by Laurie Boris

Created on: March 16, 2009

If you are living with clinical depression, there's more you can do for yourself than see your therapist or get a prescription. Many studies have proven that there are some foods that fight depression. So making some simple tweaks to your diet could give you a helping hand to grab onto as you climb out of that deep, black hole and rejoin the world around you.

For instance:

1. Oily, cold-water fish like salmon, herring and sardines contain omega-3 fatty acids (specifically, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexainoic acid)) that are essential to the health of your brain. Much of your brain is composed of these fatty acids, especially the walls of the cells. Your brain's cell walls communicate with your bloodstream to decide what to let in and what to keep out. Without enough of these vital omega-3 fatty acids, your brain cannot function to its optimal capacity. In fact, a study has shown that a diet rich in omega-3s can reduce symptoms of depression by about 30%. If you don't like fish, you can also try a good fish oil supplement. Vegetarians and those allergic to fish take note: you can get some omega-3s from plant sources, like walnuts, avocados and flax seeds, but it will only be a small amount as compared to fish oil and contains a different kind of omega-3 fatty acid than the ones used in the study.

2. Do your symptoms of depression get worse in the winter? It could be because of the paltry amount of available sunlight during the winter months. Without enough sunlight, our bodies cannot create enough vitamin D to meet our needs, and this can cause or exacerbate depressive episodes, including a type of depression called SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. A study showed that anyone living north of Atlanta, Georgia during the winter months simply can't - no matter how long they stay outside or how little clothing they wear - get enough rays to make enough D. During these months, it's vital to either get your dose of D from your diet or take supplements, especially if the level of vitamin D in your blood is low. Foods rich in vitamin D include the previously-mentioned oily fish, fortified milk, cheese, beef liver and egg yolks. Shoot for about 500 mg a day; if you take a supplement, it's safe to go up to 1000 mg, or even 2000 mg a day.

3. The lack of certain minerals may also make depression worse. These include magnesium and calcium. Pumpkin seeds are an especially good source of magnesium. They are relatively inexpensive, and you can either include

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