hello! i'm thinking of making a youtube channel that focuses on how to remain relatively healthy when you're depressed. it'll focus mostly on food and a care video here and there. (keyword being trying bc i am a n x i o u s) i'm not a nutritionist or good cook so it'll just be based on my own experiences and tips from other people. does anyone have any advice? this could be what to talk about, what things to keep in mind as i make videos, but also meals you make when you're feeling low and don't have much energy. i would love to hear if you're reading this and have any tips in mind!

@ alien - It's awesome you're considering making videos! I could never do it in a million years. XD

I've been eating healthier over the years and I've noticed how it affects my mental health. Some things I've learned (sorry if everything is brief):

Tea: Unsweetened tea is good for you! Below are some varieties: Camomile: Calms you down and can help with sleep. Green: Just a great tea overall. Tulsi: Lowers stress levels.

Sugar: Having too much sugar can worsen depression. This is especially true with white sugar. If you want to sweeten stuff, I would suggest fruits, honey, agave, or stevia (natural sugar-free option).

Fats: Having some healthy fats are beneficial for your well-being. Cook with olive oil or coconut oil if you need to use some oil.

"Low-fat, "low-calorie", etc.: Anything that's labeled as "low-something" and is a processed food is not good for you. Usually, they add in something, especially chemicals, to make it low whatever. You're much better off having the full calorie version, since you'll get some nutrients with it (in the case of dairy products).

Artificial ingredients: I've noticed that when I eat something with artificial ingredients, I feel worse. But, something "all natural" isn't necessarily free of questionable ingredients. A good rule of thumb is limit highly processed food, no matter what.

Vitamins: Keep your vitamin levels up! Some vitamins are easier than others. Take supplements if you need to. Omega 3 fatty acids: This one in particular helps with brain function. My favorite way to get it is through flax seeds in smoothies. There's also flax seed oil and fish oil pills.

Portion control: Don't eat until you're bloated. When you start to feel full, that's your cue to stop. Also, eating slower helps reduce portion sizes.

Spices: Use them! For salt, sea salt or Himalayan salt are the best ones.

Energy boosters: Some of the best energy boosters are nuts. Keep a bag of nuts around (make sure they're not super salty) and snack on them. Dark chocolate is also great at boosting energy. Fruits are good choices too.

If you need specific recipe ideas, let me know! I don't measure things accurately for the most part, but I can try to be as descriptive as possible.

Everything about toast It's quick, easy and pretty much inexpensive. When I hit that college blues back in 2011 - I was eating like a garbage bin and I felt terrible. I took upon myself to eat something else than chips, cup noodles or to rely on my mom to cook.

I basically turned myself towards toast. Avocado, cream cheese on toast. Tomato, salad, bacon on toast, banana with jam and peanut butter on toast ... Basically all you wanted on a piece of toast. Say yes to nutritious meals and filling but not too much to feel bloated and even more lethargic.

So to be honest, I can't input too much on food-related information here given how ignorant I am about culinary-related expertise, but I did want to kind of chime in and say that if you really want to make a YouTube channel about it, you should go for it! It's understandable to be anxious though, but at the same time spreading information that's helpful could reach a lot of people and make their lives a bit better, you know?

As someone who actually uploads video content to YouTube every now and then, however, I can instead offer a little bit of advice and information about YouTube itself. For one - don't expect to get a whole lot of traffic to your channel unless you're uploading on a very frequent basis. YouTube actually judges their videos based on watch and retention time - so therefore, the longer your viewers stick around to watch, the more your videos are going to be promoted. If you're not aiming for this to be a highly professional channel however, I don't think this is something you have to be too concerned about if it's more just a casual thing for you.

On YouTube, views are going to be the most frequent stats you get, with comments and the Like / Dislike ratio being less common. Don't let that ratio discourage you, by the way. There's always going to be that one jerk who just presses Dislike because they can. If it truly bothers you or actually stresses you out, it's a feature you can actually turn off entirely for your videos, which is something I recommend to some extent if you're just starting out. After all, Likes/Dislikes don't count in YouTube's algorithm for determining which channels get exposed, as I said - it's all about watch time, and if people click away halfway through your video.

Some things I would suggest - what video editing software do you have? It might help to have a decent camera or microphone, depending on whether or not you want to show your face or actually use oral communication (though people tend to listen better to others talking than having to read words on a screen when it comes to YouTube's general audience). You're gonna want to make sure your sound is good and the lighting is as well, and I'd recommend at least getting your videos to 720p if you want to have better retention / watch time. Low quality videos are a bit hard to watch.

Again, no idea if you're actually going to be recording audio for your videos, but if you are you might want to practice a little before making a video official, and write down a script for what you intend to say to keep yourself better on track? I think your topical content will be really relatable though, since many people suffer through depression. Self-care tips are so important, even doing small things to make sure your body is getting the nutrition it needs to continue functioning. So I honestly think making this would be a fantastic idea, and encourage you wholeheartedly if you decide to! Let me know what your channel is if you end up making one; I'll certainly Subscribe to you! ❤️❤️

Also I apologize if none of my advice was helpful or what you were looking for; again, I have nothing of substance to say about food, and I know a lot of this was the technical side of YouTube, and don't know if that kind of whatnot concerns you or not.

thank you guys so much for the incredible help, i really wasn't expecting that! i did some test runs and decided my accent is terrible so i might start blogging and gradually moving towards making videos, or at least make an effort to speak more english. i'm taking it slow so i don't overwhelm myself but these tips are so good and i appreciate them a lot!

This is an awesome idea! If you're worried about the accent, I don't think it would be a big deal to do a blog instead (and move to videos eventually). You can have pretty photos on the blog, and it might be better for people like me who have trouble watching videos X)

ANYWAY for depression meals, I have some suggestions :D

1. Cereal + Milk - This is about as easy as it gets, but it's also healthy as long as you pick a healthy cereal brand! I really enjoy the kind with granola and bits of fruit or nuts in them.

2. Quick fruits! Bananas are my top choice, they're super easy to eat and aren't messy at all.

3. Sandwiches! Egg sandwiches are really easy. You crack two eggs into a pan, and you can either fry them or scramble them or whatever you want. Once they're cooked, put between two pieces of bread, voila. This does require cooking but it's on the mild side of cooking.

I also like tuna sandwiches, maybe it's just me? But basically, I keep a few cans of canned tuna in water in the cabinet. What I do is: open a can of tuna and dump in a bowl. Mix some relish and mayo with the tuna. Spread on bread and make a sandwich! Very easy prep. If you're feeling up to it, you can chop up a tomato and add that too :)

ngl i saw this post and i have minus 100 points to offer on this because i am probably still one of those people your videos would be directed to, but man. just to offer my support!! i love this idea ahh.

(my idea of healthy is a medium sized mcdonalds meal instead of a large mcdonalds meal :') yikes i will be 0 help)