Diet and Depression
You might be wondering what healthy eating has to do with overcoming depression. The answer is: we are what we eat.
The sort of food that we eat directly affects our propensity for depression.
Depression thrives on chips, hamburgers, lots of bread, fatty meats, regular fry-ups, suet pastries, cakes, éclairs, sugary pies, toffees, sweet drinks and chocolate bars. It also loves snacks throughout the day. It will become the devoted companion of anyone regularly eating junk food and drinking too much alcohol.
These foods are high in sugar, starch, salt and fats. These are sources of immediate energy, which if not utilised by seriously heavy physical exertion, will be stored by the body as fat. This process is a rapid one and it is cumulative. The more fat you accumulate the less energy you have, the heavier you become and the more energy you need simply to move your body from A to B. Left alone it is a self-destruct mechanism.
Eating for balance and energy
Your nourishment, like everything else, has to be kept in balance if you are to obtain the energy you need to lead an active, interesting and useful life. So what are we looking for? Why - surprise, surprise - we are looking for positive foods. And what are positive foods?
They include all the fresh foods. Green salads, most vegetables, including onions and leeks, and all the fruits. Fish, game and chicken cooked in olive oil and served hot or cold. These foods provide all the vitamins, minerals and trace elements you need to keep the cellular structure of your body healthy and your immune system effective. They are light on calories and therefore are useful in helping to burn up the fat that self-indulgent eating has created. If you live a physically demanding life you need some carbohydrates as well for short-term energy. In short, you need a balanced diet to lead a balanced and useful life.
