Food & Mood

Did you know the foods we eat can impact our mood?The Food-Mood connection got a major boost to it’s reputation with recent completion of the ‘SMILES’ trial, an acronym for ‘Supporting the Modification of Lifestyle in Lowered Emotional States’.Researchers wanted to see whether a modified Mediterranean style diet (termed the ModiMedDiet) could improve depression scores over just a few short months as compared to a ‘social support’ control group. Here’s what the study participants ate over 12 weeks: So what happened?A 24.3% high rate of remission (relief) from depressive symptoms with the modified Mediterranean diet(Remission was defined as a Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS) of <10). The bottom line – more plants in the diet can be a helpful aid in supporting the microbiome & boosting our mood!Mood Supporting FoodsGreen leafy vegetablesKale, Microgreens, Collard Greens, Spinach, Cabbage, Beet Greens, Watercress, Romaine LettuceOther VegetablesOther Colorful Vegetables(see Phytonutrient Spectrum Foods attached)NutsAny kind. Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios, Cashews, etc.BerriesBlueberries, Raspberries, BlackberriesBeansBlack Beans, Pinto Beans, Chickpeas, LentilsWhole GrainsOatmeal, Quinoa, Brown riceWild caught Fish Salmon, sardines, trout, tuna and mackerel Omega 3 Rich Foods (Non-fish, Vegan options)Flax, WalnutsOlive Oil: Use as your main oilLook for olive oil with a high polyphenol contentRaw Cacoa Unprocessed cocoa is called Raw cacoa and  is […]