| Type 2 diabetics often have a different way of | | | | of depression results in lower function not just in |
| looking at the world, in a very literal way. Type 2 | | | | the brain, but also in the retinas of the eyes, so |
| diabetics, especially diabetics who suffer | | | | vibrant colors just don't register. The whole world |
| depression or seasonal affective disorder, literally | | | | can seem to be blue and gray. |
| see the world in shades of blue and gray. | | | | People with Type 2 diabetes can really get the |
| One of the factors that makes taking control | | | | blues: |
| over Type 2 diabetes difficult is a 'sweet tooth', | | | | Fortunately, there are several ways to deal with |
| especially cravings for sweets that are worse in | | | | this effect that don't involve straying from your |
| the autumn and winter and easier to manage in | | | | diabetes control plan. Many Type 2 diabetics |
| spring and summer. The underlying drive for | | | | respond to nutritional supplementation with 5-HTP. |
| depression in diabetics often is the difficulty of | | | | This supplement provides the raw materials for |
| transporting the amino acid tryptophan to the | | | | the tryptophan needed by your brain. |
| brain. | | | | It also helps just to get sun, going outside and |
| The brain uses tryptophan to make the mood | | | | getting some fresh air. You will see more colors, |
| regulating hormone, the feel good hormone... | | | | which stimulates your brain, and lessens your |
| serotonin. Tryptophan passes through the | | | | need to eat sugar to get the amino acid into the |
| blood-brain barrier more readily when blood sugar | | | | brain it needs to make a stimulant chemical, and |
| levels are high, so diabetes is in effect, the body's | | | | you will also get more vitamin D, which helps keep |
| way of treating depression. Some experts believe | | | | your blood sugar levels on an even keel. |
| that people who crave carbohydrates actually | | | | In some cases, it also helps to cut out high-fat, |
| have a faulty serotonin feedback mechanism. | | | | high-sugar foods such as chocolate and biscuits |
| Whether or not that is true, you don't have to be | | | | completely for two weeks. This helps make the |
| a slave to your brain chemistry. | | | | cravings for those foods virtually disappear. |
| When a person suffering this syndrome takes | | | | But until you get your Type 2 diabetes in regularly |
| control over their blood sugar levels and gets | | | | good control, you may suffer the blues. Eat a |
| them back down to normal, the result is not | | | | healthy diet and normalize your blood sugar levels, |
| always a feeling of willpower and control. | | | | and the whole world will very literally look |
| Sometimes it's a bad case of the blahs. This kind | | | | different to you. |