depression Archives - Center for Holistic Medicine

The winter season is almost upon us, and although it may be a time of less sunlight, more sniffles and more morning stiffness, it can also be a wonderful time to experience the quiet serenity of nature and the joy of the first fall of snow.

Here are 10 tips from our practitioners on ways that you can stay healthy and happy all winter long.

3 Tips for Supporting Your Immune System
If there’s one thing we’ve all learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s that respiratory viruses such as colds, the flu and Covid-19, all spread more easily when we spend more time indoors. Here are three tips for keeping your immune system strong throughout the winter months.

Maintain Proper Levels of Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays a hugely important role in our immune system, and if you live here in the Midwest and spend a lot of time indoors, it’s likely that you’re not getting as much Vitamin D as you need. To get the proper amount, Dr. Kelsie Lazzell, DC, DN, a functional medicine practitioner at the Center for Holistic Medicine, says you would need to get 20 minutes of daily full-forearm sunlight exposure. When it’s too cold to spend 20 minutes outside, she suggests using a full-spectrum light box, such as a Happy Light, or taking a vitamin D3 supplement or a cod liver oil supplement. You can also get vitamin D through foods, such as sunlight-exposed mushrooms or cold-water fish, such as salmon.
Take A Vitamin C Supplement
Want to stay healthy all winter long? The best tip from Jennifer Eisenstein, a family nurse practitioner at the Center for Holistic Medicine, is something your mom probably told you, too: Get enough vitamin C. “I recommend at least one gram of vitamin C a day for adults and 500 mg a day for children,” she says.

Research has shown that taking vitamin C can reduce the length and severity of the common cold. That’s because when your body is fighting inflammation or an infection, your immune cells pump more vitamin C to help the cells fight off the infection. You can get vitamin C in foods, such as oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes and more, or take a vitamin C supplement, such as Ester C, or a whole foods vitamin C product that has acerola cherries in it.
Get Enough Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Patricia DeAngelis, a functional medicine nurse practitioner at the Center for Holistic Medicine, says another way to keep viruses at bay is to get enough omega-3 fatty acids, which serve to decrease inflammation, boost your immune system, and can even have a positive effect on depression and mood. One way to do that is to take a fish oil supplement, which is a good source of two types of omega-3 fatty acids. You can get a third type of omega-3 fatty acids in nuts and seeds.

3 Tips for Avoiding Joint and Back Pain
As the weather gets colder, our bodies can often feel achier and stiffer than they do during the summer months. And of course, winter also means more chances of slipping on ice or injuring ourselves shoveling snow, which can lead to even more aches and pains. Here are two tips for keeping our joints and muscles in good shape this winter.

Stretch
“Stretch, especially before going outside or exercising, to loosen stiff joints. This reduces stiffness and prevents joint injuries and will help keep you limber and active,” says Dr. Cheryl Schwartz, DO, a primary care an internal medicine physician at the Center for Holistic Medicine. “Even a short stretch in the morning or before bed can help you reduce chronic pain symptoms in winter months.”

Schwartz suggests trying yoga, pilates, Tai Chi, or QiGong, or just doing some simple stretches on your own at home. “And don’t forget your neck,” Dr. Schwartz says. “We spend so many hours on our computers, phone, and tablets, that our necks suffer.”

Dr. Schwartz says you can do the following neck stretch twice a day, or whenever your neck feels tight. (Note: No part of these stretches should be painful. If you experience pain while stretching, back off a bit. If that does not help, see your doctor).

— Sit straight but comfortably in a chair. Make sure your chin is parallel with the ground. Turn your head to the right. Hold for one deep breath in and out. Turn your head back to center position and hold for one deep breath. Now turn your head to the left and hold for one deep breath. Again, turn your head to center and hold for one deep breath.
–Tip your head to the right (as if touching your right ear to your right shoulder, but do not lift your shoulder). Hold for one deep breath. Tip your head back to center and hold for one deep breath. Tip your head to the left and hold for one deep breath. Tip your head back to center and hold for one deep breath. Tip your head forward (bring your chin towards your chest). You should feel a nice stretch in your lower neck/upper back. Hold for one deep breath.
— Bring your head back up to center and hold for one deep breath.
Wear Smartwool Clothing to Keep Your Muscles Warm
When we feel cold, we tend to tense up our muscles more, causing reduced mobility and flexibility in our joints. To keep your muscles warm and limber, Dr. Jerry Gore, MD, clinical director at at the Center for Holistic Medicine, has a cozy solution. “I have recommended to several people that feel cold in the winter that they should shop for Smartwool products that they can wear as base layers next to the skin instead of cotton. What a difference! The clothing is expensive but worth the investment in my opinion because they really work,” he says.

3. Wear Layers of Clothing Instead of Bulky Clothing
Most people assume that putting on a big bulky winter coat is the best way to keep your muscles warm in the winter. But Mary Ellen Boyte, DN, a naprapathic practitioner at the Center for Holistic Medicine, says it’s better to dress in layers instead. “Layers of clothing act as an insulator, and the air between the layers are insulation as well,” Boyte explains. “However, avoid wearing cotton next to the skin. Cotton is not a choice because it holds water, so when you perspire, that will make you feel cold.”

Learn How to Shovel Snow Correctly
Dr. Mitchell Katz, DC, a chiropractor at the Center for Holistic Medicine, says he always sees more patients every winter when people hurt their lower backs by shoveling snow improperly. To avoid straining your back or herniating a disc, Dr. Katz says you should follow these simple rules when shoveling snow.

— Lighten the load. Don’t lift more snow than you can handle. This might mean using a smaller shovel.
— Push rather than lift. You can simply push the snow up against the side of your driveway.
— Allow for rest time. Unless your muscles are well conditioned for this type of work, they will fatigue rather quickly.
— Wear an elastic back support, which will provide extra support.
— Use a shovel with a curved handle to allow for better posture.
— Incorporate the hip hinge when lifting any loads, especially when heavy, wet snow is involved. The hip hinge lets you keep the curve in your lower back and incorporates the hip (buttocks) into the lift to give you more power and cause less stress on the intervertebral discs and spinal ligaments.

3 Tips for Maintaining Good Mental Health
It’s no secret that darker, shorter days can cause some people to feel more depressed. Here are a few tips to help you stay positive and happy throughout the winter months.

Do Something Kind for Someone Else
Dr. Gore says one way to avoid depression this winter is to give back to others. “Lend a helping hand, call someone you love, start a good habit, and begin the practice of living with a little bit of joy,” he says.
Practice Self-Love
Soula Souflakis, LCPC, a therapist at the Center for Holistic Medicine, says although it may be tough to find ways to alleviate your depression, she says one of the most effective strategies is to make yourself a priority and practice self-love. “Self-love and prioritizing oneself can be expressed in different ways,” Souflakis says. “For example, every morning upon waking, look in the mirror and tell your reflection ‘I love you.’ Exercise regularly. Release your endorphins and take care of and respect your body. Eat a balanced diet. And every night before bed, look back at the reflection in the mirror and tell it one thing that you did that you are proud of.”
Do Things That Make You Happy
Carol Gore, LCSW, a therapist at the Center for Holistic Medicine, says it’s important to take time for the things that bring you joy. “The antidote and the healing to the cold and darkness of winter is to actively and consciously bringing in warmth and light into one’s life in very practical and manageable ways on a daily basis by doing things that uplift the heart and enliven the spirit,” she says. “Examples might be calling a relative you love, meeting a friend for lunch, writing a daily gratitude list, cuddling in bed with a wonderful book or taking a hot bubble bath. The creative possibilities are endless!”

There is a reason there are so many ads for drugs like Zoloft, Paxil, Wellbutrin and others. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in eight Americans were taking antidepressants in 2014, or about 12.7 percent of the population — a 65 percent increase since 1999.

Unfortunately, sometimes people experience side effects, such as weight gain, lower sex drive, tiredness, nausea, trouble sleeping, dry mouth and more. That’s why some people are interested in finding natural ways to alleviate feelings of depression instead.

Seeing a therapist is usually the first step in relieving depression, and in fact, studies have shown that cognitive behavior therapy can be as effective as medication in many cases.

However, if you’re already seeing a therapist and you’re looking for more ways to feel better, here are five things you can try.

Eat a Healthy Diet
Studies have shown that diets high in sugar, fat and processed foods are linked to higher instances of depression, while diets consisting of lean meats, fish, whole grains, nuts and veggies can improve our moods. That’s because many of our neurotransmitters are produced in our gut, and when your gut flora is out of balance — by taking too many antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, or other medications — our guts can’t make the needed neurotransmitters, leaving us feeling depressed.

One of the most important things you can do to avoid depression Tanya Tanzillo, DNP, a functional medicine practitioner at the Center for Holistic Medicine, recommends avoiding sugar, which can cause blood sugar spikes and affect your mood. Also, because vitamin B and vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to depression, she recommends eating lean protein like chicken and fish, as well as lentils, almonds and spinach, which are all high in vitamin B, and spending time in the sun or taking a vitamin D supplement to boost your vitamin D levels.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
According to the National Sleep Foundation, people who suffer from insomnia are 10 times more likely to develop depression than those who don’t. That’s why getting a good night’s sleep is so important. Dr. Cheryl Schwartz, DO, at the Center for Holistic Medicine, says there are lots of things you can do to improve your sleep habits such as setting a regular bedtime and wake-up time, developing a consistent bedtime routine, removing all electronic devices from the bedroom, and taking a small amount of melatonin if necessary.
Try Homeopathic Remedies
Dr. Jerry Gore, MD, the clinical director at the Center for Holistic Medicine, says there are several homeopathic remedies that are especially good for treating depression. And, unlike antidepressants or other medications, side effects from homeopathic remedies are usually minimal. For example, if you are feeling stuck in your life and having trouble making positive changes, he may recommend walnut flower essences, which are a type of energy medicine made by letting sun-soaked flowers float in water to extract its energy. Or, if you are suffering from feelings of grief and loss, due to a change in a relationship or loss of a job or loss of a loved one, Gore may recommend using ignatia, which is made from the seeds of the Ignatia amara plant. However, because everyone’s needs are different, Gore says it’s important that you make an appointment with a practitioner to find out your correct dosage before using any flower essences.
Address Your Physical Pain
A 2008 study published in the journal Depression and Anxiety said that patients who complained of muscle pain, headache or stomach pain were 2.5 to 10 times more likely to screen positively for generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder or major depression disorder. Sometimes, anxiety and depression lead to physical pain, because stress causes our muscles to tense up, which can lead to pain in the neck, back and shoulders. Other times, persistent physical pain may actually cause depression, as people become hopeless that they’ll never be able to resume their old activities.

Either way, seeking help for your physical pain can often make you feel more hopeful. “If somebody has musculoskeletal pain, that can lead to depression or certainly sad thoughts and frustrations. So alleviating the pain could certainly lead to a better frame of mind,” says Dr. Mitchell Katz, a chiropractor at the Center for Holistic Medicine.

Dr. Richard Bisceglie agrees. He practices naprapathy at the Center for Holistic Medicine, which is a technique for relieving compression on the joints by manually manipulating the soft tissue that surrounds them. “By relieving compression in the spine and addressing the muscle tension that is usually associated with pain, mood and anxiety can lighten. Using gentle manual techniques — such as specific naprapathic connective tissue release, LASER/Infrared, vibration and light muscle modalities — can all help achieve this,” he says.
Start Exercising
Depression can often leave people to feel sluggish and unmotivated, but if you can talk yourself into getting off the couch and move your body, you’ll most certainly feel better. Studies have shown that exercising a few times a week can ease the effects of depression. That’s because exercise boosts your endorphins, which reduces stress, and can improve your sleep, which has an affect on your mood as well. Plus, by committing to a regular exercise routine, you can improve your self-esteem, too.

When you’re feeling depressed and anxious, seeking support from a therapist is always a good idea. But sometimes, there may be physical reasons that you’re feeling depressed and anxious, too. Turns out that our modern lifestyle – stress, an overload of medications, and unhealthy diets – affects the health of our gut, which can have a big impact on our moods.

“The gut is sometimes considered the second brain,” says Katie Bogaard, a naturopathic practitioner at the Center for Holistic Medicine. “In fact, more serotonin is produced in your gut than in your brain.”

According on a 2015 article in the New York Times, micro-organisms in your gut secrete chemicals – such as dopamine, serotonin, and gamma aminobutyric acid (GAMA) – which are used in our brains to regulate our mood.

However, in order for your gut to produce the right neurotransmitters to keep anxiety and depression at bay, your gut has to have the right level of gut flora. When this gut flora is out of balance – by taking too many antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, or other medications – our guts can’t make the needed neurotransmitters, leaving us feeling depressed.

Stress can also contribute to leaky gut syndrome, also known as intestinal permeability, which is when toxins from your gut escape through tiny holes in your intestinal walls and get into your blood stream. Studies have shown that your body’s immune system response to those toxins can also cause depression.

“Our modern lifestyle — stress, the standard American diet, and antimicrobial and antibiotic use — can make us all at risk for intestinal permeability,” Bogaard says. “And once someone has intestinal permeability, it sets them up to be susceptible to a slew of different issues, including depression and anxiety.”

Of course, your diet plays a big part in affecting your mood as well.

“When you’re depressed and not feeling well, people will reach for comfort foods like carbohydrates and simple sugars that generate serotonin when serotonin is low in your brain,” Bogaard explains.

Unfortunately, while eating those comfort foods do make us feel momentarily better, they actually cause more harm than good. As soon as the sugar high is gone, we feel depressed again.

Why? Because in addition to causing our blood sugar to spike and then crash, sugars and refined carbohydrates use up B vitamins to create energy – the same B vitamins we need to sustain good moods.

In fact, studies have shown that diets high in sugar, fat and processed foods are linked to higher instances of depression, while diets consisting of lean meats, fish, whole grains, nuts and veggies can improve our moods.

So what are some ways that you can change your diet to avoid feelings of depression? Here are a few suggestions (and make sure to consult your doctor before getting off of any anti-depressants):

Avoid Sugar
As mentioned above, sugar can wreak havoc on our moods by taking us on and endless cycle of ups and downs throughout the day. Avoid refined sugar and opt instead for whole fruits, which provide fiber that can help delay blood sugar spikes.
Avoid Caffeine
Did you know that caffeine has a direct impact on our neurotransmitters? It increases dopamine and acetylcholine, making us feel more alert and motivated. But it also decreases GABA, which is designed to calm our thoughts when they’re racing out of control. So with less GABA, we’re likely to feel more anxious. Plus, if you’re someone who likes to put sugar in your coffee, you’re facing even more crash-and-burn feelings.
Eat Protein at Every Meal
Bogaard says combining protein with whole grains at each meal is a great way of keeping your blood sugar more stable throughout the day and avoid the mood roller coaster.
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
“People who don’t start their day well balanced will be craving sugar all day,” Bogaard says. Ditch the Danish or cereal for an omelet with veggies to feel full and balanced throughout the morning.
Get Lots of Vitamin B and D
Both vitamin B and vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to depression, so it’s important to get enough of both of them in your diet. Make sure to fill up on lean proteins like chicken and fish, as well as lentils, almonds and spinach to get enough vitamin B, and spend time in the sun to soak up more vitamin D.
Take a Supplement
Bogaard recommends taking either tryptophan or 5HTP, both of which can boost your serotonin levels, or taking a combination supplement such as Cerenity for anxiety or Cerevive for depression, both of which contain several different nutrients that support the production of neurotransmitters in your brain. However, if you’re already on an antidepressant, be sure to consult your doctor before taking any additional supplements.

Tag: depression

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How Your Gut Can Affect Your Mood