Everyone knows we do not always make the best decisions when we are depressed. To cope with stress, sorrow, loneliness, or anger, many people "eat their feelings" - it's simply an attempt to overwhelm the feeling of food. We know that food, especially sugar and fat, creates a feeling of happiness, that is, stimulates the creation of dopamine and serotonin that cause a sense of satisfaction in us. Therefore, it is not uncommon for the serotonin drop to be replaced by a delicious cake, and sometimes with a few. However, perhaps depression does not cause bad eating habits, perhaps because of poor diet we feel bad and depressed?
A team of scientists have spent in the US city of Chicago a study that has been tracking a group of older people (who did not have depression) for more than 7 years. People whose foods were more based on Mediterranean cuisine (more fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish and olive oil, and less meat and fatty foods) showed less depression symptoms than other subjects. Such results also showed a similar study conducted in Spain.
Therefore, you may want to consider the fact that although bad mood or depression can lead to poor diet and lifestyle choices, there is a potential for poor nutrition habits and lifestyle can actually lead to depression. In other words, if we know that "eating our feelings" we should think about it and "feel what we eat". Perhaps such a shift in thinking can play an important role in treating (or at least alleviating) depression by changing dietary habits.
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