I think that depression is a lot more straightforward than people are making it out to be. It’s quite the complicated emotion, but a very simple concept.
Depression can be simply characterized by a “depression” in happiness. Specifically depression is either; chronic or acute and chemical or situational.
It is important from a psychoanalytical standpoint to be able to classify as broad of a term as this as simply as possible.
And before people ask, yes, I have been there and back. Life is a much more rewarding experience now.
I see a lot of people discussing nutrition and exercise as well. Both of these play a critical role in the genuine rehabilitation of depression in my opinion. My take on both of this are as straightforward as it was for depression!
Diet: Keep it simple.
Take in plenty of complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats throughout the course of five to six equally portioned meals a day.
My take on fats: If I can see it floating at the surface of water at room temperature, I assume that it will do the same in my blood.
My take on carbohydrates: If it isn’t brown and doesn’t remind me of a fist full of nuts and grain, I avoid it. I generalize everything else as rapid metabolizing (or simple) carbohydrates, which spike insulin levels.
My take on proteins: If it’s not lean, I assume that it will not make me lean.
I am also very keen on bioavailability. If you don’t know what this is, you should do your research. It deals with the different metabolic properties of different foods. This is a very important aspect of nutrition that is often overlooked.
Exercise: Keep it simple:
Strictly strength training and MMA for flexibility and diversity.
Strength training: Complex exercises only, no isolation (i.e. barbell curls). If it doesn’t weight at least 135 lbs and recruit many different muscle groups, I won’t lift it. I utilize a strength training program that operates under the principal of liner progression and comprises of five different exercises only, three of the exercises per session, for a total of three workouts a week. It’s a simple and quick routine that anyone can do with minimal resources.
Cardio: I don’t do it. Strength training has been proven to be far more efficient in maintaining optimal health than anything else. The amount of effort required to squat 285 lbs for 5 sets of 5 three days a week causes your body to go into an incredibly anabolic state. This effort also increases your Basil Metabolic Rate over a course of 24-36 hours. What does this all mean? Increased calories burnt even in the absence of exercise. More, in fact that what can be done with the same amount of time spent on a treadmill. Also, we know that muscle burns far more calories than fat. Increase your lean muscle mass and your metabolism will increase in a directly proportional fashion.
This all fairly well encompasses my take on fitness from a nutritional and physical standpoint.