much lower.
Walnuts contain a high amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, making them an excellent smoothie ingredient if you are battling depression or anxiety.
Banana
High in folic acid and Vitamin B, banana is one of the most popular smoothie ingredients. Eating foods rich in those vitamins may help with depression or anxiety symptoms. The reason is that people who suffer from depression, often have a folic acid deficiency as well.
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The Link Between Food And Mental Health
The connection between how we fuel our bodies through nutrition and how our bodies function is usually reduced to weight loss and weight gain, but think about ityour brain is a physical part of your body, not just a collection of thoughts and feelings.
If the food you eat has a direct impact on your skin, muscles, and bones, it has to have a direct impact on your brain, too. The food we eat has the power to regulate on our hormones, emotional stability, and mental wellness.
On top of the study I mentioned above, this connection is now being explored more in-depth in the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry, which looks at how the food you eat makes you feel and how it affects your gut bacteria, too.
But you dont have to be a psychiatrist to know how food affects you. Chances are, you already have an idea of how what you eat makes you feel physically, but chipping away at the mental piece takes some dedicated strategy.
My nutritional approach to fighting depression and anxiety isnt magic. And it isnt a replacement for medication or your doctors advice, but the tips below do work!
Simple Smoothies To Boost Your Mood Everyday Health
This recipe makes two servings of thick, delicious smoothie, that you can use as meal replacement, or even better: this smoothie Home » AntiAnxiety Recipes . 1 Cup Spinach. 1/4 Avocado. 1 Cup Blueberries. 1 Teaspoon Turmeric, fresh. 1 Teaspoon Ginger Root, fresh. 1 Tablespoon Almonds. 1/2 Cup Green Tea, brewed and cooled. 1 Cup Almond Milk, vanilla, unsweetened.Easy Anti Anxiety Smoothie Recipes
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Herbal Mineral And Enzyme Supplements For Depression
Again, if you are taking SSRIs or other medications for depression and anxiety, consult your doctor before stopping your medications or adding any herbal or supplement therapies. Adverse reactions can occur when using both Prozac and some natural treatments. A few supplements can also interact with contraceptive pills or other medications. Always check with your medical practitioner first.
The following are the most well-known and well-studied herbs, minerals, and enzymes that improve depression and anxiety:
- St. Johns Wort is helpful for depression, with at least 10 active constituents involved in that intervention, including hypericin and pseudohypericin. Its believed to work in part by increasing the activity of neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine. Studies have found that its as effective as antidepressants20 for mild to moderate depression, with fewer side effects.
- Kava is a heavily-studied herbal supplement for anxiety, as well as insomnia. Kava affects GABA-receptor-binding capacity and blocks norepinephrine uptake. Studies have found it to have effects equal to benzodiazepines21, but without side effects. Its important to understand that, like ibuprofen, liver damage can take place if its used excessively or improperly.
Lets Talk About The Health Benefits Of Spirulina
Spriulina is an edible form of blue-green algae. Another close relative of this is chlorophyll, but they are not the same. And in my opinion, spirulina is the way to go.
Spirulina has been shown in studies to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer properties.
Its a good source of plant protein, containing 4 grams of protein per tablespoon.
It also contains iodine, which is a trace element that the body needs, especially for thyroid hormone production. Note, that too much iodine in the diet may cause issues with overactive and underactive thyroid conditions, so its important to not take too much, since we generally get iodine from our foods in the US.
However, spirulina has been a wonderful addition to my mood-boosting green smoothie, and I honestly feel like my mind is much more clear and focused on the days I drink it, which is about three times per week.
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