Running "healthy"

Today I will finish up my overview of Scott Douglas's fine book 'Running Is My Therapy.' The last two chapters deal with Running and A Healthy Lifestyle and What Running Can and Can't Do.

Running and A Healthy Lifestyle

It should go without saying that our overall health includes both the physical and mental aspects. For runners it seems only natural that we've got a big leg up. But what about areas that have nothing to do with logging miles?

Scott discusses the following:

• Diet & Depression ("Most mainstream dietitians will tell you that the best diet for runners is the best diet for everybody - one high in fresh produce, lean proteins, and whole grains, with moderate amounts of unsaturated fat, and low on processed foods, fatty meats, and added sugar") and ("Good diets call for real foods over supplements. A potential exception for depressed people is vitamin D in the winter, when limited ultraviolet B rays make it hard to meet your needs through sunlight").
  
• Coffee & Caffeine Consumption (Basically, these are good in moderation. I did like the one warning: "Don't leave the house until the coffee has left you" i.e. coffee can make you 'go').
• Getting Better Sleep ("as many as 90 percent of people with depression say they have sleep problems").
• Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder (Honestly, I don't know or care much about this, but there's a section in the book if you're interested :)).
• Running and Alcohol (He wrote a LOT about this. As most runners are aware, alcohol is part of much running culture - from post-race beer tents to winery-sponsored events to beer miles and simply grabbing a "cold one" after a long hot workout. However, Scott does what I consider a good job in laying out the 'other side'. Like me, he has also struggled with alcohol, and is pretty transparent about it. I found this section quite helpful to me as I'm finally sobering up again and believe - especially for those with depression and anxiety issues - life is better without alcohol altogether. I'll stop there.).

What Running Can and Can't Do

This final chapter is another that should go without saying...  For as good and helpful as running is for overall health, and maybe especially in dealing with depression and anxiety, it can't do everything. Sometimes running simply isn't enough or we can be overly reliant on it, and we need to keep it in perspective. I'm glad he included this section.

So, there ya have it. As a runner who also struggles with depression and anxiety I found this a fantastic little book. If you're not a runner and don't have any mental health concerns... you may not be interested. :) However, there is ample evidence in the book to support the benefits of running - even over other forms of cardio exercise - that it might be something you'd like to consider if you would like to relieve stress and anxiety, fight depression, ditch bad habits, and/or live happier!