A Balanced Nutrition Plan

Let food be your medicine.
HIPPOCRATES

You've heard it a thousand times before. You are what you eat. Good nutrition provides essential high-quality fuel for the mind-body and is important for all aspects of your health. You're well aware that eating an abundance of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (while avoiding saturated fats) can reduce your risk of heart disease and certain cancers. What you may not know is that these very same foods will also give you sustained energy and a general sense of well-being. What's more, eating the right kinds of foods can actually influence the workings of your genes and make you less susceptible to depression and other related illnesses.

Time and again you've experienced the intense effects that food can have on your moods. Cakes, cookies, and fudge are known as pleasure foods not only because they delight your taste buds but because they can make you feel calm and happy - at least temporarily. This sugar induced sense of euphoria comes from several chemical mechanisms in your brain. First of all, the sheer pleasure of tasting a chocolate treat or powdery donut stimulates your brain's pleasure pathways and the release of dopamine and endorphins, the chemicals that makes you feel exhilarated. You also get a quick surge of energy as the sugar hits your bloodstream. Unfortunately, that energized feeling lasts only as long as the sugar rush. Once your blood-sugar levels drop (about an hour or two later), you're left feeling drained and out of sorts. You become an addict looking for another hit.

Clearly, then, food can be as powerful as the most addictive drug. If you're experiencing carbohydrate cravings as a result of taking antidepressants, you're probably well aware of the addictive nature of certain foods. Addictive foods are almost always processed foods. (I have never known anyone addicted to lima beans.) And you probably know that feeding your cravings only makes you crave the food even more. In fact, some studies suggest that food cravings may be triggered by low levels of neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins), a phenomenon that may also occur in people who are addicted to alcohol and drugs. Research by Judith Wurtman, Ph.D., at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that women suffering from PMS - related mood swings felt calmer after eating carbohydrates; carbohydrates help the body to absorb tryptophan, which can be made into mood improving serotonin.