Is your diet making you depressed?

Hangry (hang-gree) adj. a state of anger caused by lack of food; hunger causing a negative change in emotional state.

We all hear the term thrown around on social media a lot but did you know there is actually science to support it? There is a proven link between mood and food, that shows it's not losing weight that will make you happier, it's eating healthy foods.

Many of us think that counting calories and numbers on a scale will make us happier if they're heading in the right direction to helping us look like our Insta 'Girl Crush', but in actual fact it's likely you could be experiencing symptoms of depression.

Participants of study done by Deakin University were put on a 12-week healthy eating plan to treat depression, and while they didn’t shed weight, they all experienced a significant improvement in their mood with 1/3 of participants completely kicking depression's butt.

The jury isn’t in on why this relationship exists, but scientists suspect that a diet filled with anti-inflammatory foods such as fruit, vegetables and nuts will increase your gut flora. Your gut communicates with your stress-response and nervous system, which in turn regulates your mood. Fancy stuff!

Slimming down is a long-term project and it can be hard to keep motivated especially when we're feeling blue, which ironically is one of the most common reasons we binge out on chocolate and donuts in a moment of weakness.

The good news is the benefits of eating healthy food can be felt almost instantaneously. Coupled with a good exercise routine (also scientifically proven to improve your mood) you're likely to slim down overtime without the depressive symptoms, mood swings and hangry outbursts! 

So ditch those diet products for whole nourishing foods, (like say delicious protein balls or smoothies) stop paying attention to the scales and start tuning into your body and how your feeling. 

Here are five great foods to improve your mood!

Cacao
@lanavanhout
Cacao, the main ingredient in chocolate, is usually the top of the list for any mood foods as far as we’re concerned. It increases the neurotransmitters that are released when we're feeling romantic or euphoric. If you’re after a quick hit, our Energy Choc Protein Balls will sort you out fast!
 
Turmeric
@nourishd_eatery
Turmeric lattes are all the rage, and for a good reason! This spice contains an active ingredient which increases the level of both dopamine and serotonin. Double win. Use it in soups, add it to your chicken or tofu marinade, or simmer it with some almond milk and honey for comfort tea.
 
Green Tea
@wellineux
Green tea contains the amino acid l-theanine, which also increases serotonin and dopamine levels in the bod. The benefits of this are certainly spreading as now, as well as tea-leaves, green tea can be found in powder form under the pseudonym ‘matcha’. Add it to your green smoothie with our Body Coconut Protein Powder for a morning mood boost.
 
Fish
@jshealth
Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to brain health, and cold-water fatty fish are full of it. Include some tuna or salmon into your diet to increase your DHA levels, especially if you’re a pregnant or nursing mumma! This will promote brain development in little bubbas.
 
Fermented Foods
@thefermentary
We chatted about the importance of gut flora for mood regulation earlier, and one of the best ways to balance the good and bad bacteria in your tum is by introducing fermented food into your diet. Yogurt (the kind with acidopholous, not the nasty sweet kind!), kefir and kimchi all contain probiotics which will foster healthy gut flora.
 
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