OH! Magazine - Australian Version February 2016 | Page 8

MICHELLE
BRIDGES

FOOD AND

MENTAL HEALTH
Michelle Bridges explains the impact of food on mental health.
don’t think I’ve ever finished an
exercise session feeling anything
but pumped and exhilarated. Buggered,
yes, and sore, often, but always all fired
up and ready to take on the world.

I

I’ve long been an advocate of a good
workout to get your head in the right place
and feeling good. Feel-good endorphins
are released by our pituitary gland and
hypothalamus at the base of our brains
when we exercise, launching us into a
bring-it-on state of mind.
Research by an Aussie doctor has
concluded that exercise isn’t the only
choice on offer for good brain function. It
seems that what we eat can have a
profound effect on our mental health in
the long term, reducing the risk of
depression and anxiety.
Dr Felice Jacka from the University of
Melbourne interviewed over 1,000
women regarding their diet and mental
health symptoms. What made this study

different was that for the first time it
examined the whole diet of the subjects,
rather than examining the role of specific
nutrients like omega-3, magnesium and
folate in relation to depression and
anxiety disorders.

be possible to help prevent teenage
depression by adopting a nutritious, high
quality diet. Of course, these things could
potentially also have a positive flow-on
effect in suicide prevention and improved
academic performance.

Interestingly, not only were the results the
same
irrespective
of
age
and
socioeconomic status, but also even if the
subjects were exercisers.

But here’s the thing – changes in the
quality of adolescent diets over two years
were reflected in the mental health of
subjects. So the kids whose diets got
worse over the two years had a
commensurate deterioration in their
mental health, compared to an
improvement in those whose diet
improved. Wow!

The study found that those subjects who
had diets high in processed foods and
junk food were more likely to suffer
anxiety and depression disorders than
those who – you guessed it – had whole
food diets high in vegetables, fruit, fish
and lean protein.
Dr Jacka also conducted a study on
adolescents in relation to diet and mental
health. With a quarter of 13 to 18-yearold Aussie kids already experiencing
mental health problems, she found that
there was a strong suggestion that it may

So when people ask me why I keep
banging on about diet and exercise, I
think of these results.
If we can reign in the junk food peddlers,
make wholefoods a much cheaper
alternative, and increase our exercise by
just 20 minutes a day, our society would
benefit on many levels.

Michelle’s Tip
Start small – if you or your teenagers diets feature a lot of junk and processed
food, go cold turkey for just three days. You will be amazed at how much better
you sleep, concentrate, relax, and enjoy life. This will motivate you to change
your eating habits for good!

8

FEBRUARY 2016 ( OH! MAGAZINE )

www.michellebridges.com.au

( Fitness & Motivation )