Foods That Help With Depression

Video Transcript

"I'm Dr. David Thomas, I'm a practicing psychotherapist with the Whitford Thomas Group in Tampa, Florida here to discuss foods that help with depression. When we talk about foods and depression, certainly what quickly comes to mind, my wife and I always kind of kid about comfort foods, for me that might be a plain fish fillet at McDonald's. For my wife it's a Taco Bell. But those are just foods for comfort, those really aren't foods that really help with the depression. When we talk about foods that help with depression, I like to view it a little bit more holistically instead of looking at any specific type of food that might help with depression, I do believe that how we feed ourselves, the nutrition that we, regime that we practice is extremely important in warding off all strong emotional states. They don't create or eliminate or minimize emotional states because thinking really drives depression and really if you want to change your state of depression, it's important to change your thinking. That's why we practice cognitive behavior, psychotherapy, which is really the therapy of choice in modern day psychology or psychotherapy in order to help people with depression and with or without medication. But foods that really help with depression would be hydration. It's important to hydrate the water to minimize caffeines, colas, carbonated drinks would certainly be important. But hydration because of what the hydration does is really allows the system to flush itself on a regular basis. Other foods that might be helpful with depression would be to minimize foods that really challenge the digestive system which certainly would be red meats. Other foods that are certainly very helpful in fighting off depression is high volume of vegetables and fruits, again because of the water solubleness of them again help to flush the system. Doesn't mean that on occasion some sweets, a piece of pie, a cookie and all that aren't helpful but those are for more comforting not for really treating depression. In conclusion, I'm not aware of any foods that actually treat depression, just foods that can be helpful in combating depression. Well hopefully this information I've provided you today regarding foods that help with depression has been helpful. From Tampa, Florida, I'm Dr. David Thomas."