What is Depression, Symptoms, Know all.

 

We hear the term depression more commonly in recent days, especially during the pandemic. It is a mental disorder that happens when a person suppresses their thoughts and emotions. For instance, not venting out your emotions when it's needed the most. It is also, thankfully, treatable. Depression produces unhappiness and/or a loss of interest in previously appreciated activities. It can cause a slew of mental and physical issues, as well as a reduction in your capacity to operate at work and at home.

WHO states that 5.0% of adults suffer from depression and it’s one of the prominent reasons contributing to the overall burden of the disease. Depression is different from mood swings. Dive into this article to know A to Z about depression.

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

Depression is a major “depressive disorder”. It makes you feel sad, emotionally weak or you may lack interest consistently in almost everything around you.

Depression negatively affects your thought process, feelings, and actions and you may feel lonely. You may feel low most of the time, you may not be able to enjoy a situation that you have enjoyed in the past. For example, a hang out with friends / a weekend party.

There are many types of depression, out of which the most common are major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder.

WHY DEPRESSION IS MORE COMMON IN WOMEN?

Depression is common among women due to environmental/lifestyle-related factors. Apart from this women are more sensitive to opinions than men, so the way of socialization has an impact too.

Studies show that women depression is more prevalent among women due to bodily factors like:

(1)Postpartum

(2)Menopause

(3)Hormonal changes

Societal pressure is also an important reason for depression in women if a woman stays to be a homemaker she gets devalued by society whereas a woman who goes to work might face physical or emotional, or sexual attacks by a co-worker.

SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION

You can easily identify depression by observing these symptoms

1. Feeling sad/hopeless all the times

2. High level of frustration even for small issues

3. Lack of concentration in work

4. Sleep-deprived / affected by Insomnia

5. Unable to think clearly

6. Lack of interest in almost all day to day activities

7. Suicidal thoughts/ suicide attempts

8. Loss of appetite

9. Guilt

RISK FACTORS OF DEPRESSION

Depression happens due to various reasons like:

(i)Financial instability / Bankruptcy

(ii)Stressful life with no work-life balance

(iii) Divorce

(iv)Death of a beloved

(v)Prolonged / fatal illness

Though there are a lot of risk factors that can contribute to depression as mentioned above, below is the list of the major factors that prominently causes depression,

1. Hereditary reasons: You may get affected by depression if there is a history of depression in your family.

2. The difference in opinion: Personal turmoil within the close circle might lead to depression.

3. Abuse: Emotional/sexual abuse in the past /present may cause depression.

TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION

Though you can identify depression with these symptoms by yourself, it’s advisable to consult a registered medical practitioner. Preferably a psychologist, who can help you get rid of depression with medications or therapies considering your physical and emotional state.

Generally, doctors prescribe antidepressants to treat depression however depending upon the criticality of depression the treatment differs.

Cognitive behavior therapy(CBT) is the best kind of psychotherapy to treat depression.

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN AYURVEDA AND DEPRESSION

Ayurveda states that 3 kinds of doshas in a person’s body

1. Vata

2. Pita

3. Kapa

If there is an imbalance in these doshas leads to illness and depression.

Ayurveda strongly believes that physical and emotional wellness supports and complements one another and so, to have a healthy mind one should have a healthy body.

Ayurveda provides safe and holistic remedies via herbal supplements, lifestyle, and diet to combat depression and stress. Ayurveda helps us get rid of depression with little or no side effects. Ayurveda provides a long-term solution to depression.

CONCLUSION

It’s always better to get depression diagnosed and treated at an earlier stage so that it will not leave a mark on your life. Hope this article served as an eye-opener to you about depression. Keep the mantra simple, have a healthy and balanced diet. Try to spend quality time with friends and family, and know what’s happening in your kids’ life. Also, hear the kids out every now and then, and have a workout routine. Remember that tough times are like passing clouds, don’t stress upon yourself a lot. Consult a psychologist in case you need and regular counseling could help you avoid depression.

Visit https://www.cureya.in/ , https://www.cureya.in/shop/

Writer - Janani Chandrasekhar

Picture credit Freepik

Understanding Skincare

Beautiful skin isn't just about DNA- your daily habits have a big impact on what you see in the mirror. Yet there are a bewildering number of viewpoints on everything. Topics range from learning the right way to moisturize to mastering how to protect yourself from UV radiation. Different factors also govern skincare viewpoints, such as product reviews, doctor consultations and trends.

Skincare tips before you start

All skin is different and every skin has its type but what is common is the skincare routine. There are four important steps in every skin care regime, that you should adhere to every day :

1. Cleanser - Washing your face

2. Toning - Balancing the skin

3. Moisturizer- hydrating your face

4. Sunscreen - protecting your face

The intention of any skin-care routine is to even out skin complexion (so it looks its best), regulate moisture (so cells turnover faster) and address specific skin care concerns. These concerns can be acne control, wrinkle prevention or even blackheads.

How does food impact your skin?

Most of us know that unhealthy eating is harmful to our skin, but did you know that your diet plays a role in combating the effects of sun damage (ultraviolet rays) on your skin. Exposure to UV light promotes the formation of free radicals, which can damage elastin, collagen, and other ingredients that give the skin its structure and firmness. Over time, this can lead to more pronounced fine lines and wrinkles! The right diet can prevent this!

Many of us are conscious about our food only when it comes to maintaining our jawline, waistline, and appearance, but what we forget is that food plays a very vital role when it comes to our skin. If you do not give your skin the right food, then it can have an adverse effect on your skin. Give your skin the food it needs, make sure your diet balanced and well rounded with healthy food that is rich in antioxidants.

Different skin type

There are four kinds of skin types which are oily, dry, combined, and normal. Your skin type can change depending on your age and life stage; most of us are born with normal skin, but as we grow older and approach puberty, our genes, hormones, and environmental influences can cause skin types to shift. Identifying your skin type is essential in choosing the right products for you.

Normal Skin

Normal skin type appears to be even and has no discoloration. Skin is smooth and soft and when touched it is neither tight nor greasy. Normal skin holds good elasticity and is hydrating with the least or small visible pores.

Dry Skin

Dry skin is characterized by poor epidermal function and is likely to damage the epidermis, the skin's outer protective layer. Some people have dry skin that can be hereditary or due to improper skincare habits, but for others, there is no obvious reason.
Following are the characteristic of the dry skin type:

1. Skin feels tight and dehydrated 

2. Visible pores

3. Fine lines are visible

4. If not hydrated then feels itchiness

5. Difficult to apply to make up 

6. Peeling of the skin, dry skin is flaky. 

For dry skin, it is very important to take extra precautions and care. In case of lack of attention with such type may lead to further damage of the skin.

Oily Skin

Overproduction of sebum, an oily material that our skin requires to operate correctly, causes oily skin. Too much sebum can lead to acne, while too little can lead to dry, cracked skin.

Characteristics of oily skin:

1. Enlarged and long visible pores

2. Breakouts

3. Difficult to hold makeup 

4. Looks shiny and has less visible wrinkles 

Combination Skin

People frequently hear about mixed skin but are unsure what it is. When we talk about combination skin, we're referring to the fact that we have at least two different types of facial skin and may need to change our skincare routine to cater to the different types.

Combination skin can be either one of the below types:

1. Around the T-Zone area of the face, either oily or normal skin. The nose, forehead, and chin are all included.

2. Around the U-ZONE, which includes the cheeks, mouth, and eyes, the skin might be dry or normal.

The connection between yoga and healthy skin

Like your body, your skin, and especially your face, is a victim of a stressful lifestyle. If you are not eating properly, or if you are stressed, anticipate hormonal fluctuations that may appear in the form of acne and other skin problems.

However, the science of yoga, which is based on the wisdom of ancient India, can provide some relief. Those who practice yoga regularly are very vocal about the enormous impact that yoga has on both the body and mind. Weight loss and healthy skin are some of the visible benefits of yoga.

While yoga improves overall health, certain asanas are especially beneficial for your skin. Doing it regularly will help get rid of toxins and restore your skin to its healthiest condition. Following are some asanas that help in skincare:

1. Shirshasana - It's the king of all asanas, it provides a maximum benefit out of all asanas. It helps in increasing the blood circulation of the face, enhancing your mood and getting rids of toxins 

2. Shishuasana - The downward-facing Shishuasana, also known as the child posture, improves facial circulation, lowers tension, and improves the general health of your skin.

3. Matsyasana - The fish position, or Matsyasana, is recognized for balancing hormones and relaxing muscles. When done regularly, this can help your skin retain its flexibility as you become older.

It's not just the poses that help. A yoga breathing technique known as pranayama (Citali and Sitkari) has a cooling effect on the body and helps reduce acne. It is also believed that techniques such as Jalneti and Shankh Prakshalan play a role in helping the body detoxify and ultimately achieve healthy skin.

Final thoughts

At the the end of the day, skincare is a matter of personal preference. You do what works for you! It is however important to understand your skin and the different factors that affect skin care!

Visit Cureya's Website to know more. Free consultation services with top medical and health professionals. Check out www.cureya.in and www.cureya.in/shop

Credit Author : Rounak Sharma

All photos credited and designed by Freepik.

GOOD FOOD, GOOD MOOD!

Food is the essence of life. Having good nutrition can help you to deal with stress and mood disorders quite effectively. The fact that good food (nutrition) is directly proportional to good mood is not a mere statement but a well-proven certitude. Researchers recommend “fixing the food before anything else”, when dealing with anxiety or feeling low; as there’s always a connection between our gut and our brain. 

CONNECTION BETWEEN FOOD AND MENTAL HEALTH:

Generally, we associate eating habits with our physical health rather than our mental health. Hypoglycemia, commonly known as “low-blood sugar”, is often the cause of our anxiety or and confusion.  We do not relate these emotional changes with food, however it is in fact strongly related.

    Suppose you’ve not had your food for a long duration of time due to work pressure and when you have a break you go have some junk/unhealthy food. This can cause disruption in the balance between the good and bad bacteria in your gut, and cause gradual mood disorders. Now you'd blame your bad mood or irritation on your job or work, while the main reason is your afternoon lunch, not anything else. A poor diet can worsen such symptoms of mood disorders, leading to depression.

You, may have also noticed that what or how much you eat, depends on your mood. Some foods can uplift your mood and concentration, while others might have the opposite effect for the same food.

SEROTONIN-THE MOOD REGULATOR:

Serotonin is the hormone that stabilizes our mood, feelings and happiness, which in turn affects the entire body. The anti-depressants we take, work by controlling this hormone/neurotransmitter. Serotonin helps in sleep regulation, helping to cause ‘quality sleep’. Our body converts serotonin to melatonin while going to sleep and hence having enough serotonin in the brain is necessary to fall asleep.

Now, how is the secretion of serotonin related to the food we eat? 90% of the serotonin in our body is produced in the gut and thus the health of the gut and balance of bacteria within our gut, impacts our resilience towards stress and anxiety. When stressed, the body’s ANS (Autonomic Nervous System), which controls the involuntary organs in our body like the heart, lungs, stomach, etc. behaves abnormally and we tend to feel disgust, irritation, anger and various such emotions. Serotonin helps regulate these ANS functions and cause us to remain stress free. So, “When our stomachs are happy, so are we”.

HOW IMPORTANT IS A HEALTHY DIET FOR MENTAL DISORDERS? :

A study conducted in the year 2019 examining the diets of older adults, found a direct relationship between anxiety and high-carb diet. While a similar study conducted in the year 2017 found that, for treatment of depression more often than not, dietary counselling was far more effective.

Researchers say that, besides our brain affecting how our stomach feels, the stomach health too in turn affects the functions of the brain. It can cause a sense of calmness as well as cause alarm, sending suitable nervous signals up towards the brain. So, while uncovering all these relationships between gut health and mood disorders a new field of science, known as nutritional psychology came into existence.

According to this study, it’s found that having healthy foods can make us feel better and stress-free and hence more concentrated in our day-to-day activities. Certain foods contain Vit. B12, tryptophan etc. which increase synthesis of serotonin. These foods are called brain foods and examples of such are: -

• Pineapples

• Salmon Fish

• Cheese

• Soy, nuts, seeds

• Kiwis

• Tomatoes

• Bananas

• Whole Grains

• Poultry

There are certain categories of food items which you should avoid at all circumstances to improve your gut health and they are the quite obvious ones and are as follows,

• Processed foods/Junk Foods- The foods that contain preservatives and such chemicals can tamper with your gut health to a really larger extent.

• Inflammatory foods- Certain high-sodium foods are more likely to cause an inflammatory response in your system, and if you have any underlying food sensitivities (foods which might cause allergic reactions), such foods are supposed to be avoided.

One thing to remember however is "Don’t be too strict". : Most importantly don’t be too harsh on yourself regarding your food choices. It’s not necessary to eat right all the time. Your day should be 75 percent right choices regarding food while the remaining 25 percent should be the choices which your stomach or brain craves for, as nothing can pacify your stressful mind more than food!

Eating well helps you feel more energetic and hence cleanses your head of all negativity. With increased serotonin secretion, you’ll sleep better and these several scientific, and emotional factors that connect nutrition and brain health if followed will give you more energy to do and achieve your dreams. So, happy eating!

Visit Cureya's Website to know more. Free consultation services with top medical and health professionals. 

Check out www.cureya.in and www.cureya.in/shop

Credit Author Ranit Laha

All photos credited and designed by Unsplash

Stop Binge Eating!

One of the essential activities that we do to survive is eat. With the evolution of civilization, technology, and many things around us- we also have binge eating evolved from normal eating. Hop in to know about binge eating, its ill effects, and ways to avoid it.

Binge eating is the intake of a large amount of food in a short span of time. Overeating even if you are not hungry. All around social media, we could see colorful cakes, spicy pasta, cheese pizzas, and a variety of food from around the world. Wanting to have a taste, we end up trying them out and end up getting addicted to them over a period of time. Many people also binge eat to cool down negative emotions, like anger, pain, etc. However it is to note that in the long run, binge eating, may end up as a disorder.

Do you Wolf food down? , long term binge eating is injurious to health and might have these ill effects on your body,

(i) Diabetes

Binge eating disorder (BDE) is more likely to cause type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). T2DM can result in adverse effects like high body mass index (BMI) and a few other depressive symptoms. Continued binge eating makes it hard to blood sugar levels and T2DM might become a lifelong disease.

(ii) Obesity

By eating a lot of food in a relatively short span of time you tend to gain more weight. Especially when your intake includes a lot of fat and sugar more physical activity is required to burn it. If you don't work out regularly to burn those calories down, the surplus energy tends to get stored in your body as fat. Being obese increases the chances for

(a) Heart disease

(b) Type 2 diabetes

(c) High blood pressure

(iii) Damage to skin and hair

As a part of binge eating, you are naturally attracted to colorful, non-nutrient, oily, and spicy junk foods more than healthy food. This results in glow-less, dry, damaged, and acne-prone skin and also leaves your hair lifeless and brittle.

(iv)Gastrointestinal damage

With binge eating comes many kinds of gastrointestinal problems like

(a) Bloating

(b) Cramping

(c)Diarrhea

(d) Pain in the abdomen

(e) Nausea

In addition to these, excessive calories, sugar, fat, and carbs lead to constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.

(v)Depression

You might feel bad, guilty, stressed after a binge episode thinking about weight again. Sometimes you may be depressed/ashamed about eating a lot of food. The ugly truth is, you can get rid of the physical effects of binge eating soon than the emotional damage. Mental distress may take a very long time to heal.

Alternatives to binge eating

If you want to dump binge eating, never skip a meal as it might increase the cravings and you might end up eating more again. Below are the other list of tips that can help you eliminate the habit of binging

1. Drink more water

Stay hydrated all through the day to cut down on carbohydrates. At the same time, this improves your metabolism too. You could try Ginger water! Ginger water is a super healthy tonic that is extremely good for your digestive system. Drinking ginger water makes you full in between meals thus helping you to combat binge eating.

2. Plan a workout routine

Practice yoga or exercise to distract yourself and also to move one step ahead towards a healthy life.

3. Take Fiber and Protein-rich food

Fiber-rich food like veggies, fruits, and whole grains makes you feel full and you might end up eating less. Similarly, protein-rich intake like nuts, meat, and seeds can also reduce appetite.

4. Declutter home

Clean your kitchen or throw away unnecessary things from your room. Declutter and keep your home look neat, this is a way to divert yourself from binge eating. 

Final thoughts

Binge eating is increasing across the world, without considering its ill effects. Stay healthy both in physical and emotional aspects by reducing binge eating gradually with these tips.

Visit Cureya's Website to know more. Free consultation services with top medical and health professionals. 

Check out www.cureya.in and www.cureya.in/shop

Credit Author: Janani Chandrasekar 

All photos credited and designed by Freepik