Happy Monday friends, hope you've had a good weekend and have dealt with the clocks going forward pretty well! I for one HATE Daylight Saving Time, so I'd say make an effort to sleep early for the next few days, get some morning sunlight when you wake up, and as much as you can throughout the day.
Creatine for depression?
We all know about creatine: it has long been a go-to supplement for athletes and gym-goers (including myself), known for its ability to support high-intensity exercise, muscle recovery, and strength.
But it's now going beyond just this – and is even being looked at it for its potential benefits for depression.
There have been a number of studies that continue to look at this – finding that creatine supplementation can actually enhance the efficacy of antidepressant treatments and improve mood-related outcomes.
One randomized controlled trial (Lyoo et al., 2012) showed that 5g/day of creatine significantly improved depressive symptoms in women already taking SSRIs, while another study (Kious et al., 2021) highlighted creatine’s role in brain energy metabolism and emotional regulation.
The great thing about creatine and gaining all the benefits is just the ease at which it can be incorporated – 3–5g of creatine monohydrate daily into water, a smoothie, or your post-workout shake.
I'm sure so many of you are on it already for various reasons – but there's now emerging evidence that it can potentially have some serious benefit for those in need in the area of depression.
The rise of the 'flexi-vegan'
Despite me being a huge proponent of plant-based eating, I'll be the first to acknowledge this: it would be a big surprise for a ton of people to just go vegan overnight.
I know I did it back in 2017, but I'm a little strange and somewhat impulsive at times (particularly when I feel compelled to do something).
But there is a stance that I feel more and more people will and are currently taking; one that incorporates plenty of plant foods throughout the week without going 100% of the way.
Call it a 'flexi-vegan'.
Now I know the ethical vegans won't like it, and that's fair enough: there is still a huge argument around the treatment of animals when it comes to food.
But while I've been a vocal advocate for healthy, whole-food plant-based diet and all the benefits that come with it, it's not for everybody.
I think a more flexible approach for the vast majority of society may be more beneficial: people will still receive the huge benefits of consuming more fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains and legumes – without feeling tied to what they may feel is a dietary pattern that isn't sustainable for them long-term.
Which I think is fair enough to be honest.
People can still receive many of the benefits of the plant-based diet, without going all the way.
And if we want people to get more plant foods into their diet – which I absolutely do – it might not be an all-or-nothing approach.
It might just be an approach that works for them at a personal level – and who knows, they may eventually go all the way.
Hope you found this useful friends! Remember to do your 3-5g of creatine every day this week, and continue stocking up on a variety of plant foods as well.
Get plenty of sunlight this week too – especially if you're in London, as it'll be out in force.
Oh and one more thing – I've been working on something in the background for a while that I can't wait to share with you...any guesses on what it might be based on the image below?
Stay healthy ;)
Jeff