Re: Special diet for PMS/depression/mood swings (aswell as type A)

I am currently completing a book on elevating mood through diet.

The book will be available soon completely free on the internet.

Basically you're on the right track.

You do have to look closely at the ratio of protein and carbohydrates in your diet.

Your protein/carbohydrate ratio is crucial for the production of PGE1.

PGE1 is an eicosanoid that helps the release and uptake of serotonin in your brain and helps reduce inflammation and chronic pain.

Serotonin is known as the "feel good" hormone because it helps promote feelings of calmness, serenity and well being.

Fish and fish oil (especially pharmaceutical grade fish oil) also help increase the production of good eicosanoids like PGE1.

The other ways of ensuring you produce enough serotonin include eating a diet high in tryptophan.

Turkey breast and almonds are high in tryptophan. Chicken breast is also fairly high as is tofu.


Other measures that can help increase your body's serotonin production and release include exercise, relaxation exercises, emotional healing methods, advanced hygiene and good quality sleep combined with adequate sunshine or bright lights.


Many women take GLA supplements like evening primrose oil and borage oil to help with their PMS.

Although this can be helpful an excess of GLA will produce bad eicosanoids making your PMS symptoms a lot worse.

You should limit your intake of GLA to just one 500mg evening primrose oil capsule once a week or even just one a fortnight.

Even this may be too much for some women and they will find it safer to eat two bowls of slow cooked oats (steel cut oats or oat grouts) every week. Oats are high in GLA.

Typical symptoms of an excess of GLA (producing bad eicosanoids)include inflammation of the joints and feelings of mild depression.

Be careful with GLA supplements like evening primrose oil and borage oil!

Below is the basic mood elevating diet we are trialling with good success.


From the book
From Depression to Glorious health in Six Steps.
copyright 2003 Andrew Cavanagh, all rights reserved

THE FIVE STEP MOOD ELEVATING DIET

First look at your hand.

1. FIVE FINGERS - FIVE MEALS A DAY.

2. EAT PROTEIN (PREFERABLY FISH AND TURKEY BREAST) WITH EVERY MEAL AROUND THE SAME SIZE AND THICKNESS AS THE PALM OF YOUR HAND.

3. EAT FRUIT AND VEGETABLES FOR CARBOHYDRATES AROUND TWICE THE VOLUME OF THE PROTEIN YOU EAT (THE VOLUME OF YOUR CLENCHED FIST).

4. EAT ENOUGH ALMONDS TO COVER THE PALM OF YOUR HAND IN A SINGLE LAYER.

5. PILE ON LETTUCE AND LEAFY GREENS TO FILL YOU UP. NO LIMIT.



It’s vital for a healthy, mood elevating diet that you learn to control the ratio of protein to carbohydrate in your meals:

How do you know you ate the correct balance of protein to carbohydrate in a meal?

With the correct ratio of protein to carbohydrates you won’t feel hungry two to three hours after the meal.


How do you know you’ve eaten too many carbohydrates in any particular meal?

If you’re very hungry two to three hours after a meal and you find it difficult to focus mentally you’ve probably eaten too many carbohydrates in that meal.


How do you know if you haven’t eaten enough carbohydrates in a meal?

If you’re very hungry two to three hours after a meal and you can still concentrate well mentally you probably haven’t eaten enough carbohydrates in that meal.

You can adjust your protein/carbohydrate balance with your next meal and monitor your progress.




DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

Every day take:

Fish oil.

Fish oil helps in the production of good eicosanoids. Fish oil also helps to build brain tissue and can stimulate the growth of nerve cells.

If you take pharmaceutical grade fish oil (which is the safest and most effective) take 1-4 teaspoons (4-16 capsules) every day with food.

Even larger doses of pharmaceutical grade fish oil may be appropriate in particularly serious cases of Depression like bipolar Depression or cases combined with other health problems like multiple sclerosis, dementia or alzheimer’s disease.

If you take molecularly distilled or cholesterol free fish oil which is the next best form take 1 teaspoon (4 capsules) every day with food.

If you take health food grade fish oil you will have to limit your intake to 4x1000mg capsules every day with food.

Health food grade fish oil can be high in contaminants but should be safe and helpful at this level of intake.

Do not, under any circumstances, take any fish oil product that has been combined with evening primrose oil, borage oil or other types of GLA supplements.


Vitamin E

Take 1x500mg capsule of vitamin E with your fish oil.


Vitamin C

Take 4-6 daily doses of 250mg to 500mg (1/4 to ½ teaspoon) of vitamin C with bioflavinoids. Preferably powder in water.

Vitamin C only lasts in your body around 4 hours so it is more effective if you take frequent doses spread throughout the day.

Take larger and more frequent doses when you’re under unusual pressure or you have the early symptoms of a flu or virus.

At these times it’s best to titrate to bowel tolerance.

This means taking vitamin C often and in a high enough dose that your stools soften but not so much that you suffer from diarrhea.


B complex vitamins

Take one B complex vitamin tablet every day.


Multivitamin

Take one multivitamin tablet every day. This should include around 200mcg of chromium and no added iron.


Selenium

To ensure your intake of the trace mineral selenium is adequate eat 3 brazil nuts every day.

If you’re allergic to brazil nuts you’ll need to look for a multivitamin preparation that contains around 200mcg of selenium.


Evening Primrose Oil (GLA supplements)

If you do feel the need to take a GLA supplement you should be very cautious.

An excess of GLA (more than around 2mg a day) can spill over into the production of arachadonic acid producing bad eicosanoids.

For most people a maximum of 1x500mg capsule of evening primrose oil (40mg of GLA) a week is plenty. One capsule a fortnight may even be enough.

For many people even this is too much and the safest way of getting GLA is with 2 bowls of slow cooked oats (steel cut oats or oat grouts) every week.

Don’t take borage oil and be very cautious with evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil and other GLA supplements.



I hope all this is helpful.

The book will include far more information on exercise, relieving emotional distress, advanced hygiene and sleep and light threrapies.

If you would like to contact me I am always willing to answer questions and help people with their health.

My email address is andrewcavanagh1@bigpond.com.au

Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh
author One Hour to Glorious Health
free download no strings attached www.musclescience.com.au

www.musclescience.com.au

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