Diet and depression share a love-hate relationship. Eating too much or too little can both be warning signs. A healthy balanced diet will help you keep your mind and body healthy. The Bengali diet is a typical fish and rice diet. When I was young I rarely appreciated my mom’s fish-rice staple menu.
Is gut health related to your mood swings? Recent research says yes.YOu will do well to listen to your gut and keep it healthy.
Typical food patterns before depression
You will have a poor appetite or overeat (emotional eating)You will want to skip meals. Your sweet tooth will take the upper hand. Also when you skip meals, especially carbs you are more likely to suffer from mood swings. This is because your brain exclusively uses glucose (the building block of carbs) as energy
Top tips from nutritional neuroscience:
- Have fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Fruits and veggies are important to give you important water-soluble vitamins like vitamins B,C, folate.
- Vitamin B complex and folate are both important to prevent relapse after therapy with antidepressants.
- Check Vitamin D status and adjust the daily dose.
- Whole grain cereals and legumes
- Nuts like walnuts,almonds which are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acid
- Don’t skip carbs.
- Go for the low GI carbs and avoid sugar spikes.
- Proteins especially animal proteins are complete proteins and have all essential amino acids for your body to function. But skip processed meat as far as possible, because that’s where the danger of colon cancer and problems of altered gut flora lies.
- Your brain chemicals or neurotransmitters are proteins. These neurotransmitters help relay info. They are also responsible for your moods. Serotonin is the mood elevating neurochemical.9-% of Serotonin is released in the digestive tract and is responsible for the communication between your gut and the brain and is a responsible member of the Enteric nervous system. Yes, your gut is your second brain, and your vagus nerve which is the tenth cranial nerve, helps your digestive system, connects it to the brain, and is possibly behind the strange feeling in the pit of your stomach when your are anxious. You need tryptophan an amino acid to make this chemical. Where will you find tryptophan? High-quality proteins contain all the essential amino acids like in eggs,chicken, meat, and dairy. But remember moderation is key. Avoid processed food.
- Probiotics
- Minerals which are important: Calcium Iodine Chromium Iron Selenium Lithium
Now, this may go against all fad diet recommendations. But you do need certain food to function.
Most research will tell you your total diet quality is important. Food not only nourishes your body, it also nourishes your soul. Mood disorders like depression, anxiety, OCDs are influenced by your diet. Your diet will help your medicines. It will also play a role in deciding how much you are helped.
Whether you can be weaned off drugs and whether relapse is possible. Don’t ignore your food cravings and your food habits. They hold the key to your moods. Interestingly your gut microbes may be playing a role in influencing your moods. Its quite common that when your bowels are not moving, your mood is off.
There’s more to gut feeling than you previously thought. The gut has its nervous system which transmits to your brain(The brain is the big boss) Your gut microbes also may be releasing special neurotransmitters which affect how you feel. More reason to keep your gut populated by healthy probiotic organisms. This research is still in its early stages. But emerging trends make this an interesting possibility. What’s your diet tip to keep your mood up? Comment below to let me know.
Ask me. I am on diet for the last 3 months…Soon I will go in depression.. :p
Great thoughts for people to ponder on. I too feel that you eat the balanced diet, you will feel more energy and happy at the same time. But yes eating more can make you happy and lethargic at the same time. Good thoughts shared 🙂
Yes diet can have a direct effect on your brain too. Depression or mood swings all can be due to poor eating habits too.A healthy diet with fruits and vegetables can help fight different diseases.
True Deepa.
That’s so scary low glucose level is cause for mood swings. I usually skip meals and get upset sometimes. Yeah we should have balanced Diet to be Healthy
I agree that sudden hunger planks emerge that needs to be controlled. Usually I take chocolates when I am depressed and it helps me instantly.
Totally agree. Really pertinent article… And yay! Fish… 🙂 (I’m a Mallu, I can’t help it!)
Gut feeling absolutely exists. I agree that gut health also affects mental health and well being. That affects our rerelationship with food in general and it in itself becomes a vicious circle
Yes true Sharvari
This is kind of eye-opener for me. I always thought in depression people just over eat of don’t eat, had no inkling that insufficient nutritional diet can also lead to one such issue.
Oh Dipika, food does heal.The right kind.The problem is the propaganda about the wrong types and when we do know its late.But better late than never!
Hi Amrita – this makes so much sense … thankfully I’ve always had a balanced diet and was brought up after the war with home grown veggies … but can quite understand the link – cheers Hilary
Being a Bangali I love my fish but have it twice a week. Is it a good idea to up the intake. A very informative article indeed.
Thanks Natasha.Fish is very important indeed.
I’m not into sea food at all! I use omega 3 supplements & I know it’s not as good as the real deal!!!
Greta post!
I had no idea that Diet and Depression could be interlinked. Very detailed and informative article, Dr Amrita.
Food has a deep relationship with our brain.We do have our favourites for comfort right!