We Can All Eat A Little Better

Attending a workshop this week on what we eat and how that impacts mood. A few take-aways follow.

We’re all different of course. It’s important to pay attention to how you feel. Some of us are real carnivores. We’ll do well with more meat in our diet.

Look at your ancestry. You will often gravitate to, and do well with, what your relatives thrived on if you look up at your family tree.

When it comes to mealtime, it is a good thing to restore some of the rituals of cooking and serving that we used to take more time for. My best childhood memories are of Sunday Italian family dinners at the home of my grandparents.

When possible, eat when you are relaxed. Your digestive system will be most appreciative. Also, make it a point to chew your food slowly and thoroughly.

There are strong connections between diet and anxiety and depression. You can make small changes which will make a noticeable difference.

Some very healthy recipes are easy to make. Oatmeal, as one example, will tamp down feelings of anxiousness. As you know, sugar is, well, terrible.

(I learned to make Chia pudding, which is really healthy and has plenty of fiber. Most of us don’t get nearly enough fiber.)

Getting some fermented foods in your diet is helpful. I notice Kimchi is widely available in stores these days. That’s one tasty fermented example.

Here’s the bottom line: Say you’re struggling with some symptoms of depression. You might be prescribed an antidepressant. Yes, it will likely be helpful. At the same time, there is an emerging body of evidence that even small dietary changes can make big changes in your sense of well being.

Our presenter this week was Dr. Leslie Korn. She’s written a bunch of books and has lots of material available online. Look her up if you’d like to learn more.

Happy weekend.