When you eat properly, you can essentially boost your training regiment to help you work harder and recover quicker. However, if you aren’t careful with what you choose as fuel for your body, you may end up making yourself depressed, according to a new study published on Bicycling.com.
Today, I dig deep into this topic and share with you my take on the facts presented in the article.
How Your Diet Can Affect Your Brain
When you eat certain foods, like those in the Mediterranean Diet, you can improve your mental state by fighting depression, according to the report. (This is out of the University College London, by the way.)
The research broke down analysis from 41 studies that were extensively done on depression and dieting. When a healthy diet was followed, in specific, the Mediterranean diet, there was a much lower risk of being depressed. This diet, as I outline on this page, consists of eating fish along with vegetables and fruits, while putting a strict intake on bad fats and processed meat. With this diet, there was a 33% less of a chance to develop depression when compared to others.
Symptoms of being depressed include weight change, fatigue, suicidal tendencies, and feelings of being worthless.
When you consume foods that aren’t in that diet, namely foods that you’ll find high in sugar and saturated fat content, you can affect your mental health by causing oxidative stress, as well as inflammation and modifications in blood flow.
This wasn’t the only diet that provided better mental cognition, but it was the one that had the greatest effect on protecting from depression. The other diets that ranked high all featured anti-inflammatory traits.
When you eat a diet that features anti-inflammatory properties and has a lot of antioxidants, you’ll protect your brain from inflammation. Think about adding veggies, nuts, fruits, and even wine to your mix along with plenty of fish.
Take a long, hard look at your diet. Look at adding the healthy stuff (greens, fruits, and nuts) to your diet immediately. If you are feeling any of the symptoms of depression, take a deep dive into what you are putting into your body. Chances are, there are foods in there that are causing those feelings.
Does anyone out there have foods that they eat that makes them feel better? Personally, I always feel refreshed and rejuvenated after a green juice.
About Shaun Hudson
Shaun Hudson loves sports, being outdoors, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. After many unsuccessful attempts to lose weight, he finally was able to drop 25 pounds and keep it off. The secret? He kept a journal of his activity, diet, and daily life. That journal changed his life, and has since evolved into this website. Read his full bio.