Panic Attack Recipe: Grilled Sardines on Corn/Maize Bread

Type: Quick lunch or supper
Equipment: Small bread tin, oven, grill/broiler, grinder for linseeds (optional)
Preparation time: 10 mins (bread), 1 min (grilled sardines)
Cooking time: 45 mins (bread), 5 mins (grilled sardines)

Corn/maize bread can make a good alternative for those sensitive to wheat and rye-based bread which both contain gluten. If you don't wish to make your own then corn/maize bread can be purchased from most health-food stores. This recipe is for sourdough bread which does not use yeast. It is therefore suitable for those avoiding yeast and its texture is closer to that of cake than traditional leavened breads. There is also the option to add linseeds which are the main vegetarian source of omega-3 oils an also provide useful fibre or 'roughage'. Tinned sardines, which are readily available and inexpensive to buy, can be used for this recipe. They are also an excellent source of omega-3 oils, the essential good mood nutrient.

Ingredients (per person)

For the grilled sardines:

• 1 small tin sardines in olive oil, spring water or brine
• For the com/maize bread (serves 4):
• 150g/6oz/l 1/2 cups corn/maize meal or corn/maize flour
• 150g/6oz/l 1/2 cups rice flour
• 50g/2oz/V2 cup ground/whole linseeds (optional)
• 1 tbsp mixed dried herbs (optional)
• pinch (sea) salt
• 1 tsp sodium or potassium bicarbonate 300ml/V2 pint/1 cup rice milk

Method

1. To make the corn/maize bread:
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. i 2 Mix together the dry ingredients.
3. Make a 'well' in the middle and pour in half the rice milk.
4. Stir together and keep adding the remainder of the milk until the ingredients stick together to form a single lump (you may want to use your hands for this). You may need slightly less or more milk than given in the ingredients list.
5. Bake for 45 mins approx.
6. When ready, remove from oven. If necessary, loosen edges with spatula or fish slice and tip out of tin to cool, preferably on a wire rack.

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Mood And Food: Acidic and Alkaline Foods

Foods can also be classified as either acid-forming or alkalizing according to the effect they have on the body. This effect may be different to whether or not the food actu­ally tastes acidic. For example, the acids of most fruits are metabolized to leave an alkaline 'ash' in the body and so are classed as alkaline foods. Both types of food are needed for balance, depending on individual metabolism, amount of physical activity and breathing pattern. It is generally easier to become over-acidic than over-alkaline so most people benefit from including a greater proportion of alkaline foods in their diet.

Cravings for alkalizing foods or drinks can indicate a need to redress an acid over­load, which can be signalled by a range of symptoms which include poor concentra­tion, insomnia, irritability and low libido. This imbalance may result from eating too many acid-forming sweets, cakes, fatty foods and meat. Fruit and vegetables and their juices can be eaten to redress the balance. An excess of alkalizing fruit or vegetables is less likely but it could create a need for acid-forming foods such as meat, fish, eggs or cheese.



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Five Phases of Foods and Feelings

One way to avoid an imbalance is to eat as varied a diet as possible.

A different and more complicated way of thinking about balance is the Oriental Theory of the Five 'Elements' or Five 'Phases'. It is based on the idea that life energy moves in specific predictable cycles. Each phase in the cycle influences the others and has traditional associations such as body organ, flavour sensation, type of food and mood. Energy imbalances in this system can show up as cravings for unusual combinations of foods. One way to avoid an imbalance, according to this theory, is to eat as varied a diet as possible. Use the diagram below to find out if any imbalances in your diet can be linked with any of the associated feelings.

Oriental medicine also lists foods that are found to cause water retention or mucus formation. These foods are known as 'damp'-forming foods. The 'damp' foods correspond with many of the common culprit foods associated with emotional and mental symptoms. Particularly 'damp' foods include bananas, beer, milk and dairy products, oranges, peanuts, pork, saturated fats, sugar, tomatoes, wheat and yeast.



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The Need for Balance

The idea of health as being a matter of balance is central to many systems of medicine. The term 'homeostasis' is used by orthodox and complementary practitioners alike to describe the body's in-built checks and balances that aim to keep things running smoothly. Whether or not we fully comprehend the mechanisms involved, it is becoming clearer how food has an important part to play in maintaining, or undermining, the functioning of mind and body.

Different medical systems use different models to describe and explain the idea of balance. When applied to the food we eat, each system offers an insight into what we could eat more of, and what we may need to eat less of, in order to feel well. All approaches to nutrition appear to start by grouping foods in one way or another. Problems are then associated with either too much, or not enough, of one or other cate­gory of food. Solutions are suggested which require a change in the balance of foods eaten. Ideally, individual characteristics are also recognized and accommodated by adjusting the combination of foods suggested.

Most of us are familiar with the idea of eating a 'balanced diet' and of the need to eat a variety of different foods to help us become - or remain - healthy. This idea of balance can vary between cultures but, whichever way we choose to view foods, all approaches have something to offer our understanding of the relationship between food and mood.

In the west we are used to thinking of foods as being divided up into protein foods (such as meat, fish, beans, cheese, eggs), carbohydrates (such as bread, pasta, potatoes, cakes, biscuits) and fatty foods (such as butter, cream and oils). In practice, a complete and largely unrefined food is likely to contain some protein, carbohydrate and fat, although one of these substances probably predominates. The protein, carbohydrate and fat groupings relate to how these food components are used by the body.

Eastern systems of medicine and philosophy divide foods according to the subtle effects they have on mind and body.

More common to eastern systems of medicine and philosophy are ideas of dividing foods according to the range of subtle effects they can have on mind and body. These approaches to food may use terms in pairs of opposites, such as the 'yin' and 'yang' of rnacrobiotics, or have groupings such as the three 'doshas' of Ayurvedic medicine or the fve 'phases' of Oriental medicine.



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Good Mood Food Recipe - Sweet Potato Cakes

Type: Snack
Equipment: Oven
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

The natural sweetness of these savoury foods combine with the apple to produce a tasty and filling sweet snack. Sweet potatoes belong to a different food family from the more familiar white-fleshed potato (which is a member of the nightshade family). They contain antioxidant nutrients and have a lower Glycaemic Index than regular potatoes. Despite the name, buckwheat is no relation to wheat; instead it is in the same food family as rhubarb. It does not contain gluten and so makes a safe alternative for those sensitive to gluten-containing grains. Buckwheat is also rich in antioxidant bioflavonoids and minerals and has a low GI. The combination of sweet potato and buckwheat makes for a very slow energy-releasing snack.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 200g/8oz/2 cups sweet potato, cooked with skin removed
• 100g/4oz/l cup buckwheat flour
• 100g/4oz/l cup milk-/dairy-free margarine
• 1 apple, chopped small
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• pinch cinnamon (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
2. Combine the ingredients in a bowl.
3. Form into four medium-sized or eight small balls, place onto a greased baking sheet and flatten slightly.
4. Bake for 30 mins.
5. Delicious eaten whilst still warm.

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How Does Major Depression Relate to Bipolar Depression and Dysthymic Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

Mania is having the opposite picture to depression for at least a week (for ex­ample, high energy, fast speech, elated mood, involvement in reckless activities), some­times accompanied by feelings of grandiosity (being better than everyone else). It occurs in a subgroup of depressed teens, and is also known as "bipolar illness" or "bipolar affective disorder." In bipolar illness, episodes of depression and episodes of mania both occur at different times. Between episodes, the teen may appear normal and function well. It is important to tell your child's doctor if there is a family history of mania as well as depression, as this may affect the treatment plan. (For example, the choice of medication is sometimes different with this information.)

There is a genetic predisposition to bipolar disorder. If the teen has an immediate family member diagnosed with bipolar, there is about a 4.5 percent chance of the child getting bipolar disorder and about a 14 percent chance of getting major depression.

In teens and children, bipolar disorder is sometimes difficult to distinguish from AD/HD and other childhood disorders. Therefore, it requires a thorough diagnostic assessment, and sometimes further assessment of mood patterns over time, before the diagnosis is clear.

Because teens who are manic can engage in dangerous activities and/or lose their perspective on reality, have your teen see a doctor immediately if you think she has this problem. The approach described in this book is not suitable for helping teens overcome manic states. The approach can still be used, however, to help these teens with their depressed states.

Dysthymic Disorder

Dysthymic disorder or dysthymia (pronounced "dis-THI-me-uh) is a type of depression that is less severe than major depression. It is characterized by long-term chronic symptoms that keep individuals from functioning with usual energy levels and from feeling good. There are fewer physical symptoms than with major depression, but more emo­tional symptoms such as gloomy thoughts and low mood (Kaufman, 2000). Sometimes people with dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes, so it is worth watching for signs that this is happening. If a major depressive episode is occurring, the teen's moods will be clearly worse than usual and she will experience more physical symptoms than usual.



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Major Causes of Teen's Depression

As in most mental illnesses, we can't really talk about a single "cause" in depression. There are usually both constitutional (inborn) and environmental factors that contribute to the condition, and often there are one or more environmental stresses (such as school demands and frustrations, death of a loved one, a move, or separation or divorce of parents) that act as triggers for a particular depressive episode. As a parent, blaming yourself or your spouse for your son's or daughter's condition is unlikely to be helpful. It is worthwhile having a thorough assessment by a mental health professional, however, as this may clarify the diagnosis and uncover contributing factors that could be changed.

Some teens are initially thought to be depressed but are later found to be suffering from a medical condition that is producing mood changes. Thyroid problems and aheinia (low iron in the blood) commonly cause mood changes, but so too may other medical conditions. Use of certain medications (for example, birth control pills) or street drugs can also affect mood. If your teen hasn't had a recent physical examination, it is well worth pursuing one. Remember to tell the doctor about the mood changes so he or she knows what to look for.

Parents often inquire about blood tests or other examinations that could reveal whether or not their child's brain chemistry is abnormal. Unfortunately, measuring brain chemicals in the bloodstream is not reliable, as there is a cellular barrier or wall between the bloodstream and the brain. Thus, levels of brain chemicals in the bloodstream do not necessarily reflect similar levels in the brain. Brain structure is rarely abnormal in depression, so computerized tomography (CT scan) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scan) usually do not help. Brain functioning, as measured by positron emission tomography (PET scan), can be abnormal, but such scans are very expensive, and are usually only available as part of research protocols.

Reactions to traumatic events (so-called "post-traumatic stress disorder") can also mimic depression. Although we all try to protect our children as best we can, it's impossible to monitor teens twenty-four hours a day, so the possibility of a traumatic event should not be dismissed too quickly. Children with pre-existing mental health problems such as anxiety disorders or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are also more vulnerable to developing depression in adolescence.

Note that some things that used to be considered causes of depression are now recognized as part of the illness (for example, pessimistic thinking, social withdrawal, or a tendency to ruminate on past mistakes). Depressed people typically withdraw and see the "glass half empty." Most brief, focused psychotherapies address these symptoms early, by encouraging constructive action and realistically positive thinking. Feelings often take longer to change.



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