Confession: I love Glamour magazine. It’s one of the few (actually, the only) women’s mag that I read cover to cover. There’s the usual assortment of hair and denim tips, but the health articles are always on point and the August 2010 issue really hit one over the fence with “The Cavewoman’s Guide to Good Health.”

With our collective addictions to technology, caffeine and sugar, it’s no wonder that the number of females who suffer from depression is on the rise. We are always go go go and looking for a quick fix - compensating for lack of sleep with coffee and Diet Coke, compensating for lack of time with microwavable meals and skipping workouts and compensating for lack of personal interaction with text messages and facebook. What we need to do is simplify.

Julie Holland, MD says that the cavewomen had it right! It’s worked for hundreds of years, and it will work for you. Here’s the rundown.

1. Move your body. Exercise. Duh. Studies show that regular exercise helps improve brain chemistry to ward off depression. Of course, at the end of a long workday, the sofa sounds far more appealing than the gym so schedule your workouts ahead of time. Three days is all you need - twice during the week, once on the weekends. Doable, right? Get to it!
2. Get some natural light! The window across the cubicle-yard from your desk ain’t going to cut it. Go. Out. Side. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to PMS, chronic pain and autoimmune diseases. Even just 10-15 minutes of sun exposure sans SPF three times per week is enough to produce the vitamin D your body needs. Can’t get outside during the workday? Bring the outside in - putting a plant at your desk may help you feel happier =D
3. Eat. Real. Food. I preach this all the time, but if you were a cavewoman, what would you eat after a long day outside? Fruits? Nuts? Vegetables? Phenylacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal? Wait, what? That’s an actual ingredient!!! Your body needs nutrient rich foods to do its job, not processed fast food. A plant based diet plus lean meats and fish will make you feel your best. If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it! If it doesn’t expire before the end of the Mayan calendar, don’t eat it! What use could a living body have for foods that aren’t or weren’t ever alive? None! Now get that butt to the farmer’s market!
4. Beware of Predators (sex-drive predators that is). Just a quick FYI - the Pill and certain antidepressants have been linked to low sex drive. Know what you’re taking and ask your doctor about side effects of new prescriptions. I’m not saying quit your meds - NEVER abruptly stop taking a prescribed medication without talking to your doctor first - but do be informed and keep ‘scripts to the necessary minimum. As for antidepressants, if you’ve been diagnosed with major depression or are being treated for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, you need your meds. But many women who are sad or stressed out aren’t necessarily clinically depressed. See # 5….
5. Accept Some Natural Moodiness. Cavewomen have crappy days too. It’s completely normal to have ups and downs. Many times it’s hormonal, but as women, we are naturally empathetic and sensitive to things going on in our environments - physically and emotionally - it’s what has made us good caregivers =D Obviously take your meds if they’ve been prescribed to you, but you don’t necessarily need to demand zoloft just because you’re a little blue. There are lots of effective ways to up your mood besides drugs - eat right, play outside, get some lovin’. 
6. Connect with others - IN. PERSON. We are social beings, not social media beings! This explains why we keep up with everything that goes down on Facebook, but not why we use FB to replace having an actual life. We need touch, eye contact and the processing of pheromones to properly bond with each other in a meaningful way. Excessive internet use is even linked with depression! So, put down the iPhone and have some face time with your mom, your friends or the cute guy you DM on Twitter all day. 
7. Get your zzzzzzz’s. We may not have to outrun hyena’s or catch our dinner by the tail, but we still need to rest and recharge. When we don’t get enough sleep we use drugs, sugary foods and caffeine to compensate. Sleep deprivation will make you irritable and distracted, and is even linked to obesity and diabetes (yowza!). A few simple rules: no caffeine after noon, put that computer / TV / Blackberry away an hour before bedtime (the glowing lights confuse your body’s internal sleep - wake cycle) and pick up a book, listen to music or gently stretch instead. Relax!
8. Create some healthy downtime. Newsflash: you need more than sleep to feel rested and alive. While getting your 8 hours and 8 glasses is a good start - you need to nourish yourself on other levels too. Unplug, unwind, go play (preferably outside!). Take a walk, a yoga class, an hour to yourself. Mark it on your schedule and don’t let it slide! 
9. Party the way the cavewomen did. While there’s some evidence that a few glasses of wine here and there may have health benefits, there is no evidence that supports you going out and getting smashed all weekend. Binge drinking can damage brain and liver cells and contribute to sleep problems and poor eating habits. Go dancing, take in some live music, work that body you’ve been taking such good care of! You can imbibe in moderation, just know that you don’t need to get trashed to have fun. Your body will thank you in the morning and for many healthy years to come.  

Many thanks to Julie Holland, MD and Glamour Magazine. 

(Source: glamour.com)

I’m a little obsessed with Rob Brezney’s Free Will Astrology - he always manages to give me more inspiration than instruction (this week I am compared to Gwyneth Paltrow, yes, thank you) and some solid thinking points. Currently we (Rob and I) are exploring the concept of perfection and I think he pretty much nails it.

While Gwyneth is beautiful, rich, famous, in great shape and has a killer wardrobe, I agree that we should strive for a bit more and ask ourselves the following questions:

- Are you doing the work you love?

- Are you engaged in ongoing efforts to transform your darkness?

- Do you practice compassion with wit and style?

- Are you saving the world in some way?

- Are you skilled at taking care of yourself?

If you’re hitting all five, you’re probably pretty perfect yourself!

Check your own free-will horoscope!