When you are feeling hungry, anxious or stressed, how often do you reach for a carrot or a banana rather than some chocolate?
Dr Sarah R Dash confirmed that we are much more likely to reach for high-carb, sugary or salty food when we are feeling anxious or stressed—which may give some immediate comfort—but the long term effects are not very comforting.
“Interestingly, the findings of a recent study in Australia suggest that junk foods may actually ‘shrink’ the part of your brain—the hippocampus—with a key role in mood regulation.”
Sarah points out that unhealthy food also fills you up leaving no room left to eat the foods that help keep us mentally and physically healthy.
When one Australian study asked the question, ‘If I improve my diet, will my depression improve?’ researchers found that those who made changes to their diets had significantly greater improvement in their depression symptoms, compared with those who received only social support.
Mmmm… definitely food for thought.
For more information check out: http://foodandmoodcentre.com.au/intro-to-mood-foods/
