Depression and Motherhood with Claudia Smith
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Today I'm speaking to Claudia Smith, a fellow nutritional therapist and positive psychology coach who specialises in depression.
We covered so much in this episode so this is a little bit longer than previous episodes! We talked about:
What depression feels like when you're going through it
How nutrition and diet changes helped Claudia to improve her symptoms of depression
The realities of motherhood, and how hard it really is
Causes and risk factors of depression in motherhood, and how the guilt of depression can add to the burden
Simple nutrition and lifestyle changes you can make to help improve your mood
Claudia was so honest and open about what depression feels like - the word she kept coming back to was ‘pain’. As someone who has never suffered from depression, I find it hard to truly know what it feels like, and Claudia was really candid about her experience. Claudia also spoke about how depression can make other symptoms worse - her eczema, hip pain and brain fog really flared up when she was suffering depression.
We discussed the fact that we were never meant to raise children alone, and struggling as a new mother is not surprising in the modern world where your support network is potentially further away. It makes it so difficult to balance your own needs as a mother with your need to look after your baby, and how that can also make you feel more guilty if you’re struggling with mental health. I love how Claudia always comes back to ‘It depends where you are’ - she works by meeting you where you are right now rather than with a prescriptive diet or protocol. Motherhood is a difficult time, and it’s OK to feel like it’s not joyful all the time.
Some simple dietary changes that Claudia suggested to help improve your mood include:
Balance your blood sugar - look at how much sugar you’re eating in your diet
Balance your meals - make sure you have carbohydrates, protein and fats in every meal to help balance blood sugars and get the nutrients your body needs
Make sure you’re eating enough protein and fat - protein makes the neurotransmitters you need for good mental health, while fat makes up a large proportion of your brain
Choose a natural whole foods diet as much as possible
Diversify your diet - count how many vegetables you eat; aim for 50 different ones a week
Check food sensitivities, especially if you have gut-related symptoms, which are common in depression
Think about other factors such as movement, toxins, environmental pollution, stress management and relaxation
Please note, if you do feel like you’re struggling with your mental health, please speak to your GP, midwife or health visitor in the first instance. There is a lot of support available for mothers and your healthcare team is the first port of call to get the medical support you might need.
Find Claudia: Website | Podcast| Instagram
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