How Can Diet Help?

Food affects our mood. That's the bottom line! We all know that when we are depressed we often resort to comfort eating. It is really important to look at this issue when our heads are above water just enough for us to get a little perspective on the way we eat. There is plenty of medical advice available on what to eat and what not to eat, and it is often conflicting. We are bombarded by the message that eating the wrong foods can lead to illness and bad health. The problem is that when we feel depressed, what's in our fridge is of little importance to us. For those of us that can munch through a packet of chocolate digestives in about fifteen minutes, we also know that if there's one thing worse than feeling depressed, it's feeling sick and depressed.

However, if you are trying to climb back up out of a spiral of depression, you have to pay attention to what you put into your mouth. Certain foods can exacerbate depression. For instance, overdoing it on cheese, crisps, ice cream, chocolate, white bread, cakes, biscuits, coffee, alcohol and smoking can make you feel dreadful for at least a couple of days. So you need to attend to your menu.

It's easy to get into a cycle when you are depressed. You don't care what you put in your mouth, so you feel worse, and then care even less. But sometimes just being aware of the link between feeling awful and your eating pattern can be enough to spur you into action. As long as you have that awareness, the seed will germinate and grow in time.

Planning ahead is the key. If you want to eat healthily, you should shop accordingly. And if you prepare healthy food earlier, it will become second nature to get out that food and eat it. Include goodies and treats, but make sure the basics are included. I generally find that by following these two rules I can keep my focus on good food:

1 Five portions of fruit and vegetables a day

2 Eat three meals a day and nothing in between

We feel much better about ourselves when we eat well. Eating junk is part of the self-perpetuating abuse that we pour on our­selves when we have little self-worth. It's easier to fall into the victim mentality when we don't look after ourselves and then blame everyone else for not looking after us. Changing our food is a tiny step towards beating depression.


MY ONE BIG FOOD TIP - SOUPS! AND HOME-MADE IS BEST.

A GREAT RECIPE WHICH IS SIMPLE AND QUICK IS:

Soften 1 onion and two sticks of celery in a pan with some olive oil. Add i tin tomatoes, i tablespoon tomato puree, 2 cloves garlic, i tin cannellini beans and a pint of stock. Simmer for 30 minutes then add herbs to taste (oregano is lovely). Add grated cheese to serve if you wish. This soup is nutritious and comforting and hits the spot every time.



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