The Good Mood Diet

THE GOOD MOOD DIET


By making small changes to your diet you can lift your mood and perhaps lose a bit of weight into the bargain!

MIND, the well-known mental health charity are promoting the growing body of evidence that suggests what we eat can dramatically affect both our brain and our moods.  On their website they’ve published The Mind Meal – a specially designed menu which includes foods that help reduce depression.

The advice is not just for those who are feeling depressed.  If you’re just prone to feeling tired and lethargic at this time of year, the Good Mood diet will help put some spring back into your step.

Mood Enhancing Foods

To increase your serotonin (mood lifting hormone) levels, you need to first increase your levels of something called tryptophan.   This is found in red meat, chicken, turkey, dairy foods, nuts, seeds, bananas, shellfish and soybeans.

Boost Your Gut Flora

‘Friendly’ bacteria in the gut help in the production of vital B vitamins. Low B vitamin levels are linked with depression and these are easily burnt up by stress.  To boost levels, take a priobiotic drink, yogurt or daily supplement.

Choose Slow-Burning Foods

Include more foods with a low glycemic index in your diet. Your body digests these foods more slowly, leaving you feeling full for longer and allowing you to eat less calories without feeling hungry.   This also helps stabilise mood swings caused by blood sugar levels rising and falling throughout the day.  Low GI foods include wholegrain cereals,  bread and pasta, vegetables, fruit and pulses.