We've been in temporary accommodation for 3 months while waiting for our build to finish. Been living off supermarket meals and in those 3 months I've lost 7 kgs and got so depressed and anxious that I've asked the GP for pharmaceutical help. Luckily the meds she gave me made me so sick that I dropped them both after only a few days and haven't got into a habit.
Last week we went out for a brisk walk in the hills and I almost fainted. Suddenly it dawned on me that I'm malnourished. We bought proper food, custard, Bisto (which is actually hot energy gel) and started cooking proper meals. I've got lovely fresh eggs from a neighbour so every day for breakfast I'm having cereal followed by either porridge or two eggs scrambled with ham or bacon on toast.
The result is dramatic; anxiety and depression are less and I'm sleeping better as I'm not going to bed hungry and cold. I never realised what an effect diet has on mood, I no longer suffer the sudden mood swings with awful feelings of dark depression and at times I can even bear to think about my job and my colleagues, which I'm missing desperately after 32 years with the same firm. It's just more bearable now.
I'm eating well and still a miserable sod so I think I'm beyond help
There is a massive link between food intake and mood! Start getting good sleep, get a nutrient deficiency test and address any imbalances, introduce good quality probiotics and you'll see even more improvements! Can recommend a very good practitioner who helped me massively a few years ago....if you're interested DM me.
All i can say that it's been a funny old year all round. There are so many variables for so many of us that have changed the way we eat, sleep, work, play, socialize that I've no idea really what is causing me to feel sad/down/lose weight etc.
Well done for beating the blues. Foods do affect mood, sadly for some of us it's comfort eating
There can't be a single person in the world who isn't worried about Corona or the crap state of politics or the environment or the economy. These long-term stresses are building up on top of job worries or family and relationship worries. I feel sorry for people who are unemployed with families to support and mortgages to pay, life must be absolutely miserable for them.
Non prescribed drugs can help with anxiety, mood and appetite...
I'm struggling not to be extremely sarcastic and cynical about this.
Of course diet helps mood, it helps everything. You literally are what you eat.
However you can still eat better than just ready meals all the time even if you haven't got a proper kitchen 🙂
I've been going through hell for the last 3 months.
I can relate to this. The trouble is it's a vicious circle for me, when I'm down I crave junk for the brief comfort I get from sticking it in my gob. even though it makes me feel crap afterwards. Feel crap after eating it, eat more junk to cheer myself up and repeat.
I'm eating well at the moment though. We keep chickens, grow our own fruit and veg and are eating and preserving our way through the autumn bonanza of home grown and wild food. Definitely feeling better for home cooked meals made from quality fresh ingredients.
The trouble is it’s a vicious circle for me, when I’m down I crave junk for the brief comfort I get from sticking it in my gob. even though it makes me feel crap afterwards. Feel crap after eating it, eat more junk to cheer myself up and repeat.
I was about to post exactly that and when I get in this cycle, I find it really hard to snap out of it.
Throw in some poor weather and too much work and family time pressure so I cant get out and walk, ride and run and it makes it even harder to snap out of.
There's a massive connection between food and mood. Plenty of people know more than me about the importance of a varied and balanced diet so I'll leave that and the effect of the various foods to others. I think the actual cooking is also good for you, it's creative and the anticipation gets the digestive juices flowing. Sometimes you're just tired cold wet and hungry but when I've time I enjoy cooking.
I like eating them anyway, great to have just before a 2+ hour ride, but allegedly bananas are high in tryptophan and will improve your mood.