You can't climb the mountain without proper clothing, gear, food, water, and survival equipment - essentials for a good climb. Likewise, we can't prevent depression unless we have all the basic ingredients for healthy living in place.
To this end, we must include the following:
1. Formulate a healthy, balanced diet, one that includes lot of fruits (blueberries highly recommended) and vegetables, olive oil (a staple for longevity), and red wine (in moderation). Keep away from processed foods, sugar, and salt.
You don't have to be a health nut to know what's good to eat and what's not. You need common sense and the decision to spend more time in the vegetable and fruit section of your grocer than in the snack department.
2. Exercise! I don't mean "moderately."
People around the world who live the longest high-quality lives generally do not work out in health clubs. However, they exercise strenuously on a daily basis. How? Their work provides them with a natural form of bodybuilding. That's what farming, fishing, construction work, and household chores amount to - heavy-duty labor.
Stretching, pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying, struggling with objects, and battling the elements - normal, everyday activity that nourishes the soul and keeps the body at optimum strength and fitness. That's the stuff good workouts are made of! But if you're city-bound, join a club.
Note: While I don't wish to burst anyone's bubble, walking as exercise is highly overrated. The only way it adds up to measurable and effective exercise is if you do it at a fast pace and over a distance of at least three-quarters of a mile. Get your heart pumping! Otherwise, go for a stroll, sing a song, have a great day - but don't expect to regain and maintain optimum health and fitness.
Resource material: Monument to failure, Vassili, 2006; the most comprehensive study of the American healthcare system ever made; Depression, it doesn't exist, Vassili, 2009, a guide to truly understanding, preventing, and curing depression.
For more information: www.americanhealthcarerevolution.comP
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