Food affects your mood
depression and anxiety

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Little known facts about diet and mood

Did you know that a deficiency in certain vitamins and minerals could - even severely - affect your mood?

I suspect you may be aware that additives in food can cause havoc with behaviour, maybe you even know about the problems with sugar.

So much has been written about these, so many TV programmes shown.

However, you may not have realised that vitamins, minerals and blood sugar levels affect your mental well-being.  Your problems with depression, anxiety, stress, PMS, irritability and mood swings can all be due - at least in part - to what you swallow!

In my counselling practice I use every opportunity to inform my clients about the importance of a healthy diet, with plenty fat (yes ... fat), fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, meat (yes ... even fatty meat too, unless you are a vegetarian of course).

I still shudder when I think about some of my past clients: one who drank two liters of cola a day on top of teas and coffees, another with a diet of only chips and pizzas and some of my younger clients in school - living of chocolate!

Food and depression

Familiar with 'comfort eating'?  Do you lack motivation, suffer from insomnia, feel down, feel tired all the time?  Have you ever considered that your diet could play a role - perhaps even a huge role?

Research has shown that there is a significant link between depression and weight problems.  Hardly rocket science!  It is very understandable that you may be feeling down if you are overweight.  Equally, when you are depressed, you probably can't be bothered much with exercise.

And guess what ... of course that is going to have a 'knock on' effect on your relationship - the focus of this website.

A weight problem affects so many areas in your life: your self-esteem, your activity levels, your energy, your sleep, etc.  Read on for the good news if you are dealing with a weight problem.  But first ...

Did you know?

A deficiency in:	can cause you to:
Niacin, pyridoxine, folic acid or Vit B12	feel 'unreal' feel anxious and tense be suspicious of people see or hear things abnormally have a tendency to be overweight
Essential fat (such as omega 3)	suffer premenstrual syndrome suffer chronic fatigue have depression have schizophrenia
Magnesium	suffer insomnia feel confused have depression get hallucinations

These are just a few examples!  Even if you don't know exactly what it all is and what exactly it does, the list hopefully convinces you of the connection between diet and mental health.

Food, stress and anxiety

Have you ever considered that your resilience could be less than optimal or completely depleted, because you are deficient in certain vitamins and minerals?  Or that you are feeling anxious, because your blood sugar level is 'all over the place'?

Just think for a moment what happens to you during stressful times.  Now consider how your body might be doing when it has to deal with the stress of all the wrong foods?  How much energy will there be left for you to deal with whatever is going on for you on a day-to-day basis?

On the whole your body compensates for and adjusts to stress, but too much of it for too long and it can all go terribly awry.  Physical, environmental and emotional stress all add to the load.

By eating the right kind of foods, you will have far more energy to cope with stressful situations, you'll be less irritable, more patient, not suffer so from that inner tension and sleep much better.

The problem with blood sugar

Did you know?

Blood sugar imbalances can cause:

• difficulty concentrating
• frequent mood-swings
• forgetfulness and confusion
• tendency to depression
• anxiety
• irritability
• aggressive outburst or crying spells

I hope that I have convinced you how important a healty diet/life style is for your mental well-being.

I have seen my clients' moods improve drastically once they have changed their food intake.  Depression disappears much quicker with counselling and a good diet.  Most definitely they experienced a reduction in anxiety and they slept much better!

Eating plan with a focus on mood?

I have yet to find a healthy eating programme that specifically focuses on mood, although there are some excellent books.

However, I have found a programme that is right op my street!  It fits in with everything that I know contributes to good overall health and dealing with depression, anxiety and mood-swings in general.  I have no doubt that the Diet Solution Program will not only help you lose weight (if you need to), but will help you recover from your depression and/or anxiety much quicker.

The Diet Solution Program

A nutrition and exercise specialist with 10 years of experience, Isabel De Los Rios is  helping clients reach their ideal weight and tackle conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

Isabel makes little mention of how her clients' mental well-being has improved.  Sure ... plenty evidence of how much happier people are on account of their weight-loss, but no report on their general mood and emotions.  So, you are going to have to take my word for it!

Isabel has a very extensive educational background in nutrition and exercise physiology.  Her personal experience with her own weight struggles and her mother’s severe diabetes led her search for the BEST nutrition information available today.  The Diet Solution Program is a result of her 15 year study and research.

I now really want you to try the Diet Solution Program and experience the change in your moods.  I am convinced you are going to feel tons better - and slimmer, if you could do with losing a few (or many) pounds.

As a couple counsellor I have a vested interest in helping you the best you can be, because ultimately if you are feeling great, you have much more energy to invest in your relationship.

You may also be interested in:
Adrenal fatigue symptoms Natural depression treatments Natural antidepressants Natural depression treatments How to deal with depression Natural sleep remedies

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Other helpful links and sources:

Institute of Optimum Nutrition
The New York Times: The link between depression and weight gain
Overeaters Anonymous

Images courtesy of: 1Gabrielle Fabbri; 2 Leonardini

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