Thursday, October 31, 2013

Is Halloween So Harmless?


(This is a special post added this week. For those of you looking for the latest installment about defeating depression, see the Monday, October 28 post!)


Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.
 1 Corinthians 10:31


Halloween is BIG business. Worldwide, it’s a celebration that attracts all ages and ranks second to Christmas for dollars spent. With consumer spending expected to be around $6.9 billion dollars, it’s a retailers delight. Pet owners will spend over $330 million on pet costumes. It also gives retailers a kickstart to the upcoming Christmas season.

As a recent AOL article stated: “For many people, Halloween has become a much-needed escape from reality. ‘For adults, you can put on a Halloween costume and forget about work, the bad economy, and other pressures,’ said Kelly David, Spirit Halloween spokesperson.”

When I was a kid, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. My mother spent weeks preparing the perfect, award-winning costume for me. We’d troop down to the fabric store to locate the must-have costume pattern and material. Then she’d measure, sew, fit and complete my get-up, which I proudly, arrogantly, donned at school in front of my envious classmates.

Then, as I entered my late elementary and middle school years, my fascination with Halloween altered. Gradually I became more drawn to the dark, occult side of the holiday and started investigating séances, spells and Ouija board use. Without going into detail, I can tell you how insidious and destructive those practices were to me and to anyone who entered into them. They’re anything but harmless, especially to a curious, impressionable youngster.   

Do you love this holiday and can’t imagine not celebrating it? Do you consider it all in good fun? Do you have nagging questions about whether or not you should celebrate Halloween? If you’re a Christian, do you wonder if you should take apart in it? 

I have my opinion.

But before you make a decision on whether or not to celebrate this holiday, let’s look at the history and facts surrounding the festival.


What’s the History?

Celtic-Druid Influence:
The ancient Celtic empire encompassed France, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Druids were Celtic priests. They had a yearly celebration called the Festival of Samhain and gathered pumpkin and cornstalk leaves for decorating as the feasting and end-of-summer harvest celebration began.

That all sounds innocent enough, until you learn what Samhain means. Samhain was the lord of the dead, or the demon of death, and this celebration began the evening of October 31. The Druids celebrated with bonfires, foretelling futures and witchcraft. This is where the Halloween emphasis on death comes from, along with its familiar symbols of coffins, tombstones, skeletons, skulls, crossbones, ghosts, mummies and graveyards.

First, it was believed that the dead rose from their graves that night in an attempt to return to their former homes they occupied when living. In Druidism, the evil, departed ones rise up as horrifying night creatures, decaying skeletons and inhuman bodies. (Sound anything like the walking or “living” dead stories everyone’s so enthralled with now?) Other souls, or spirits, moved on to inhabit other humans. (Many people in the 21st Century believe in soul transmigration, the idea that they existed in a former life. Anybody remember actress Shirley McClain’s outrageous claims and “channeling” back in the 90’s?)

Samhain was also the supreme night of demonic jubilation and a celebration of oncoming winter and darkness. Groups known as the hordes of hell roamed the earth in a wild celebration of darkness and death, all in Samhain’s honor. The frightened villagers did everything they could to try to appease these spirits, or avoid them altogether. If they had to be out on the road that night, they left fruits and nuts in the yards for the spirits to enjoy, or dressed in costume to avoid being seen or discovered.

Sometimes Samhain called together wicked spirits to inhabit the bodies of animals. 


Let’s Have a Bonfire!
The Druids were famous for using bonfires under oak trees (a sacred symbol to them) in their worship. But the ‘bonfire” was actually a “bone fire.” Need I explain why it was called that? Their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers, and were also used for divination—the practice of trying to foretell future events.


Where’d the Trick-or-Treat Candy Come From?
Mildred Arthur, in her book, Holidays of Legend, wrote that the food given out at night to visiting spirits or wandering people was given to placate those roving evil spirits. Later, in Scotland, food was given to placate the youth who went around terrorizing neighborhoods.

I double that it stopped their behavior. I knew kids who skipped the treat and went straight to the nasty trick just “for fun.”

When I was in junior high and high school, I knew youth who went around terrorizing neighborhoods, damaging personal property and wreaking havoc on Halloween night. Nothing could placate them! Food wouldn't have appeased them. They were bent on destruction. There were certain neighborhoods we knew we needed to avoid that night, out of fear of physical threat or possibly being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Contrary to popular opinion, Halloween has never been a night of “harmless fun” for many.


Who’s Jack?
Symbols familiar to us actually developed over time. Jack-o’-lanterns (which were actually turnips, not pumpkins) were carried by people on Hallow’s eve in order to frighten evil spirits. A popular Irish folktale is told to represent a soul denied entry into both heaven and hell. It goes like this:

“On route home after a night's drinking, Jack encounters the Devil who tricks him into climbing a tree. A quick-thinking Jack etches the sign of the cross into the bark, thus trapping the Devil. Jack strikes a bargain that Satan can never claim his soul. After a life of sin, drink, and mendacity, Jack is refused entry to heaven when he dies. Keeping his promise, the Devil refuses to let Jack into hell and throws a live coal straight from the fires of hell at him. It was a cold night, so Jack places the coal in a hollowed out turnip to stop it from going out, since which time Jack and his lantern have been roaming looking for a place to rest. (Encyclopedia of Death and Dying (Glennys Howarth, Oliver Leaman), Taylor & Francis, page 320)

North American immigrants used the native pumpkin. Because of its softer structure, it’s easier to carve than a turnip. This pumpkin carving tradition first started in 1837 to commemorate harvest time. It did not become specifically connected to Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century.


Like That Orange, Black and Red Color Combo?
A Good Housekeeping Book of Entertainment once contained the passage, “Orange, black, and red, the Devil’s colors, are the colors associated with Halloween.” (Don’t know where Good Housekeeping got the idea that those colors represented the Devil, but it seems to be the accepted color scheme. And when you see orange worn with black, Halloween is usually what comes to mind.)


Christian influence Over Modern Halloween
Today's Halloween customs seem to have been influenced by Christian practices and beliefs. The word “Halloween” is a modern translation of “eve before all Hallows Day, a Christian holy day also known as All Saints’ Day or Hallowmas. This was a time for honoring all the saints who had already gone on to their heavenly reward. The day was introduced in May of 609 AD. Pope Gregory IV had it switched to November 1, 835, possibly to compete with, or satisfy people who still wanted to recognize the Festival of Samhain.

The American Puritans strongly disapproved of it. But when the Irish and Scots brought the celebration with them during the 19th century mass immigration to America, the celebration was accepted into society and become an American holiday celebrated by people of all ages, races and religions.

Many Protestant churches celebrate the day as Reformation Day because it was the day Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Thesis to the door of the All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Evidently he selected this day specifically because so many visitors would be there to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve.

Category Development Officer, Retail

Satan Worship and Halloween
We can’t overlook the reality of Satan worship associated with Halloween, particularly since it’s become more prevalent. Most recently I had the pleasure of grocery shopping at the same time a family of Satan worshipers shopped. It seemed that every time I entered the store they were there. The father always wore the same black t-shirt emblazoned with a huge white pentagram, Satan worship symbols and words. His skin bore Satanic artwork. Just being in their vicinity gave me the creeps.

People have attested to participating in and observing human sacrifices while practicing Satanism. A November 1, 1997 Orlando Sentinel article talks about the testimony of one man who claims to have had a “profound psychic experience” while he was out trick-or-treating as a young boy. That led him into the occult and kept him oppressed for dozens of years. He sank deeper and deeper into the occult until he was “swallowed by it.”     

Do we scoff, dismiss or shake our heads at these stories?

Police departments don’t scoff. Many have developed a new investigative field dealing with the reality of gruesome Satanic sacrifices. Vandalism increases on Halloween. Many hospitals offer free x-rays of candy to make sure your tyke doesn’t bite into a razor blade.

Anyone remember the Night Stalker who terrorized California in the 80’s by slinking into open windows at night, to butcher people and decorate the walls with pentagrams and Satanic messages written in his victims’ blood? I lived through that, and all of us living in Southern California took this guy very seriously. No one knew where or when he’d strike next, and for months we were badly shaken. 

As a police detective patient of mine commented back in the 80’s, “If you don’t think Satan worship and sacrifice are alive and well, then you can join me on my nightly rounds of inspecting freeway underpasses and orange groves. The things we find are unbelievable, like animal torture and sacrifices, for a start.” 

In our area of Southern California, it was common knowledge that you should avoid the orange groves in a particular nearby town at night, where witches, warlocks and Druid priests gathered for bonfires, worship, sacrifices and divination practices.  

On Halloween many witch covens hold their annual worship service and offer a blood sacrifice to Satan. Other Wiccans find the celebration of Halloween disrespectful of the deceased soul worship they promote, so they choose to abstain from worship services during this time.

Throughout the year Satanists sacrifice cats, dogs, and other animals. Word on the street is that during Halloween they up the ante by finding a human sacrifice. Where do they find humans to sacrifice? There are plenty of homeless drug addicts that could disappear unnoticed. And children born without birth certificates are another source. (On a side note, my overactive mind wonders if some of our missing children might have been snatched for just this purpose.)

Newscasters in numerous cities warn viewers to guard their animals on Halloween night (actually, a week prior to and a week after Halloween are the best recommendations, which we have followed for years). Many animal humane societies won’t allow black cats to be adopted around this time. Farmers sometimes find mutilated remains of their ritualistically slaughtered farm animals.


So Now What Do You Do With All of This Information?
Eighteen years ago, after learning the history and facts, Halloween no longer appeared to be such a cute, harmless holiday to me. It seemed as though God pricked my heart and said, “Can you really reconcile worshiping Me and celebrating this day, in that way? Aren’t you treading in dangerous water?”

Then I wondered, If Jesus suddenly appeared before me in the flesh, would I be comfortable getting dressed up in some ridiculous, compromising costume and inviting him along to the party as my date? (That’s what I’d be doing since He goes everywhere with me.) And what kind of look would He give me when he saw the costumes I put on my children in order to go door-to-door begging candy?

Do we unconsciously, ignorantly approve of such worship when we participate in it? When the rest of the world sees Christians celebrating this holiday, what do they think of us? We need to think and pray seriously on such matters since we’ll be called to task for leading someone—most especially a child—astray. (Jesus said it would be better for someone to have a millstone hung around his neck and to drown in the sea than to lead one of the little ones astray. That passage has always caused me to shiver.)

If, after fervent prayer and reasoning, you think you can celebrate Halloween and simultaneously glorify God, then go for it. (If you do, please write me to tell me how your spiritual life’s going for you.)

It’s just difficult for me to believe it’s possible to wear the devil’s colors while holding a ghoulishly carved pumpkin, donning a spidery Black Widow costume, hoping the youth don’t terrorize my neighborhood or vandalize my property, knowing someone’s precious cat got snagged for the purpose of being sacrificed to the ruler of evil, and think that’s all harmless and God doesn’t really care and will turn a blind eye to my “fun.” 

As my husband cynically put it, "It's like inviting everyone to the Jewish synagogue for a Baal and Ashura dress-up party, in order to witness!" (If you know anything about Baal and Ashura—fertility god and goddess—and the kinds of sacrifices the Israelites offered them, and how God reacted to that, can you honestly imagine God blessing that kind of witnessing activity?) 


Would it be better to compromise and participate or spend the night in prayer for the forces of evil in this world to be abated? To sing songs of praise and worship to God. To pray in thanksgiving for the departed saints of the faith—the men and women who have gone before us and received their reward. To pray fervently for more souls of men and women to receive a heavenly reward.

As my younger son would add with a shoulder shrug and eyebrow tilt, “I’m just saying…”

____________________________________


Many Christians question Halloween’s nature, influence and fruit.

Many Christians fire back that Christ made all things new, that they have “liberty” in Christ from “legalism.” That God has "made all things new." Or they simply regard it as innocent fun.


But is it just innocent fun?

Halloween is serious business for Satanists and Witches. Do you really want to be even remotely associated with these two groups, decorating your homes, business, work cubicles, classrooms and churches with occult symbols? Did you ever think that you might be glorifying Satan and the powers of darkness by participating?

While you and your child are out traipsing door-to-door by flashlight, realize that those who oppose Christianity and Christ are gathered together to try to cast spells, worship demons and Satan, observe Satanic rituals, perform gross, sacrilegious acts, mutilate animals and offer blood sacrifices to the evil one.

Warning: Graphic explanations in this paragraph you might want to skip. Some of the rituals are too ghastly, or shocking to believe: Drinking animal or human blood or urine, eating entrails and organs, ritualistic orgies, substance abuse, and, yes, human sacrifice.

So while Satan worshipers, Wiccans and the police are taking all of this very seriously, many of us lukewarm Christians can’t abide the thought of spoiling our children’s fun during this “harmless” holiday! What kind of message are we sending to our children when we say this is all harmless fun?

Harmless? Really?

Are we deceiving ourselves? Can we call ourselves children of Light while we masquerade around town during a celebration that carries such blatant overtones of evil and darkness? Is it smart for us to laugh at it?
 
Can we overlook the reality of the ever-more-prevalent Satan worship associated with Halloween?

Does Halloween bear any good fruit, or hold any redeeming value?

Does God wave aside everything He’s said about occult worship and place a smiley face stamp of approval on our events, just because we’ve euphemistically titled them “Harvest Festivals” instead of Halloween? Do we really believe that the general, secular public sees our celebration as anything else than a massive Halloween bash?

And if our houses of worship are truly dedicated to God, how do we justify decorating them with occult symbols, no matter how cute they are?



I’m not going to tell you what to think or do. That’s between you and God. But before I sign off, I’ll leave you with some words to think about…

“Learn not the way of the heathen…. For the customs of the people are vain” (Jeremiah 10:2-3).

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11).

“Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

“Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12).

“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

“For what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion has light with darkness? And what concord has Christ with Belial…. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15, 17).


Thanks for joining me!

I’ll be back again with my next post on defeating depression on Monday, November 4.

Until then!

Blessings,

Andrea

(God instituted plenty of good, wholesome, seasonal festivals. For ideas, be sure to look for my special Thanksgiving blog in late November.)  






Monday, October 28, 2013

12 Steps to Defeat Depression (Food and Diet Part 2)

When I started this blog, my mission was to help mothers, fathers, siblings and grandparents heal emotionally, physically and spiritually from the death of a baby, either in pregnancy, delivery, or soon after birth; and to help friends and family walk alongside parents who have suffered this kind of pain.

I didn’t just want to tell my story, which many of you can relate to, but give you tangible ways to heal in every area of your life, to look forward to the future with hope.

Last week’s post embarked more fully on the physical recovery process, (so if you’re just joining me, check the previous post to get learn the first five nutrition tips). I can’t reiterate enough just how important what you eat is related to how well your brain functions.

So, whatever stage you’re in: post-loss grief and depression, general depression, recovering from an emergency C-section, hysterectomy (like I am now), thinking (and worrying) about trying to have another baby, or struggling through a dangerous high-risk pregnancy (like I did and will begin to tell you about in December), this advice is for you. I guarantee you’ll benefit from it! 

So, let’s get to the second half of nutrition for depression or post-delivery recovery, or just a healthier physical and psychological life.

Remember, your body and brain are connected!  


6. Chocolate Lovers, Rejoice!
A study where participants ate 1.4 ounces (39.69 grams) of dark chocolate daily for two weeks showed stress hormone reduction in highly stressed people. (Grief is #1 on the highly stressed people list!) Other ingredients in the chocolate may have also contributed to the feeling of well-being. (The pleasant, satisfied feeling you get when you’re rewarding yourself with the indulgence may do it too!)

Choose your chocolate carefully and eat it in small amounts! Avoid heavily processed, sugar-loaded, regular grocery store-variety chocolate (sorry Hershey and Nestle). They’re poisonous to your body. Head to a health food store, or a place like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market or Sprouts here in the United States (or internet shop) to locate good chocolate, like Belgian or Swiss. Fewer ingredients; great taste; better for you!


7. Reduce Your Cooked Meat Consumption and eat more of a Mediterranean diet: fresh vegetables and fruits (THE major component of this diet), fish, olive oil, garlic, legumes (beans), whole grains and cereals, small amounts of cheese and dairy, (mostly plain yogurt), and added nuts (like walnuts). These are all anti-inflammatories, meaning they reduce internal inflammation and irritation and help repair damaged cells. If you choose red meat, make sure it’s grass fed meat, not meat from cows stuffed with corn feed, fillers (read: fatteners), and growth hormones! And consume it only 1-2 times a week.

For you poultry lovers, grass-fed or kosher chicken is best since other types are laden with hormones and subjected to deplorable, illness-producing living conditions. Turkey is an even better choice because no hormones are added to turkeys! (I keep the grains to a minimum, since finding healthful, old world-style grains in any product or store is hard. See last week’s post for alternative-to-regular-bread grains and grasses to consume.)

When you’re physically healing, consuming protein is a must! Choose your protein sources wisely. Fish is much easier to digest than red meat. Rare to medium rare-cooked red meat is easier to digest than well-done meat. Good, natural peanut butter (no sugar added) slathered on a piece of bread is one of the most complete sources of protein available. It was always one of the first choices of my highly competitive and world-class-level athletes I trained.

For those of you who like to read research and have more detailed information, here are two good links:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mediterranean-diet/CL00011 (Easy to read and shows a great Mediterranean diet food pyramid!)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean diet (Longer, more detailed research.)

            Warning: Bell peppers, tomatoes and eggplant are in the  “nightshade”
                                    food group that can increase inflammation.


8. Stay Away From Flavor Enhancers, Especially Glutamate. It’s Toxic! Flavor enhancers, especially monosodium glutamate, cause the brain to “go bonkers,” as a neuroscientist said in a recent class I took. Check your food labels. You’ll be surprised what you find in your food! (Especially boxed, prepared food.) It’s also found in some whey proteins. It disrupts the brain’s delicate chemical balance and can cause serious problems, including psychological problems and brain cell death!
           

9. How Often Should you Eat, and in What Amounts?
Some research indicates that eating small meals every two hours reduces blood sugar spikes and keeps your energy levels at a more constant level. (This helps avoid those extreme energy drops and sleepiness following lunch or a large meal.)

Don’t stuff yourself! Always leave a little vacancy in your tummy so you don’t bog down the system, and eat slowly. It takes fifteen minutes for your brain to receive the signal that you’re eating and reaching a state of fullness and satisfaction. Eating slowly, concentrating on your foods’ flavor and texture, helps improve your mood too. When you’re depressed, not too many activities excite you, so enjoy your meal! It doesn’t have to be fancy to reap the emotional benefits. 

Chew your food thoroughly! It reduces digestive tract stress by allowing the digestion process to start sooner—in your mouth. That means less stomach acid needs to be produced, and the digestive process is shortened. And that means less stress on your healing body!


10. Keep a Daily Food Journal.
This might seem time-consuming, but it’s important. It’ll help you determine just what kind of foods trigger problems, including mood swings, aches, pains, depression and migraine headaches! Make detailed notes of the foods you consume and how you feel physically and mentally when you wake up and throughout the day. You’ll begin to see a pattern emerge within a month.  

Keeping a detailed food journal of what I ate at what times, and how I felt physically and mentally throughout the day, helped me identify allergies and sensitivities to a variety of foods. Years of physical agony evaporated within days of eliminating all corn from my diet. And my bladder and bones did happy cartwheels when I stopped drinking any carbonated drinks, including the now-popular fizzy water with gas.  

You may have to eliminate foods and then slowly re-add them to your diet to see how you respond to them. Some people get into trouble because they eat too much of the same foods. A varied, seasonal diet can help you avoid developing sensitivities and allergies.



What About Supplements for Depression?
I’m a proponent—of some supplements—if they’re high-quality and taken in moderation. Those recommended for depression are:

~ B complex vitamins (some studies show that people suffering from depression have below-normal amounts of B vitamins in their blood) B vitamins keep the nerves functioning well. 

~ Vitamin D—A large study of women found that those who had the highest intake of Vitamin D from food sources had a significantly lower prevalence of depression due to the effect it may have on two critical brain chemicals. And research indicates that depressed people tend to have higher levels of brain inflammation, which Vitamin D reduces.
Studies also show that solar UVB rays trigger the production of Vitamin D in your skin oils, which reduces inflammation in the vessels and body.
While getting your Vitamin D from sun exposure (15 minutes a day) is by far the   best way, if you are unable to do that, then take a good Vitamin D supplement. (Sunscreen blocks the body’s ability to produce Vitamin D. But if you’re going to be outside longer than 15 minutes, slather up with the sunscreen after you’ve    gotten your dose!)
~ Fish Oil is a major component of good brain chemistry and function. (Remember: the brain is connected to the body!) I prefer Krill oil. It’s toxin-free and doesn’t give me that burpy fish oil taste feedback.
~ 5-HTP is an amino acid (protein building block) that can increase serotonin, the mood enhancer chemical.  
~ Theanine, found in green tea, causes the release of a brain chemical that triggers the release of the brain’s major nerve-calming  transmitters. This decreases anxiety and increases relaxation.
             
I purchase my supplements through www.vitacost.com. Their prices are great, and the product quality is high. Shipping is free for orders over $49 (US), and you don’t pay sales tax. They even sell natural food from around the world, including vegan and gluten-free products. I’ve been buying from them for years and can’t speak highly enough about this online company. Their customer service is fabulous!

            For more information on the top five natural supplements for depression click on this link: http://www.thebetterhealthstore.com/newsletter/012910_top-5-anti-depression_04.html


What About Diet Soda and Diet Drinks?
Avoid them like the plague! Researchers and doctors now think diet soda is more dangerous than regular soda. I heard a kidney specialist say it increases your risk of kidney failure and cancer by more than 50%! And the aspartame in it is NOT harmless! That’s another chemical that’s toxic to the brain and body and research is proving that.   


A Word About Fasting
Don’t let the word “fasting” scare you. When most people hear that word they say either, “Why would I do that?” or “I could never fast!” If you’re doubtful, reconsider.

Fasting increases the burning of body fat, which helps reduce toxins in the body. A modified fast of not eating until 11:00 in the morning and then eating your last meal by 7:00 PM one day a week has been shown to increase metabolism and energy levels. It also seems to help the body run more efficiently as it burns fat for fuel.

Warning: Fasting during pregnancy is NOT recommended! Always check with your doctor if you have special medical considerations that fasting would aggravate!


Just How Well Will All of This Work For You?
Two anecdotal stories might encourage you.
My dear friend, Mary, (who decided to eliminate bread and sugar from her diet and start working out on the treadmill for 45 minutes daily), texted me last month to gleefully relay the following news: “The results are in. My cholesterol went from 288 to 227. 30 days of no sugar has paid off! What really surprised me was that I lost 10 pounds and the doctor is reducing my thyroid meds. That was a shocker.”

She texted me again on October 16 to add more, “Since I gave up bread and sugar I function better at work (she has a highly visible, stressful job) and don’t go home drained.”

Now who wouldn’t want to arrive home from a long workday with more energy!?

Then there’s this 18 year-old’s story.

This young man—a relative—started showing signs of depression in his freshman year of college. (Depression is common in about 15% of college students, and, unfortunately, it runs on both sides of his family tree.) By late summer things had gotten pretty bad, and he asked me for advice. After doing some intense research, I suggested the following supplements:

Vitamin B12 and Folic acid
Vitamin C and D
A daily serving of Organic Flax Seed Oil

Within a week of starting this regimen, he called me excitedly to say, “Wow, this is great! This B12 is like speed!” (Not exactly the result I expected, but he had been so lethargic and down that any improvement in energy and mood was profoundly noticeable to him. And he was thrilled! “I’m doing so much better!” he continued. And he kept at it for the rest of the next semester.

It took him several months to really turn the corner and make serious headway against his depression. (Two things he was in short supply of were sleep and exercise, two major components of healing that I’ll cover next week.) But the supplements helped, and he was able to avoid taking any prescription medicine which might have exacerbated his symptoms and caused him to entertain suicidal thoughts. (The latter is a sad side-effect for many teens taking anti-depressants.)  

Wrap-Up!
How long will it take you to adjust to your new food and nutrition regimen? A new habit takes 30 days to solidify, so your first 30 days will take concentrated, intentional effort and self-discipline. You may feel uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms—like fatigue and headache—as your body rids itself of the junk you’ve been feeding it. Hang in there! This will be a lifestyle change you’ll want to continue. When you start feeling so good you won’t want to go back to feeling so bad!

If you’re really depressed, take things slowly. You may only be able to make one food change at a time. Don’t be hard on yourself. Keep making intentional changes and journey forward.   

__________________________________________

NEXT WEEK: Steps 2 and 3: The important of exercise and sleep in combatting depression.
__________________________________________

Thanks for joining me.

Until next week!

Blessings,

Andrea

PS I’ll be adding a special post this Thursday, October 31. If you’re interested in thoughts on recognizing or celebrating Halloween, join me again that day!

(My healing continues to progress nicely. I’m following all this advice I’m giving you!)