The simple diet tweaks that can help boost your mood: DR MEGAN ROSSI

How does your food make you feel? You may not have given him much attention but whatever mood you are in now will be determined in part by what you ate.

It’s not about feeling euphoric with a chocolate bar — which has an immediate effect on the reward centers in your brain.

But, in the long run, your diet affects your emotions in a variety of ways, from changing the size of mood-related regions in your brain, to changing the way brain cells communicate with mood-altering bacteria in your gut.

We now know that our diet can even affect our risk of depression. The reverse is also true: Improving a poor diet can work as well as antidepressants — and in some cases, better.

This was the result of a major study conducted by the Deakin University Food and Mood Center in Australia. In this study, called the ‘SMILES’ trial, people with moderate to severe depression who had poor diets were put on either a modified Mediterranean diet (full of whole grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, seeds, and extra virgin olive oil) and rich in fiber – 50 grams per day) plus seven sessions with a dietitian – or they received advice from a trained researcher, also for seven sessions. And everyone stayed on their usual medications, such as antidepressants.

The results were amazing. After 12 weeks, a third of those who followed the Mediterranean diet were in remission from depression, compared to just 8 percent in the control group.

Now I certainly wouldn’t suggest that anyone with depression give up their medication in favor of a new eating plan, but there’s no harm in improving your diet while still eating. Many of my clients have done this, with some very profound improvements.

So why would the Mediterranean diet help someone with a mental health problem?

Food affects our mood in many ways, including structurally: A healthy diet can encourage the development of the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in memory and emotion regulation. This was highlighted in an 11-year study in the American Journal of Medicine published in 2018 involving more than 400 women. Those who ate a typical Western diet — high in processed foods and red meat — had smaller hippocampi, on average, than women who ate a healthy, plant-rich diet.

Diet also affects our neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new connections. Research shows that people with depression tend to have lower levels of a protein that encourages neuroplasticity — brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) — which helps new nerves develop.

However, the right diet appears to boost BDNF levels. A three-year study found that people who followed a Mediterranean-style diet (which was particularly rich in nuts) had a “lower risk” of low levels of BDNF than those who followed a low-fat diet, Nutritional reported. Neuroscience in 2011.

And there’s another vital component – our gut microbes. We are increasingly learning how important their role is in regulating our emotions.

People with depression tend to have a less diverse set of gut microbes. Interestingly, when the researchers took stool samples from depressed patients and put them into mice, the animals began to show signs of depression — and according to a review of 21 studies (mostly in animals) published in BMC Psychiatry last year, the rodents gave off anxiety and depression. Cultivating a healthy community of microbes can reduce these symptoms.

The health of our gut microbes also appears to influence how we respond to stress. This was neatly illustrated when researchers gave 36 women brain scans while they were taking a test where they had to identify emotions on people’s faces (if that sounds like a weird test, looking at faces filled with fear and anger plus the act of having to do a time-limited task can to create tension).

The participants were then given either a fermented milk product (including live “good” bacteria) or an unfermented milk product twice a day for two weeks – and the control group had none. Then they retested the face.

The big reveal? The women who drank the fermented milk had less activity in the area of ​​the brain that oversees emotion processing – which means they felt less stressed while taking the test.

If you want to follow a diet that has the potential to improve your mood, the strongest research suggests following the Mediterranean diet, with some modifications.

• Replace standard dairy products with fermented dairy products, such as live yogurt and “aged” (ie, not mass-produced) cheeses, such as Parmesan, and drink kefir to keep your gut bacteria in good shape.
• Not all whole grains are alike: Rice (even brown), wholemeal bread, and processed bran cereals with added sugar tend to break down faster, leading to a faster spike in blood sugar. In turn, this can make you feel upset. Opt instead for carbohydrates such as barley, barley, rye or oats — whatever needs more chewing is less processed and will raise your blood sugar a little more slowly.
• When it comes to protein, focus on lean white meat and make sure you’re getting two servings of omega-3-rich oily fish (sardines, salmon, and mackerel) per week. Your brain contains 60 percent fat by dry weight and omega-3s are used to ensure good communication between brain cells. Research has found that people with depression tend to have lower levels of omega-3s in their blood. They also seem to have higher levels of inflammation. Omega 3 helps prevent inflammation; Processed foods seem to make it worse.
• Eat plenty of legumes, such as chickpeas and lentils. It is rich in prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides, which are the fuel for anti-inflammatory gut bacteria.
• drink tea. People who drink three or more cups a day have been shown to have lower rates of depression. Tea is rich in a group of phytochemicals such as L-theanine, which has been linked to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
• Spice up your cooking with turmeric. Curcumin, the active ingredient, has an anti-inflammatory effect and has also been found to reduce cortisol levels in people with depression. Add black pepper to increase its absorption and try it in curries and smoothies – I even add it to porridge sometimes.

I can’t guarantee that this approach will instantly boost your mood but the evidence suggests that if you stick with it for at least eight weeks, you’ll likely feel a difference.

Most wasabi in the UK is not true wasabi (Wasabia japonica) but horseradish. Real wasabi is not only expensive, but quickly loses its flavor, so it’s best eaten fresh, which makes it difficult to use as a condiment. Its heat hits your nose (due to the allyl isothiocyanate fumes) — unlike hot peppers, where it’s in your mouth (right down to the capsaicin).

Try this: Fruit and flax porridge

This simple breakfast helps jump-start the digestion process and follows the principles of the Mediterranean diet. Cook on the stovetop or leave it in a slow cooker overnight until you wake up to the aroma of cinnamon and apples.

Serves 4

• 2 apples cut into cubes
• 1 cup of jumbo oats
• Half a cup of flax seeds
• 2 and a half cups of milk of your choice
• 2 cups of water
• A cup of dried fruit
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Serving suggestions: Top with nut butter, bananas, berries, walnuts, shredded carrots, flaxseeds, buttermilk or maple syrup.

Fry the apples and cinnamon in a dash of olive oil until softened, then place in a large saucepan with the other ingredients. Simmer for five minutes or until the oats are tender.

Slow Cooker Method: Combine all ingredients with a pinch of salt in the ceramic bowl of the slow cooker and set to low. Cover and cook for seven to eight hours. Stir well to combine (including any dried bits on the sides), adding additional milk if needed. Served with toppings of your choice.

Ask Megan

I have tried everything to help my IBS. Excessive flatulence has ruined my life for the past 30 years. My doctor suggested a low FODMAPs plan and yoga – it helped me a bit but I still struggled. Everything I eat causes cramps and high wind. It keeps me from doing the things I want to do, like golf.

Name and address provided.

I’m sorry to hear you’ve been struggling for so long. Flatulence is a normal process, and in fact, it can be a sign of a well-nourished community of gut bacteria.

Of course it can be irritating due to excessive amounts (ie more than 20 times a day); smell (as others leave the room); and/or you are unable to hold it back (gas incontinence).

You need to determine which of these things affect you the most. If excessive amounts, reducing fermentable carbohydrates (or FODMAPs, for example foods like onions that are poorly digested in the large intestine, where they ferment) for a short time, or checking food intolerances with a dietitian is best.

If smell is the smell, look at the amount and type of protein you’re consuming: too much red meat and protein supplements can cause problems. And if flatulence incontinence is involved, daily pelvic floor exercises are most effective.

Contact Megan Rossi

e-mail [email protected] Or write to Good Health, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London, W8 5HY – please provide contact details. Dr. Megan Rossi cannot engage in personal correspondence. Responses should be taken in a general context; Always consult your doctor about your health concerns

Source: | This article originally belonged to Dailymail.co.uk