I am not currently low carbing but am having alot of anxiety and depression. Will switching to low carb help this? I also need more energy.

In my experience, it will definitely help your energy level. I'm not sure about anxiety and depression, as I don't experience them, but others on this site have a lot of helpful information about them. Also, I just read "The Happiness Hypothesis", by Jonathan Haidt, which does discuss depression. It was absolutely fascinating, and one of the best books I have ever read--I got some great insights. Good luck, and I'm sure others will chime in.

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I remember in the movie FAT HEAD and from other reading that depression can be brought on by a low fat diet. See how much fat (not vegetable oil fat but fat from animal or good veggie fat like in avocados) you have in your diet. Also, check out the movie FAT HEAD.

Another good resource is the book, "The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program," by Kathleen Des Maisons. Kathleen does a good job describing the brain chemistry and how what we eat affects how we feel.

She does not advocate low carb, but the part of the book that discusses the brain is wonderful.

You can get depressed eating low carb, but many think the depression is related to vitamin deficiencies, such as vitamin D. I take an antidepressant, and that was the best decision I ever made. My quality of life has improved immensely.

I keep a food/mood log to help me see the connections between what I eat and how I feel.

Hi, StefLou!

In my experience, yes! I experienced depression and lack of motivation (even for normal daily tasks.) with my cyclical hormone changes, but when I am low carb, my moods are more serene, and I am way more motivation, even in the last half of my cycle.

I do not have experience with anxiety, but for me, depression and motivation improved greatly on low-carb. It is one of the reasons I will continue low-carbing even if the weight doesn't budge!!! I just love the way I feel emotionally on low-carb. It truly is a God-send for my sense of well-being and even my marriage.

Please give it a try! I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

If a doctor was to do an EKG while you were experiencing anxiety, it might surprise you.

It's the combination of anxiety, depression and lack of energy that seals it for me. But I'm not a doctor. Energy is a function of metabolism. The thyroid gland is the body's regulator of metabolism. Gluten peptides can attack nerves. The central nervous system regulates thyroid function. The presence of gluten and sugar in the gut can bring about a standard zonulin reaction. Besides placing sugar and partially digested gluten into the bloodstream, it curtails adenosine production.

Depression can conceivably take many routes, but anxiety points at a nerve/heart interplay. The heart's nerves require proper thyroid enzyme levels along with an adequate supply of adenosine to operate properly. Panic attacks are the next level of anxiety, then comes fainting. I've been there.

Autoimmune thyroid disease is strongly linked to celiac disease. But celiac disease is merely the only rock-solid provable form of autoimmune gluten disease. Many others exist. Non-celiac thyroid attack can be the only manifestation of gluten intolerance.

If you don't want to simply try a gluten-free, sweets-free diet, go see a doctor willing to check your thyroid function while you're having anxiety.

I find that making sure I get enough omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil, vitamin D, and B vitamins (especially folic acid and B12) help my very mild depression alot. Also one of our members wolfstriked says eating your daily carbs all at once before bedtime helps raise serotonin, which can help with depression.

(05-15-2009 12:46 AM)steflou Wrote:  I am not currently low carbing but am having alot of anxiety and depression. Will switching to low carb help this? I also need more energy.

I sure hope so, steflou. That's a big part of the reason I decided to eat this way. I've used diet in the past to help with some success (using the program from the book Katie Jay mentioned) but this is the first time I've tried low-carb. I find that diet is only one tool of many that I have to keep on top of to truly keep the depression and anxiety in control.