Feeling down in the dumps is often correlated with a pint of ice cream. At least that is the romcom version of drowning in your sorrows.
It seems like the connection between feelings and food is just a stereotype, but there is actually some science behind food and how it relates to your mood. According to a new study, those that were depressed couldn’t tell the difference between high and low fat foods. The study tested the sensitivity to different tastes depending on the mood of 80 men and women. Each participant did a self-report to measure their anxiety and filled out a questionnaire about their lifestyle and body. Then everyone watch 3 different movie clips which included a sad scene, a happy scene and a neutral clip. After each movie participants drank a series of liquids and were asked to report what they tasted like.
The results showed that those who scored higher on the anxiety and depression measures were more sensitive to sweet and bitter tastes post-watching happy or sad movies. This means that they had a harder time distinguishing the difference between high-fat and low-fat liquids. The study proves that our relationship with food is much more complex than we thought. Our thoughts and emotions really can impact our eating habits.
When you are feeling blue, don’t turn to fatty foods to lift your spirits. Instead try these tactics:
- Instead of French fries, try avocado. It will give you the same flavor boost, but with healthy fats.
- Try a frozen treat. A sugar-free lollipop or Popsicle can soothe your nerves and keep you busy for 15 minutes.
- Turn to berries. The extra boost of Vitamin C will keep your cortisol levels at bay.
Do you have any tactics for conquering negative feelings? Share them below.
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I am a very positive/upbeat girl and I have to truly dedicate that to the fact that my diet is high in healthy fats and leafy greens! (I guess I also have to give exercise a pat on the “back” as well)… Eating loads of salmon, yellowtail, eel, etc has really brightened my mood exponentially and I highly recommend everyone adopt a high healthy fat diet! 😀
I am the weirdo who eats less when I’m depressed-when I am really happy, that’s when I over-indulge. I sometimes exercise to feel less depressed but it’s a slippery slope as exercise addiction has been a problem throughout my life…