Have you ever thought that the food you eat affects your mood?

Eating to relieve a negative emotion state is a very common cause for overeating and this is directly related to the cause of depression in some people. However, this act of eating for relief is merely a temporary fix for the situation and over time it can result in food addiction and binge eating thereby increasing the risk of obesity and affecting one’s mental health. Studies compare “traditional” diets like the Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet to a typical “Western” diet and reveal that the risk of depression is lower for those consuming the former examples instead of the latter!

So what do the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet have in common?

They’re high in vegetables & fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes as well as unsaturated fats! Both diets also feature lower amounts of trans fats, saturated fats and added sugars. The DASH diet emphasizes reduced sodium levels as part of its routine while the Mediterranean diet promotes healthy fats such as olive oil and oily fish.

Here’s what the Mediterranean diet is all about:

Benefits

Mediterranean diet can promote weight loss and help prevent heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, and premature death - National Library of Medicine

How to follow it?

Eat:

vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, potatoes, whole grains, herbs, spices, fish, seafood, and extra virgin olive oil

Eat in moderation:

poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt

Eat rarely:

red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, added sugars, processed meat, refined grains, refined oils, and other highly processed foods

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They’re high in vegetables & fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes as well as unsaturated fats! Both diets also feature lower amounts of trans fats, saturated fats and added sugars. The DASH diet emphasizes reduced sodium levels as part of its routine while the Mediterranean diet promotes healthy fats such as olive oil and oily fish.

A typical western diet on the other hand...

contains plenty of processed foods which can trigger an inflammatory response which in turn leads to the increased risk of depression. The unsaturated/good fats which are promoted in the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet contains Omega-3 nutrients and antioxidants which will lower inflammatory response making the risk of depression much less likely! So start paying attention to how different food makes you feel when you go out for a meal or are staying in with homecooked food!

Speak to our dietitians to speak on any dietary concerns today!

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