cognitive behavioral therapy—or talk therapy and antidepressant medications. A social worker can also help you deal with the impact your disease has on your moods and your family.
She can help you find resources to support your care and help you manage the practical aspects of living with diabetes. And new research shows that your diet may reduce your risk of depression and improve your mood.
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found eating a diet that emphasizes vegetables, fruit and whole grains may lead to a reduced risk of depression according to their recent study.
The study found that people whose diets adhered more closely to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet were less likely to develop depression than people who did not closely follow the diet. In addition to fruit and vegetables, the DASH diet recommends fat-free or low-fat dairy products and limits foods that are high in saturated fats and sugar.
The researchers examined how closely the participants’ reported diets were to the DASH diet, Mediterranean diet and the traditional Western diet, which is high in saturated fats and red meats and low in fruits and vegetables. The study participants were categorized into three groups based on how closely they adhered to these diets.
Those who were in the two groups that followed the DASH diet more closely were 11 percent less likely to