More than three million people in the UK are diagnosed with depression and the condition is likely to affect us all at some point in our lives.

Depression is particularly common with someone who has experienced death of a loved one, an illness, accident or loss of a valued life.

But the condition is also something of a mystery - it can cause loss of sexual drive, inability to sleep, headaches, irritability and negativity and lethargy.

Foods to avoid

• Caffeine and sugar in any form as deplete vitamins C and B.
• Cut out food that you're sensitive to ie. chocolate, coffee, tea and wheat - basically the foods we all crave.

Friendly foods

• Whole grains - brown, lentils, barley, oily fish, brazil nuts and hazelnuts.
• All of these contain essential fatty acids that are usually low in depressive people. Remember the brain is 60% fat.
• Eat fish such as mackerel, herring or salmon at least twice a week.
• Hot spicy food produce endorphins that help raise the mood.

Alternative therapies

• Have a regular aromatherapy massage using bergamot, geranium, lavender, rose that will lift one's spirits.
• Vital to take regular exercise especially in daylight, which releases endorphins, the body's own mood elevators. It also increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood.
• Vitamin B complex / Ginkgo biloba are good for elderly people, who are not responding to conventional anti-depressant drugs.
• Kava Kava - helps reduce anxiety - not to mix with alcohol - after 6 weeks have a break.    
• St John's Wort