Depression is a common disease that affects women twice as much as men. There are two kinds: unipolar and bipolar. The following symptoms are associated with depression: tendency to withdraw, and or hide from society, declining interest in pleasure and hobbies, feelings of worthlessness, chronically sad and depressed, angry and irritable, or display no emotion at all, thoughts of death, etc.
Most of these symptoms have two things in common: coldness and weakness via diet, menstruation (blood loss) and climate.

The main trigger of depression is stress: physical, mental, social, etc. Most people handle everyday stress. Their bodies, minds adjust to the differing pressures. Is there anyone that is 100%, free from depression? No. Everyone gets depressed, to one degree

or another. It’s normal, as one’s energy alternates between high and low. It is in times of low energy (includes heat, light) that one tends to get depressed, some more than others. Most people get depressed more in the wintertime than any other time of year. In winter, the days are shorter, darker and colder.

Depression, like all emotions are a function of energy. Too little energy tends to depress, weaken, slow and weigh down the body mind, causing it to become physically and mentally depressed. It takes energy to overcome depression just as it takes energy to become confidant.

Energy (and health) is the key to overcoming depression. Unfortunately, most often, it is treated medically, chemically with

stimulants, amphetamines. Ritalin is an amphetamine that is commonly prescribed to speed, hook up children suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder. Chemical stimulants, drugs is one method, treatment to energize, heat, stimulate.

Depression, in traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is often referred to as a “cold” disease. Cold is a metaphor for weakness, low energy, which is why it tends to attack (1) women, (2) those eating a long term low protein, low fat (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, nuts and seeds) and high carbohydrate (pasta, bread, salads, raw vegetables, fruit, especially tropical, juices, etc.) diets and or (3) living in a cold climate.

The body has three major source of energy: sun, diet (building nutrients) and sexual essence.

The sun

not only energizes the earth, but also everyone on it. Human beings are charged, stimulated by the sun’s energy, heat, light, etc. There is less depression during the day, then at night, less during the spring and summer than fall and winter, less in Florida than in Seattle or the Pacific Northwest.

The environment is a major factor that can have a positive (hot) or negative (cold) effect on depression. It can not always be controlled, which is why the next factor is more important: diet.

The body digests, transforms food, nutrients into blood, into structure into function, into health or disease. There are only two kinds of nutrients, foods: building and cleansing. Building nutrients, foods (protein, fat, meat,

eggs, chicken, cheese, beans, etc.) build and fuel (in varying degrees) all structure and function. Cleansing nutrients, foods (water, sugar, minerals, fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. reduce, cleanse, cool and moisten.

The correct amount of building and cleansing foods, nutrients builds and maintains the correct amount of structure and function, where the body mind can thrive. any amounts, greater or less, in the extreme, weaken, sicken and pain via too much or too little blood, structure and function.

Too little building, protein and fat, in the extreme, tends to weaken, depress the body mind, especially in women, children and those living in a cold, damp climate. Women menstruate, lose blood, three to seven days every month from the first menses,

menarche up until menopause, 30+ years. Many women tend to eat low protein, low fat and high carbohydrate which is great for losing weight, excess energy, etc. but not for building blood, energy, etc. It is hard to be confident happy when you are physically weak, blood, protein and fat deficient. Women (menstruation) and children (underdeveloped) tend to be weak and cold, especially if they live in a cold climate and or eat a cold, damp (low protein, low fat and high carbohydrate) diet.

The following diet, meal plan (2-3 times per day, preferably breakfast and lunch) can be used to build, energize and heat.

1/3 Protein and Fat (red meat, eggs, chicken, turkey, beans, etc.)

1/3 Grain (rice,

barley, noodles, bread, etc.)

1/3 Vegetables, cooked (3-5), cabbage, kale, broccoli, onions, celery, hard squash, etc; fruit (1)

Spices (cardamon, cumin, coriander, fennel, turmeric, cayenne, ginger, etc.) are hot, stimulating

Tea, soup

Decrease milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, salads, raw vegetables, tropical fruits, juices and cold drinks

If depressed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol arteriosclerosis, cirrhosis, etc. then reduce protein and fat, especially animal. Depression can also be caused by trapped energy.

There are three neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin and nor-epinephrine) that affect the mind, mood. Serotonin eases tension, dopamine and norephidrine stimulate. Low levels of serotonin lead to depression, anxiety and sleep disorder. Serotonin is produced by the amino acid, tryptophan. Complex carbohydrates are high in tryptophan, increasing the

level of serotonin, relaxation, has calming affect High protein foods (animal) promote the production of dopamine and norephidrine, alertness.

Depression, like all emotions, is a function of energy. Those with energy tend to get depressed less than those without. Poor diet (low protein, low fat, high sugar, etc.) is one cause. Lack of exercise is another. Building foods, cooked foods (soups, stews, etc.) and spices increase heat, energy and movement.

It is only when people feel that they are stuck, trapped with a bad event, thought, relationship, etc. that they become depressed and or angry. It is only when they move or remove that blockage, thought, event that they feel better. Protein and fat, cooked foods, spices, exercise,

etc. move energy, substance, blockage as do alcohol, smoking, caffeine, etc. Most everyone takes some sort of “drug” to relieve depression. This is normal because most people are somewhat depressed, angry, sad, etc. We do not live in a perfect world, which is why so many people drink, smoke, get angry, etc. to move stuck energy and or substance. It is only when they eat well, exercise regularly that they reduce drinking, smoking, etc. as they are no longer that depressed that they have to hurt their bodies via excessive drug, alcohol use.

Unipolar depressive episodes occur several times throughout a person’s life. Bipolar starts out as depression but progresses into alternate periods of depression and mania, which is why

bipolar is called manic depressive.

Depression has many different symptoms, the majority of which indicate stagnation or deficiency of energy. The tendency to withdraw, and or hide from society, declining interest in pleasure and hobbies, feelings of worthlessness, chronically sad and depressed are all symptoms of deficiency, lack of energy.

For more information about diet, nutrition, health and disease, please read Hot and Cold Health

Author, Hot and Cold Health; Acupuncture Physician (FL 1992-2002); Owner, operator Food and Thought, health food store, Hollywood, FL (1984-2001); Questioned and counseled 30,000+; “What do you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?”

Web: http://www.hotandcoldhealth.net