Sara Rocks Nutrition

I watched a pharmaceutical commercial for a new anti-depressant that you take when your existing anti-depressant isn't working. This new pill is a supplement to the existing one, so two anti-depressants. As someone who has been on medication to regulate my brain, this doesn't jive with me. We know that food can be used to cure a lot of our physical ailments, such as a bowl of soup when we have a cold. But, there is emerging science about using food to help us with our  mental health .  Magnesium mmmm...Chocolate... Magnesium does a LOT. This mineral is responsible for ensuring that your heart beats normally, helps keep your immune system strong, and creates energy and protein. Over 100 years ago, it was discovered that it can also help with depression. Eat almonds, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate and kale for an extra punch of magnesium in your diet.  Vitamin D 🎶You are my sunshine, my only sunshine! You make me happy when skies are gray!🎶  emojis IRL This

Imagine being shut in a room, with no light, no sound, and it's wet. Sounds pretty creepy? It's actually called floating and is so cool! I have been wanting to try this for a pretty long time. I think I first read about them in one of the Dan Brown books (Not the DaVinci code, but the other one with Tom Hanks on a treasure hunt. Oh, they are all like that?). I never realized they were actually available for normal people to use though. I was a little nervous about it. I am not claustrophobic, but being locked in a small container seems like a perfect target for a serial killer. What is it? A sensory deprivation chamber (or float tank, it's easier to type) is a tank filled with about 8-12 inches of water and 1,100 pounds of epsom salt. Yeah, it's twice the salinity of the Dead Sea, so you definitely float inside. The tanks are sound proof and light proof. Because water is heated to body tempurature of 98.6 degrees, you can't feel where the water ends and your bo

Y'all, it's been a rough couple of weeks. Like, ugly crying rough. I walk a knife blade. I tend to lean towards one side, getting eyeball to eyeball with the anxiety monster. Sometimes she blinks, sometimes I do. But, lately I've fallen on the other side, in the dark forest of depression. I've got demons there to keep me company, but am not suited for this battle.  An old demon coming in for a hug. Yup .   Watching the destruction in Australia reminded me of how small I am and made me feel so useless. I saw the pictures of animals dead or dying, hearing of how entire species have been wiped out. Then, the Puerto Rico Earthquake happened. Then, Corona Virus hits. And, on top of everything, the Impeachment trial happened. Regardless of which side you are on, we have a problem with division in our country and it does have a direct effect on our psyches. All in all, everything I was doing on a regular basis felt empty. I generally enjoy my job, but doing my da

Do Soybeans have a feminist agenda? The title of this post is inspired by my brother-in-law, but the spirit behind the message is something that I have heard time and time again: Soy has estrogen and that makes it bad for you. This myth stops NOW. In reading an article from the Boston Globe about Impossible and Beyond Burgers, I found the sentence that perfectly sums up everything that we hear about soy: “Soy contains estrogen-like compounds called isoflavones that some findings say can promote the growth of some cancer cells, impair female fertility and mess with men’s hormones.”  That this article snuck this in without any backup shows their bias, and I hate to show mine, but this is nonsense. So, let's break this down and look at the fun part, science!  Yum! A bowl full of genistein and daidzein! Estrogen-like Compounds Soy contains phytoestrogens, genistein and daidzein, which act like estrogen, but very weak versions. What is interesting is that these phytoestrog

It's a whole new year, new decade, new chance to ditch old habits. Janus was the Roman God of beginnings and endings, choices, and doors (I guess that makes sense). He is also the one for whom January is named, rightfully so. He had two faces, one that looked ahead and the other that looked behind. The week leading up to New Year's is the perfect time to be like Janus; to review this past's celebrations and failures while reflecting on what will make the future better. It's a great time to decide what your resolutions will be and how you plan to create your own "Year of Clarity!" (like we discussed in the last post , remember?) Of course, I want your resolution to stick around longer than old fruitcake jokes, so I've put together some strategies for you! - Be Specific!  Let's say your resolution this year is to eat healthier in 2020. You didn't eat a single vegetable in 2019, so you have a salad for lunch on New Year's Day. Resolution acc

As 2019 winds down with a busier than normal holiday season, I have noticed so many people tell me that they can't wait for it to all be over as this was a "rough year" for them. These are the same people who told me that 2018 was a "hard year" and that 2017 was a "unlucky year." Of course, as someone who wants to help people (but also feels weird about overstepping my bounds), my heart hurts. What is going on with my friends that they are having so many bad years? I’m not without empathy. This time last year, I was that person. In my head, I refer to 2018 as “the year of disappointment” in a loud, booming voice. I began that year in my dream job, which quickly turned to a nightmare filled with car accidents, fights with my husband, sexual harassment, job burnout, tears, blood, anxiety, and depression. Sweat is absent from this equation as I quickly fell back into old habits of inactivity and unhealthy binging. I ended that year mentally brok

We all know that healthy foods and exercise lead to a healthy life.  It isn't always easy, there aren't woodland animals out there coming to help. But that doesn't mean it has to be hard. Simply changing the way you think about health may be the only thing you need to create lasting positive change. What better way to help shift your perspective than to the tune of the songs we all grew up with? Plus, you can hop onto Disney+ and watch the ones that get stuck in your head! A Whole New World Picture it for a moment. You see this whole new world, a dazzling place you never knew. When you are way up here, it's crystal clear. You know that your lifestyle isn't healthy and you need to make some changes. So, you clean out the kitchen, buy all new food, join a gym, and have this brand new routine. Then something happens outside of your control and it all comes crashing down. Instead of making all of these changes at once, pick one or two things and work on those, t