What Is Depression & Its Symptoms?
Dr. Sade:  Depression - a withholding of expressing the emotional self in a healthy manner. The mind is in conflict with itself.  It is a Whole body illness that affects the body, nervous system, moods, thoughts, and our behavior. It affects how we eat, sleep, the way we feel about ourselves, and how we react to and think about people and things around us.  We tend to withdraw and hide from the outside world.  We become inactive, and lose interest in things around us.

Dr. Yew:  Depression is a mood disorder that has you feel lowly or extremely sad for an abnormally extended period of time.  Depression is difficult to overcome and is characterized by low energy, lack of motivation for essential daily activities, loss of interest in things you usually love, poor self-esteem, and can even become as serious as suicidal thoughts or tendencies.  I would classify depression as a form of spiritual dis-ease which affects the mind and the body, but everything we take into our bodies also has an effect on our minds and spirits as well.  
 

What Causes Depression?

Dr. Sade:  It can be brought on by situations in our lives - conflict with ourselves or others, a loss in our lives, a job, a relationship, poor diet, medications, material things, or our enviroment.  Depression can be triggered at any moment in our lives.  By weather...the lack of sun (vitamin D) brings upon depression as well. 
 

Dr. Yew:  Most of us can feel when depression is caused by stress from unfavorable circumstances and tragic events in life, but what many people don't realize is that nutrition plays a huge and imperative role also.  Malnutrition is the main reason why depression is growing so rapidly in our communities today, as well as being the reason those who suffer from depression have a difficult time getting over it; the brain, (which sends the messages that control your body, your emotions and your moods), is not getting enough nutrients from the foods you consume that it needs to function properly, so you are lacking in energy and emotionally stagnant.  It's like a car that doesn't have the fuel it needs to move, so it shuts down.  Chemical imbalance, which also may stem from malnutrition, is another cause of depression.  Some people are born with a chemical imbalance, but the non-nutritional aspect can be also caused, contributed to, or worsened by alcohol and drug use (including cigarettes and prescription/pharmaceutical drugs).
 

What Can I Do To Help With Depression?  
 Dr. Sade:  I can only touch on the tip of the iceberg as far as depression goes, but I will give a few pointers and advice to help you through.
 
First, wear light colored clothes.  Death, illness, and negativity dwells with darkness.  Wear white, tan, light purple, sky blue, etc. Uplifting colors to uplift the mood and add light to the aura.
 
Take healing baths.  Lavender, eucalyptus, lemon balm, and sea salt are relaxing herbs and minerals to ease anxiety and insomnia that may be caused by depression.

Foods:  Stay away from all processed foods.  Fried foods, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, salt, or any foods that are of no nutrient value.  Eat an abundance of leafy green veggies, fruits, whole grains.  Vitamin B12 which helps with stress.  And of course, drink plenty of water to flush out toxins from the body.  Take Essential fatty acids and zinc.
 
Exercise:  It is a must, cold or hot.  We NEED the sun.  It uplifts the mood a great deal.  So get out of the house for a morning stroll.  Start with 20 minutes a day.  Yoga, martial arts, swimming, etc.  

And of course, begin your day with a prayer of affirmation.  For example: 
"I am life today.  I am full of life today.  I will continue to love myself and accept the gift of life mother/father God has given me.  I am life therefore I am."

Dr. Yew:  Before I start, let me point out that medications have no proven effect on eliminating depression.  Many of them interfere with nutrient levels, contribute to chemical imbalances in your body, or merely suppress your nervous system, which in turn, makes the condition worse and weakens your nerves, along with giving you correlated side effects such as drowsiness, incoherence, dependency and feeling like you're not in control of your own thoughts or normal emotions.  They become toxic to your spirit, mind, and body, and they are acid forming (destructive); they should be avoided; PLEASE DON'T LET THESE DOCTORS, PSYCHIATRISTS, OR WHOEVER ELSE FOOL YOU OR SCARE YOU INTO TAKING THEM. 

As with many ailments, this condition is exacerbated by acidic foods, so excessive acidic foods should be avoided.  Examples of acidic foods are meats, dairy products (milk, cheese, butter, whey, etc.), eggs, all bleached foods (white rice, white flour, white sugar, white bread, etc.), salt, alcohol, preservatives, artificial colors, canned foods, and artificial sweeteners (aspartame, NutraSweet, Sweet N Low, saccharin, etc.). 

Instead, you want to eat foods that are going to bring your body back to balance and provide the raw nutrition your brain and your body needs to function properly.  Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's), Magnesium, Calcium, B-Complex Vitamins (B2, B5, B6, B12, etc.), Antioxidants, Iron, and Digestive Enzymes are among the nutrients you need to help fight depression and to restore energy and vitality.  Raw nuts, raw seeds, seaweeds, mushrooms, avocados, red cabbage, green leafy vegetables, beans, whole grains and red/dark fruits (blueberries, red/black cherries, passionfruit, etc.) are among the best sources of these things we need.  As Dr. Sade pointed out, sunlight is a very important nutrient as well; it is the most balanced form of light and it is needed to form Vitamin D within our bodies which plays a vital role in calcium utilization, strengthening the immune system, and proper nervous system function.  The light we take in gets stored in our melanin as energy to use when we need it as well.  Here's some specific beneficial foods and supplements I would recommend:
 
Sundial Koromantee Bitters - This will cleanse the stomach, colon, and intestines to get rid of waste.  Accumulated waste will contribute to throwing the body off balance and limiting nutrient absorption.
 
Yew-360 Mind Over Matter - This blend provides essential nutrients to build the nervous system and promote circulation and proper functioning of the brain.   
 
Yew-360 Umi Kwa - This will help your body to adapt to stress better and acts as a tonic to the nerves.
 
Sundial Woodroot Tonic - This cleanses the blood, helping to balance the acidity.  It also builds blood cells and promotes good circulation to energize the body.
 
Camu Camu & Acai Berry Powder - This is an excellent super antioxidant supplement for the brain and nervous system.  Acai contains Essential Fatty Acids, B Vitamins, Vitamin E, Enzymes, and more.  It is also fused with Camu-Camu, which is the world's best natural source of Vitamin C, and also contains Bioflavonoids (which enhance Vitamin C absorption), B Vitamins & Trace Minerals. Camu-Camu has been used to give a boost against depressive disorders and help wean patients off of harmful psychotropic medications.
 
Chia Seeds - Some call chia seeds a super food.  It is one of the best sources of Omega 3 (an Essential Fatty Acid), and is also rich in natural Iron (which brings oxygen into the blood cells), Calcium, Magnesium, Antioxidants, and Fiber.  A great nutritious food that can be easily incorporated into your daily diet for breakfast, in smoothies, and even as an egg replacement in baking recipes.
 

Cacao (Raw Cocoa) or Pure Unprocessed Cocoa - Many people naturally crave chocolate or creamy (fatty) foods when they are in a depressed state.  That is just the body telling you what it needs nutritionally to overcome the issue at hand.  Cacao is very rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids and is a stimulant to the brain.  You can use pure cocoa balls to make hot cocoa in the mornings and sweeten with an unprocessed natural sweetener, or you can get the raw cacao nibs/powder to blend into drinks, sprinkle over foods, or eat as is.

A few other herbs that have shown to be useful are:  St. John's Wort, Holy Basil, Sceletium, Licorice Root, Gota Kola, Sarsaparilla Root, Ginseng, Alfalfa, Rooibos, and Yerba Mate.  These herbs either support the nerves, help to energize you, help you resist stress, or have good nutritional value.

In addition to the dietary and supplementary suggestions, you should avoid hanging around negative people and listening to angry or sad music.  These things will bring you negative vibrations and keep you wanting to be in a depressed state longer.  Remember that in order to get yourself out of a dis-eased state, the first step is wanting to and knowing that you can, so you have to take steps that are conducive to wanting to bring yourself back to a better state of being.  

Closing
Please remember that the mind, the body, and the spirit goes hand in hand, so whatever affects one part will have an effect on the other parts of the whole of your existence as well.  We hope you're able to benefit from this information, and we're available for private wellness consultations as well; if you need us, contact us and we'll give you the details on how to set one up and what it entails. 

Have Well Being Today and Forever.