Why so blue my friend?  One of the most frustrating things about not feeling well emotionally can be the answer to this question – “I don’t know!!” Sometimes it can seem like the answer is very straight forward and simple, like “I lost my job, I have no money, and now I’m depressed”. In the bigger picture, however, we go through ups and downs in our lives all the time. It can be emotional, financial and stress related. If life was always sunshine and lollipops, we wouldn’t have the chance to learn important life lessons, develop and grow. The dips are just a part of life. It’s all in how you react to the situation that can have a negative or positive affect on your health.When we feed and nourish our minds and bodies daily, we are better able to adapt and deal with stressful situations. When we are in a fragile state and our defences are down, we are much more susceptible to react to our environment and less likely to find solutions to our problems.

There are many root causes to feeling the blues. Being sad, or in a state of grief is not the same as true depression, which is a sign of unbalance in the body, mind and spirit. The feeling of depression is often described as a lingering dark cloud of negativity that affects almost every aspect of your life. 

Here are 3 possible root causes of depression:

  • Diet  A deficiency in a single nutrient, like vitamin D for an example, can have a major affect on the brain health and cause an imbalance.What we put into our body becomes who we are on a cellular level. Our brains and bodies are made of trillions of cells, all of which are either nourished and healthy or weak and deficient. 
  • Constant Negativity and Self Loathing  A negative thought pattern can have a huge affect on your health. Your thoughts become you. Negativity breeds more negativity and begins to attract more negative situations, events and people.
  • Unbalance in the Body  This can be an emotional trauma that is left untreated, an unbalanced thyroid or a compromised liver. Everything in the body works in synergy. When one organ is out of balance, the rest of the body suffers. 

There are many other causes, including lack of exercise, chemicals in your home, personal care and environment, allergies, sleep deprivation, and many others.  When we live or work in an unhealthy environment, it can manifest if the body as illness. When there is emotional stress, lack of support and negativity around us on a constant basis, it starts to wear us down and eventually leads to feeling of depression and illness. It’s important to look at the whole picture to try to figure out why you might be feeling blue. Luckily, there are ways to improve and start to feel like yourself again! 

Here are 3 things you can do RIGHT NOW to start to feel better:

1. Change your attitude. Yes, you may be suffering right now, but negativity only feeds that suffering. Positive thinking is the gateway to health and happiness. You deserve to feel amazing!!
2. Change your diet. Cut out the crap and start to incorporate more whole organic foods into your every meal. Sugar, dangerous trans fats, and over processed foods, like refined grains and sugar filled cereals, are among the worst offenders. They leave your body craving for more food because they lack nutrients, which is what your body actually craves.
3. Get outside!! Exercising is one of the best natural ways to start to feel better. You don’t have to go for a 5km run, just a brisk walk is a great start. The vitamin D that you get from the sun helps to elevate mood as well!

Here is a recipe from the Combating the Blues On-line Workshop for a cleansing, elevating and energizing smoothie!

Pineapple Dandelion Smoothie

Dandelion and Pineapple Smoothie
2 cups water
2 cups fresh pineapple, cubed
2 cups dandelion leaves, washed and chopped
1 banana
3 Tbsp hemp seeds
1 tsp E3live Brain On

How to make:
Combine all ingredients into a blender and buzz until smooth.
Makes enough for 1 person.

What do you do to keep yourself feeling joyful every day?