Diet and Depression

Your mind is your most powerful tool, if you dwell upon anger and fear and sadness than that is what you will become.....think of it like this..you produce a bad thought..you become emotionally upset..this is really just a chemical reaction..but it has breaking down effects on the body mentally and physically... ..envision yourself in the future, picture greatness and prosperity...use your mind to your advantage

There are a long list of things that could be contributing to your state of mind but in this case, i don't think its djrectly caused by what you are eating.

You mentioned there has been a "lot of drama" in your life since you have posted?

When I read your original post I could for sure relate. I think i'm clinically depressed although I have never had it diagnosed. Eating healthy and working out should help your situation. I think it comes down to your mental well being.

Something that has helped me is listening to some self help audio's. My mind naturally seems to see the negatives a lot a.k.a seeing the glass half empty. However listening to some positive self help in the morning for like 15-20min really helps me get my mind more focused on positive. Its like having my own personal coach. I highly recommend it. Then throughout the day I will think about the message from earlier in the morning and how my day can relate to it.

If you're eating the SAME foods everyday, then it could be linked.

I had this problem. If you don't change your foods from time to time you can easily get depression and lack of motivation.

As far as I know, sustained hunger, deficiency of calories, carbohydrates, fats and certain vitamins and minerals can be somewhat linked to irritability, depressed mood or even depressive disorder. I think, however, that in this kind of situations such state of mood is more related to the tension generated by the obsession of "eating healthy" than to anything else (besides the more obvious tension generated by the repression of eating at their will, both in terms of quantity and quality). I mean, it's really hard on the mind to be obsessively thinking about "eating healthy", to be constantly thinking about:

1) the quantity of calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals you need;
2) the quality of such nutrients (complete/incomplete proteins; saturated/unsaturated - poliiunsaturated/monounsaturated - Omega 3/Omega 6/Omega 9 fats; simple/complex carbohydrates);
3) the ratios of such nutrients;
4) the amount of meals;
5) the timing of meals;
6) not eating unhealthy foods.

If we only consider your nutrition and don't consider any other parameter (lack of sleep, stress), I think you're either:

1) lacking food/calories/fats/vitamins/minerals;
2) overthinking your nutrition.

If it is the first one, I suggest that you add more food (especially containing fats, as I see them lacking in your diet); if it is the second one, I suggest that you flexibilise: I don't mean start eating unhealthily, I don't mean start eating at your will - I mean stop overthinking it because it only generates worries (and it's unnecessary, really).

It could also be that you are not feeling full after eating with the six meals a day thing (I personally find annoying not feeling full after eating - it may very well be your case). If it is, I suggest you decreasing the amount of meals while increasing the amount of calories per meal so as to allow an increase in the volume of food you'll be eating per sitting (and more fats, really).

Cortisol.