Anxiety vs Whole Plant Nutrition and Physical Activity

We're familiar with the idea that physical activity is at least as effective in treatment of depression and anxiety as psychiatric medications. The idea of psychiatric medication is essentially to mask symptoms long enough to do the psychotherapeutic work of ego integration. The potential problem with this approach is that "masking" can become the "good enough" solution where problems are complex...the usual case with ego integration work, as denial mechanisms are active, and unconscious. So "masking" can delay integration, sometimes indefinitely, neither of which is the more desirable outcome.

Integration is essentially becoming simultaneously comfortable with both the "good and bad" aspects of our human character (animal and spiritual), instead of rejecting, or "splitting off" the "bad" aspects that we all (somewhere in there) have in full measure. It's an idea that can initially be difficult for a variety of reasons, but it's the beginning of true "self love", and important.

We, many of us, need all the help we can get in this process of integration, and coming to maturity. I did, and I owe debts of gratitude to many who have helped me immeasurably along my path. And I'm not trying to say we become perfect at some point...no, we remain flawed and frequently unconscious, but better.

So the idea that physical activity is as or more effective a tool as psychiatric medication for depression and anxiety (the primary two symptoms of the non-integrated personality), is quite interesting. Another equally interesting idea has surfaced more recently, one we are not as familiar with yet, and that is that whole plant food nutrition can also be as or more effective a treatment for depression and anxiety than psychiatric medication.

And an even more interesting idea is that the two in conjunction are potentially the most effective non-psychotherapeutic treatment for anxiety and depression extant. (As an aside let me also say that meditation activities fall into the category of psychotherapeutic treatment. Much more can be said about that, and by others more qualified than me.)

So the combo of nutrition, activity, and meditation would seem a potent blend, with active psychotherapy an option also.

Whole plant nutrition gives your brain (and body) the fuel and nutrient chemistry it's designed for. Activity "stirs things up", like changing the stale air in a room. Together they amplify each other, and the sum becomes greater than the parts.

"All the help you can get" means coupling the most effective "non-masking" treatment modalities you can get your hands on.

So how do we integrate "whole plant nutrition" exactly? I'm going to let a video do the heavy lifting on that topic for me, a compilation of how some of the experts do it.