Trying to work out what food is good and bad for us has become increasingly difficult, even for me as a doctor. We are bombarded by confusing and conflicting messages, which has resulted in us not knowing who or what to believe. On top of this, with the rise of diet gurus over the past 30 years, we’ve seen different diet regimes emerge, such as Atkins, Paleo and Alkaline diets forbidding certain foods and demonising some food groups altogether with very inconsistent and opposing views on how to achieve optimal health and lose weight – so it’s no wonder why you’re feeling baffled.
One thing we can all be sure about is that the food we eat has a massive impact on our overall health and well-being, and how long we live – you are likely aware that what you eat affects your digestion, weight, your risk of certain diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity, but what if I told you that the food you eat can directly impact your mind, as well as your body? To quote, the prestigious medical journal The Lancet wrote that “nutrition may be as important to mental health as it is to cardiology, endocrinology and gastroenterology.”
A study in 2017, a randomised controlled trial known as the SMILES trial, demonstrated the very powerful link between nutrition and our mental well-being. In his study, patients with severe depression were placed on a modified mediterranean diet (oily fish, colourful fruits and vegetables and whole grains) and 12 weeks later had a very significant reduction in their depressive symptoms compared to the control group, who had no changes to their diet but instead were given social support. The reduction of depressive symptoms was so significant that it had met the criteria for remission of major depression.
There is an ever-increasing body of research that implicates chronic inflammation in the development of several diseases, and chronic inflammatory disease are now recognised as one of the most significant causes of death in the world today, with more than 50% of all deaths being attributed to inflammation-related diseases such as ischaemic heart disease, certain cancers, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity and dementia. We also now know that many cases of depression are associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation, with studies showing a reversal of depressive symptoms following treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs. So, whilst acute inflammation, inflammation that is short-term, is protective since it helps our bodies heal after injury and fight infection and is critical for our survival, chronic inflammation is now recognised as being a significant cause of morbidity and mortality.
The good news is that one of the most powerful tools to combat inflammation comes from the foods you eat which can not only help you feel good but also help reduce your risk of illness.
When you are stressed, you release the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. In the short term, stress can shut down your appetite through the action of adrenaline, which triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, which temporarily puts eating on hold since it’s priming you for fighting or fleeing from danger so sitting down and having a snack isn’t part of the agenda!
However, if the stress persists, the elevation of cortisol not only increases your appetite but is also associated with a desire for “junk food”, making us crave high-sugar and high-fat food, which is why many of us find ourselves craving certain foods when stressed.
I want to help make your approach to nutrition easier and deliver to you the latest research and discoveries so you can make better decisions about what to eat to improve the health and performance of your body and mind.
I want to advance your understanding of how your mind and body are intricately connected and the relationship between your mind, body and the food you eat.
I want to help you get UNSTUCK through the power of food.
So head to my next article where I discuss why your gut health matters.
