In any given year, an estimated 13 million to 17 million Americans will suffer from some form of depression. Women are twice as likely to be depressed as men. And, in fact, one in every five women is expected to develop clinical depression at some point in her lifetime.

With startling statistics such as these, it’s no wonder that the drug companies continue to pump countless resources into developing new drugs to treat depression. But with a myriad of side effects, prescription antidepressants aren’t always the answer for people suffering from sub-clinical depression.

Although it’s always best to seek appropriate medical treatment when you’re depressed, for symptoms of mild to moderate depression, which is sometimes characterized as “the blues,” there are several self-help steps you can take to feel better fast. By focusing on these things each day instead of your sadness, you will be better prepared to battle the blues.

Step 1: Get a Complete Physical

Sometimes an underlying health condition, like hypothyroidism or a vitamin D deficiency, can induce or mimic feelings of depression. That’s why it’s important to get a complete physical with comprehensive blood work before you begin a depression self-help regimen.

Step 2: Exercise at Least 30 Minutes a Day

Exercise is your body’s built-in antidepressant. Just 30 minutes of mild to moderate activity a day (such as a brisk walk) will prompt your body to release hormone-like chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins create a feeling of euphoria and well-being in the human body and can even mask mild pain. If you’re feeling particularly blue, instead of wallowing on the couch, get up and get some exercise!

Step 3: Eat Healthy Meals and Snacks

Fluctuations in blood sugar can intensify feelings of depression. Because of this, nutrition is an important component of your depression fighting self-help system. To give your body the energy it needs to feel good and face life’s daily challenges, eat three small meals and two or three small snacks each day. Make sure you get plenty of lean protein and at least seven servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. If you need a sweet treat, dark chocolate (in moderation) has been shown to have depression-fighting characteristics. Hate to cook? Consider a food delivery service such as NutriSystem or Bistro MD to ensure that you’re getting healthy, balanced meals.

Step 4: Take Dietary Supplements

No matter how well you eat, it’s hard to get the recommended daily requirements (RDA) of all vitamins and minerals. At a minimum, take a high quality, high potency multi-vitamin each day. You may also want to take extra vitamin C and consider taking additional nutritional supplements that are known to have mood stabilizing properties (St. John’s Wort and 5-HTP are two examples). Not comfortble talking to your local health food store about supplements that fight depression? Online resources such as Swanson Health Products let you shop in the privacy of your own home.

Step 5: Avoid the News

If you’ve watched the news lately or checked the headlines on CNN.com, then you know there’s enough negativity in the world to make even the happiest person sad. If you’re battling depression, the news will only make you feel worse - so avoid it! If you need to check the weather report, try one of the online weather agencies because they don’t give you a helping of doom and gloom along with your forecast.

Step 6: Get Fresh Air and Sunshine

Depressed people tend to hibernate, shutting themselves off from the world. But this only makes them feel more sad and isolated. A great antidote to feeling blue is spending time with Mother Nature. Go to the park, the beach or your backyard. But get a little fresh air and sunshine each day.

Step 7: Get a Daily Dose of Spirituality

Doing one thing (or more) each day that lifts your spirits is essential when you’re fighting depression. Need a few suggestions? Watch your favorite feel-good movie, laugh out loud during a half-hour sit-com, read a few pages from a spiritually uplifting book, listen to a spirit-based instructional CD or DVD, spend 30 minutes playing with your pet or call a friend to catch up. Choose an activity that feeds your soul and leaves you feeling joyful. Two great resources for all-things-spiritual are Hay House and TUT.

Although severe depression should always be treated by a qualified health care professional, only 20 percent of depressed people actually receive the treatment they desperately need. By following the simple, self-help steps outlined in this article, you may be able to turn around your state-of-mind before clinical depression sets in.

The steps outlined in this article are the just the beginning when it comes to self-help for depression. To get more tools and resources designed to help you beat the blues naturally — and gain access to a personal life coach 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, visit 5 Minute Self-Help.

Losing weight feels great and can help prevent serious health issues like diabetes and heart disease. But with so many weight loss diets to choose from, it’s hard to know which program is right for you.

To put this in perspective, let’s look at jusAt some of the different diets that are on the market today.

Low Carb: This type of diet combines high protein (and high fat) with a minimal amount of carbohydrates and is very successful, at least in the short term, for many people. I like the protein choices at Bistro MD.

40-30-30: Similar to the low carb approach, this eating lifestyle focuses on balancing protein, fat and carbohydrate ratios each time you eat. Not sure how to balance your meals? You can  get perfectly portioned, gourmet 40-3-30 meals delivered to your door.

Portion Control: This diet teaches moderation in meal sizes and often focuses on adding larger portions of fruits and vegetables with moderate amounts of protein and minimal intake of starchy carbs like potatoes and white bread. NutriSystem is a great diet that promotes healthy eating and perfect proportion control.

Points System: Assigning different point values to foods helps these dieters meal plan by the numbers. No food is off limits here, but a piece of full-fat cheesecake might take most of your points for the whole day! Weight Watchers is the most obvious choice here, but I also like NutriSystem as a similar option because it provides easy meal planning without all that math!

Calorie Counting: This could be thought of the old fashioned way to lose weight. A specific daily calorie intake is set and you count the calories consumed throughout the day in order to meet, but not exceed, this number. The Medifast diet is one that you should check into when calories count.

High Fiber: This approach to weight management focuses on eating a high fiber diet filled with whole grains, beans/legumes and fruits and vegetables. The general theory here is that, if you focus on eating high fiber foods, you will naturally eat fewer empty calories that contribute to obesity. Dr. Siegel’s Cookie Diet is one to watch for high fiber intake. (Plus, who wouldn’t love to eat cookies as a weight loss tool?)

Exercise / Muscle Building: Using aerobic exercise and muscle building techniques is yet another approach to weight loss that involves less focus on what you eat and more on what you do with your body. I like the home exercise option offered by Bodylastics because it’s small, portable and extremely affordable compared to other home gym setups or club memberships.

Diet Pills / Supplements: Diet pills and weight loss supplements are available in many different formulas, with or without stimulants such as caffeine, and can be used alone (with healthy eating and exercise) or in conjunction with a structured weight loss program. You can shop online for weight reducing nutritional supplements at Swanson’s Health Products — they have fantastic prices.

The truth is, ANY diet that combines healthy eating with exercise has the potential to promote successful weight loss. Yet many dieters fail time and time again - no matter what program they choose.

The Reason Why Diets Fail

Although most diets have solid nutritional elements that result in weight reduction, they are missing the secret ingredient to permanent weight loss success: personalized SUPPORT.

The best way to understand how support can help you succeed at losing weight is to look at the reality television show, “The Biggest Loser.” Why are the candidates on this show so successful at achieving life-changing weight loss? Because they aren’t just put on diets and exercise programs, they also have a personal coach working with them side-by-side, day-after-day to keep them motivated and on course!

The journey to lasting weight loss is filled with pitfalls, distractions and plateaus. In fact, many people give up before ever reaching their goal weight (and gain every pound back - and more!). That’s why it’s so important to have someone supporting you every step of the way. Someone that will keep you on track when the going gets rough, talk you through weak moments, provide encouragement and motivation when you’re ready to quit and to share your joy as you reach each milestone.

Finding the Best Support

Your best support system will be a friend, spouse, parent or other loved one who is willing to provide motivation and encouragement as you lose weight - and provide tough-love (or a kick in the butt) when needed! However, many of us don’t have someone who can that kind of support. Those that are close to us may be too emotionally connected to us or simply too busy to provide the honest and ongoing support we need. Or they may have their own personal issues to deal with and won’t be able to fully commit to our support.

The good news is that there are Web sites, like www.5minuteselfhelp.com, where you can connect with a personal mentor that will keep you on task and make you a success at weight loss. There are other services like 5 Minute Self-Help available online and in your area, but they are usually pretty pricey. 5 Minute Self-Help is only $10 per month and comes will unlimited coaching support that can work with any diet program you choose.

Any diet can help you lose weight. When choosing a program, make your choice based on the foods you enjoy and the lifestyle you lead - and make sure you add personalized support to ensure your success.