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How to Overcome Depression: 4 Ways Cenegenics Can Help

May 30, 2019

If you change your thoughts you will change your life.

Norman Vincent Peale

As previously discussed, depression is an extremely complex mood disorder. Beyond typical feelings of sadness, these symptoms can last two weeks or longer, preventing the completion of regular activities.

Cenegenics believes optimizing wellness in a few key areas, including hormones, sleep, exercise, and nutrition, can lay the groundwork for a healthy mind. If you’re searching for an all-encompassing approach to fighting your depression, our clinicians can help in the following ways.

Exercise for Depression: Better than an Antidepressant?

mature man running outside as an effective exercise for depression

While we wouldn’t suggest that exercise alone could treat and prevent all forms of depression, in some cases, physical activity is as effective a form of treatment as antidepressants. [1] Although this may not hold true in cases of severe depression, research shows that exercise as a behavioral intervention alleviates symptoms. Research also suggests that a physician’s input is an important element in the exercise/depression relationship, and motivation, support, and follow-up contact are critical for helping patients maintain compliance.

Moreover, exercise frequency has been shown to be more important than intensity for treating depression. [2] Thus, finding a form of physical activity favored by the patient is key here, and should take priority over other factors such as calories burned, duration, or muscle mass gained.

Cenegenics physicians, alongside your Cenegenics Nutrition & Exercise Counselor, work closely with their patients through each step of their treatment to provide guidance, encouragement, and support. They recommend tailored regimens suited to each patient’s unique needs and preferences, with the understanding that the benefits of exercise hold something different for every individual. With a detail-oriented approach, they’ll develop a program that’s appropriately challenging but also enjoyable and engaging for you, thereby increasing the likelihood that you’ll actually want to stick with it for the long term.

Maintaining Mental Health with Optimal Nutrition

Happy couple eating healthy meal outside to maintain healthy metal health

As with exercise, it might seem shortsighted to assume that a good diet alone could alleviate depression. Yet, when all of these factors are combined to support better overall wellbeing, an enhancement in mood tends to naturally follow.

Moreover, researchers have long wondered which comes first, poor diet or depression? Indeed, the two often seem to be intertwined. While people with depression may be more inclined to eat poorly, a dietary pattern characterized by high consumption of unhealthy foods – including processed meat, refined grains, high-fat dairy, sweets, and low intake of fresh produce – is associated with an increased risk of depression. [3]

At the other end of the spectrum, healthy diets are also linked to a significantly lower risk of developing symptoms of depression. One could therefore argue that, while nutrition certainly isn’t the only factor to play a role in combatting depression, eating patterns do matter when it comes to maintaining mental health. And, there’s no better team to assist you in making healthy choices than the nutrition experts at Cenegenics.

Incorporating the following nutritional changes can be effective in combatting depression:

  • High Levels of vegetables
  • High fiber fruits
  • Healthy fats
  • Lean grass-fed protein options
  • Proper hydration

Our nutritionists don’t recommend impossible-to-follow, highly restrictive meal plans. Instead, we approach nutrition in the same way that we make exercise recommendations: to suit your needs and lifestyle. Our staff can help you lay the groundwork for healthy choices that are designed to be sustainable. We empower our patients to make nutrition a priority to promote longevity. Increased energy, improved mood, and weight regulation are major benefits of the Cenegenics program. The aesthetic changes are simply byproducts.

How Sleep Affects Your Mental State

Man sitting up in bed unable to fall asleep experiencing a sleep disorder that can lead to depression

Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder in the U.S., is associated with depression. While most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each evening, insomnia can impede your ability to do so, and potentially exacerbate depression symptoms. [4]

A study conducted by the University of Chicago Medical Center showed that five hours of sleep decreased male subjects’ testosterone levels by 10% to 15% in one week [5]. The men in the study reported that their mood and vigor levels decreased more every day as the sleep study progressed.

A testosterone deficiency can be associated with:

The good news is that Cenegenics is well-positioned to help you address any sleep-related challenges you may face. From issues like Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) to hormonal imbalances or even nutrition deficiencies, our team performs an extremely thorough assessment of health at the start of treatment to identify any underlying factors which could be contributing to sleep problems. Moreover, enhancing the quality and duration of sleep is one of the pillars on which our program is structured to help you lead a richer and healthier life.

Hormone Regulation – Finding Balance Physically and Emotionally

mature couple smiling while sitting outside overcoming depression

A final but important way in which Cenegenics can help you overcome depression is through hormone regulation. As mentioned above, hormone imbalances are one possible cause of depression. If it’s determined that hormone replacement therapy may be needed to help you feel better – both physically and emotionally – our physicians can recommend a treatment method to help.

In the majority of menopausal women who have received hormone replacement therapy, depression symptoms improved, along with sleep difficulties, anxiety, and overall quality of life. Depression is also linked to testosterone deficiency, and while testosterone replacement is often used to primarily treat physical symptoms, it has also been shown to improve in the domains of cognition and depression.

One area of treatment in which our physicians excel is hormone replacement therapy. We assess patient health as comprehensively as possible by taking into consideration key factors such as carbohydrate metabolism to observe the ways in which bioidentical hormones are impacting critical bodily functions. Moreover, each patient’s biomarkers are closely and continuously monitored.

Our physicians are proactive in measuring the impact of hormones on prostate, kidney, and liver health, as well as other biomarkers, and they are well-versed in their understanding of how hormones directly affect carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Additionally, because hormone replacement therapy is supported entirely in-house, you can trust in the accuracy and effectiveness of our treatments.

Not a Cookie Cutter Solution – In Conclusion

Treating depression is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. What works well for some patients won’t necessarily work for others, which is why it takes more than one single method to tackle this mental illness.

If you’re an adult who has struggled with depression and you’re seeking a different treatment method from anything you’ve tried before, allow Cenegenics to help. While you can certainly expect to feel better physically, it is the mental improvement that our patients often find most life-changing. Our supportive clinical teams are here to walk you through each step of treatment and lead you in your journey towards becoming a healthier version of yourself.

Next Steps in Discovering How to Overcome Depression with Cenegenics

Our world-class physicians create a personalized plan to help you feel 10+ years younger. You’ll be more energetic, lose weight, sleep better, have more libido, and think more clearly. Click below to schedule a free consultation with one of our physicians. It’s quick + easy.

Key Resources

This guide was produced with contributions from the following key resources:

The Textbook of Age Management Medicine V1 for nutrition, mastering healthy aging, exercise and hormone replacement therapy

The Cenegenics Education and Research Foundation  

The Textbook of Age Management Medicine Volume 1: Mastering Healthy Aging Nutrition, Exercise, and Hormone Replacement Therapy

Click to purchase

The Textbook of Age Management Medicine V2 for nutrition, mastering healthy aging, exercise and hormone replacement therapy

The Cenegenics Education and Research Foundation  

The Textbook of Age Management Medicine Volume 2: Mastering Healthy Aging Nutrition, Exercise, and Hormone Replacement Therapy

Click to purchase

Textbook Authors:

Jeffrey Park Leake, M.D., CPT

Dr. Jeffrey Park Leake is a Partner and Director of Education at Cenegenics Elite Health specializing in age management and wellness. Having trained hundreds of physicians worldwide, Dr. Leake is also the Director of Education for the Clinical Strategies for Healthy Aging course at AMM Educational Foundation.

Todd David Greenberg, M.D., CSCS

Dr. Todd Greenberg is a practicing physician with a broad range of expertise, including wellness, exercise, sports injuries, and MRI of sports injuries. He is a Radiology Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington.

Additional Resources

Causes and Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

Long-Term Effects of Anxiety on the Body

Overcoming Anxiety with the Help of Cenegenics

What are the Symptoms of Depression? Understanding Warning Signs

Why Am I Gaining Weight: Psychology of Weight Loss

Achieving Healthy Weight Loss: The Problem with Fad Diets

Psychology of Weight Loss: How to Lose Weight & Make Your Results Last

What Are Processed Foods & Why Are They Dangerous?

Why Can’t I Sleep? – Clinical Explanations & Tips on How to Fall Asleep

Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What is it?

References

[1] “Exercise is an all-natural treatment for depression.” Harvard Health Publishing. 30 Apr. 2018. Retrieved from URL: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-is-an-all-natural-treatment-to-fight-depression

[2] Craft, Lynette L, Ph.D. and Perna, Frank M. Ed.D., Ph.D. “The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed.” The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2004. Retrieved from URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC474733/

[3] Tello, Monique, MD, MPH. “Diet and Depression.” Harvard Health Publishing. 22 Feb. 2018. Retrieved from URL: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/diet-and-depression-2018022213309

[4] Effland, Lara Schuster, LCSW. “Depression and Sleep Problems: How to Improve Without Medication.” Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Retrieved from URL: https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/depression-and-sleep-problems-how-improve-without

[5] Leproult, R., & Van Cauter, E. (2011). Effect of 1 week of sleep restriction on testosterone levels in young healthy men. JAMA, 305(21), 2173–2174. doi:10.1001/jama.2011.710

Contributor: Rudy Inaba Vice President of Health Performance

Rudy Inaba is Cenegenics’ Vice President of Health Performance. He is a recognized fitness and sports nutrition consultant with nearly 15 years of experience in clinical exercise physiology and lifestyle management. After pursuing his Master of Science in Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Rudy joined Cenegenics where he leads 19 clinical locations nationwide in their advancements in kinesiology, nutritional biochemistry, and their analyses of industry research & market trending.

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