“You are what you eat, You think what you eat, and You behave how you eat!”- An age-old saying that defines deep connections between food and mental health. Do you recall binging on a tub of ice-cream post a break-up or binging on large pizza during a match! Rashi Ahuja, Senior Psychologist at IWill therapy app by ePsyClinic believes that most of us may relate to eating particular kinds of food when we are upset or stressed. Though there is no sure shot evidence that indicates that these foods help one in depression, most people report feeling some sort of relief after eating some particular kind of foods. While a lot of research is being done into identifying which food impacts depression positively and negatively, researches all across the globe indicate that more than certain kinds of foods what impacts are how and when and in what quantity we eat these food items.
For instance, when we do not eat food for a long time, our sugar levels tend to go down which in turn make us irritable, angry and low. Thus, if we eat our meals regularly at small intervals we do not give a chance to our sugar levels to fluctuate.
Along with our diet, another major factor that impacts our mood is our lifestyle. Have you ever felt good after a workout? Or have you ever felt good after doing a nice long session of Yoga? As ironical as it may sound, but while the physical body seems to get tired after a heavy workout session, most people on the contrary report feeling more energetic and happier!
This primarily happens because when we workout, our body releases hormones called endorphins or happy hormones. These hormones have a direct impact on the way we feel and our emotions.
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Lastly and most importantly, in my opinion, another important aspect of a good lifestyle is giving time towards self-care and rejuvenation. Studies indicate, that people who take care of themselves physically and spend some time towards themselves each day pursuing a hobby are less likely to develop a mood disorder as compared to someone who does not care much about self.
Thus even though there is no direct relationship which suggests that diet and lifestyle can cure depression, but there is enough evidence to indicate that well-balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle can control depression to a great extent and prevent it from happening. Therefore one must be very watchful of what they eat and how and how they should take care of themselves. This is a relationship which isn’t new but was even emphasised greatly in the Vedas as well.
As per the Vedas, “From earth sprang herbs, from herbs food, from food seed, from seed man.” Thus, according to the great Aryan cosmic cycle, the eater, the food he eats and the universe must be in harmony.