Food for mood

The relationship between what we feel and what we eat is bidirectional. A lot of people say that they feel like eating a chocolate or chips instead, but a few can recognize the effect of the food on their mental functioning.

Amanda Geary, author of the book “The Food and the Mood” won in 1998 a Millenium Award from Mind (The Mental Health Charity), which enabled her to teach courses for women in order to explore the connection between what they eat and how they feel. These 50 women, of different ages and backgrounds, declared that when they changed their nutrition, felt their body and mental health to change in a positive way. In summary, Geary’s study concluded in lower anxiety, mood swings and depression levels, fewer cravings, reduction in the premenstrual syndrome’s symptoms and finally less fatigue.

This fact, was also supported be Hippocrates, the doctor of Ancient Greece who used to say that the food can be someone’s medicine and the medicine can be someone’s food.

Do you disagree? Then do this simple test.

For three days, eat fried food, sweets, drink sodas and a lot of coffee and note down how you feel. For another three day course, do the same using healthy foods, bio fruits and vegetables, whole meal bread and low fat goat cheese.

Do you still disagree?

Maria Toumpi

Clinical Nutritionist - Dietitian MSc
Photography by: openyoureyesx