How to Treat Depression Naturally

1. Consider why you might feel depressed.
2. Move your body. Exercise releases happy-making endorphins, which act like natural anti-depressants.
3. Never skip a meal. Keeping your blood sugar stable reduces mood swings.
4. Eat a serotonin-enhancing diet.  Serotonin-enhancing foods include:

• Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (such as wild salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, and anchovies, which are even higher in omega-3 fatty acids than other fish)
• Healthy fats like coconut oil
• Eat a high protein diet, especially proteins high in tryptophan, like free range turkey

5. Avoid caffeine, which reduces serotonin levels. 
6. Expose yourself to sunlight, which can boost mood and increase Vitamin D levels. 
7. Meditate or try guided imagery. 
8. Get your hormones balanced. If your thyroid, adrenal or sex hormones are out of whack, your mood can get all wonky. See a good integrative medicine doctor and ask them to order and interpret the following tests:

• Thyroid gland tests - TSH, free T4, free T3, total T3, thyroid antibodies
• Adrenal gland tests - cortisol, DHEA-S, pregnenolone
• Sex hormone tests - estradiol, progesterone, free and total testosterone

9. Make efforts to bolster your mental health by being more authentic in all aspects of your life.