The Food-Mood Connection, Part 1: My Story

I was 25 years old and I felt tired, cranky, foggy and depressed. Every morning was a struggle, every afternoon was a blur, and every evening I crashed into bed totally depleted. I knew I wasn't supposed to feel this bad, and I couldn't go on this way.I grew up healthy, full of energy and had a positive outlook on life. Even with a family history of mental illness and depression I had managed to dodge the genetic-bullet and usually felt pretty sunny, even in the wet, grey wilds of Oregon, my home state. Or had I?Here I was, just starting my career path, and I was scared that the depression that had plagued and debilitated members of my family was finally showing up in me. So I went to a doctor. He wanted to put me on Prozac, saying "It could really help you feel better. You'll probably have to take it for the rest of your life."What? Was my body lacking a prescription drug? That didn't feel like the right path for me. I knew there had to be another option.I started listening to Gary Null's radio show on healthy living daily on my local radio station. I began to suspect that my diet had something to do with my mood and lack of energy. Oh, and the weight gain! I was up to 150 pounds, and I had never weighed more than 135! Something was afoot.I made an appointment with a more holistic doctor who used Kinesiology, muscle testing, and nutrition as part of his overall methodology. The first thing he asked about was my diet. No other doctor had EVER asked me what I ate in relation to how I was feeling. So, I was honest and told him what my diet was like at that time:Breakfast: cereal with milk, coffee with milk and sugarLunch: fast food, soda, french fries, Subway sandwiches, potato chips, fruitSnacks: candy, sodaDinner: pasta, pizza, take-out, soda, alcohol a few nights a weekThis wonderful doctor pointed out that I wasn't eating any fresh food, and that I was literally eating myself into depression, weight gain and fatigue.Oh. I knew he was right. I had always been a skinny kid and got away with grim dietary habits for a long time because I didn't put on weight easily. But now I was ready to do something about it.I had hit bottom, and I knew my food choices were killing me....*End Part 1