Comfort Foods

We often call it comfort food, but for millions of Americans, it is not comforting at all. Many people fail to make the connection, but how and what we eat has a direct affect on our moods. Not only is our consumption affecting us from moment to moment throughout the day, but bad eating habits can contribute to long-term mood troubles of all kinds, including depression.

Elizabeth Somer, MA, registered dietician (RD), and author of the book Food & Mood: The Complete Guide to Eating Well and Feeling Your Best (Henry Holt), says that it is not only what we eat but also our style of eating that contribute to our state of mind. The most important thing Somer recommends is that you actually eat. "Many people skip breakfast," she told me, "and then wonder why they lack energy midmorning." Food is energy, and if we do not give our body fuel, it is going to run out of gas. Although we've all heard the advice about the importance of eating breakfast, it's astonishing how many people still start their day with a body that hasn't eaten for more than 12 hours.

THE COMFORT OF CARBS

Somer also cautions against the "low-carb" craze that continues to sweep the nation, and recommends that we stop fighting our carb cravings. Our bodies, and specifically our brains, need carbohydrates. Carbohydrates raise our levels of tryptophan (the chemical that makes you feel drowsy after Thanksgiving dinner), which increases our serotonin levels. This actually calms us, increases our pain tolerance, improves our sleeping habits and reduces our cravings for more carbohydrates.

Careful... Somer's definition of carbs is not a double fudge sundae or chocolate chip cookies. She is talking about all-natural, low-glycemic index complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds, beans and nuts. Foods that are high in carbs, but also rich in nutrients, are the real comfort foods, with long-lasting effects.

Somer recommends eliminating refined and processed sugars and caffeine. For those people who are very sensitive to sugar, a sweet such as a single cookie can begin a vicious cycle of feeling bad, eating more sugar, crashing again and so on. If this sounds like you, eliminate all processed sugar from your diet. Look for the hidden sugars in condiments such as catsup and salsa, canned fruits, juice drinks and other processed and prepared foods. If you are not as sensitive, Somer still recommends cutting out concentrated sugars such as candy and pastries. In research studies, a significant decrease in sugar caused a direct decrease in feelings of sadness and anxiety.

CAFFEINE CAN SLOW YOU DOWN

Although caffeine may seem like a pick-me-up, studies show that it actually adds to depression. When tested on rats, researchers concluded that caffeine decreases the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin. For people who suffer from depression, caffeine can aggravate symptoms.

BETTER PICK-ME-UPS

Robert E. Thayer, PhD, psychologist and author of Calm Energy: How People Regulate Mood with Food and Exercise (Oxford University), says that most people make poor eating choices because they experience what he calls "tense tiredness." A lack of energy or increase in tension causes people to seek foods that will quickly raise their blood sugar. They often go for a sugar snack, which will temporarily "fix" the problem. Unfortunately, a snack high in refined, processed sugar will only relieve symptoms of tense tiredness for a short period of time, which is usually followed by a sugar crash.

A far better solution for tense tiredness is to release tension and/or increase energy. For people practiced in meditation or muscle relaxation techniques, taking a few minutes to relax will usually do the trick. For non-meditators, Dr. Thayer recommends a little exercise. In most cases, a brisk, 10- to 15-minute walk increases energy for up to one hour. That's enough time to choose a more healthful snack.

Getting enough sleep and eating small meals throughout the day are also healthier ways to regulate your mood. If you have more energy, you are less vulnerable to tension, and you will be less likely to start the sugar binge cycle in the first place.

EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT

While Dr. Thayer has studied eating habits and their effect on mood, he is also a proponent of knowing your own body and habits. In his book The Origin of Everyday Moods (Oxford University), he suggests systematic self-observation. Try this experiment...

Notice the association between your thoughts, feelings and behavior before having a sugar snack. Rate your energy on a number scale. Are you a peppy 5? An exhausted 1? Then do the same after you eat your sugar snack. Note how long the energy lasts. Do this several times. Keep your findings in a notebook. Make a chart or a graph. Notice what the snack is doing to you. Then, try the same exercise before and after taking a walk or using relaxation techniques. Fascinating, eh?

Getting to know yourself, your body, and your eating habits is a great way to create new habits. Knowing why you make choices is the first step to lasting changes and a healthier, happier state of mind.

Prepare for Prehypertension

In May 2003, a new medical condition was born. That's when the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure issued its statement that blood pressure previously considered "high normal" -- falling between normal at 120/80 to the start of high at 140/90 -- was now an official medical condition named prehypertension. At the time, doctors weren't certain of how much of a health risk prehypertension might be, but they knew that it was important to monitor.

Now a new study reveals that prehypertension dramatically increases the risk of heart attack and heart disease. An analysis of data taken over 50 years from the long-term on-going Framingham Study showed that participants with the condition were three times more likely to have a heart attack and 1.7 times more likely to have heart disease than people with normal blood pressure. To find out more on this important new study, I called its lead author, Adnan I. Qureshi, MD, director of the Cerebrovascular Program in the Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Dr. Qureshi says that this finding undoubtedly lies behind many so-called "inexplicable" heart attacks suffered by seemingly healthy people. And it focuses on the possible need for more aggressive treatment for prehypertension than the previously advised lifestyle changes alone.

PREHYPERTENSION MEETS METABOLIC SYNDROME

However, it gets more complicated. Dr. Qureshi explains that the increased risk in the study may have to do not only with just prehypertension, but with a coming together of other early risk factors as well. During the 50 years of data this study analyzed, doctors had not identified metabolic syndrome -- defined as having at least three of the five known cardiovascular risk factors (obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, elevated blood sugar and low HDL levels). (For more on metabolic syndrome, see Daily Health News, June 7, 2004.) It is probable that a number of prehypertensive participants likely had other early risks included in metabolic syndrome and that the grouping of early risk factors caused the heart problems. This study makes it crucial for all prehypertension patients to discuss their particular risk profile with their doctor for an overall evaluation. Given the outcome of that discussion, many may want to start a treatment program to normalize blood pressure as soon as possible.

Be well,

Carole Jackson
Bottom Line's Daily Health News