Editorial
Front Page - Friday, December 24, 2010
Traditional holiday foods can contribute to depression
David Laprad
Eating traditional holiday foods can increase depression, local dietitian, Pamela Kelle says. Replacing fatty cuts of meat and customary baked goods with healthy fats and carbs can improve one’s mood while providing a boost in essential nutrients.
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Stuffing, buttery mashed po-
tatoes, pigs-in-a-blanket, egg nog, pecan pie, cakes and cookies, milk chocolates, mixed drinks, gravies, creams and sauces are standard fare for most social gatherings during the holiday season. They might be loaded with sugar, salt, fat and calories, but the new year, and a new fangled diet, are just around the corner, people reason, so why not indulge? Because a hidden item on the menu can cast a dark cloud over the merriest time of the year: depression.
While most holiday cuisine falls into the category of comfort food, such provisions can actually have an adverse effect on one’s mood, especially in people who are prone to depression, a local registered dietitian says.
“Some people can eat these foods and be fine,” Pamela Kelle, an adult weight management specialist and licensed nutrition therapist, says. “Other people are vulnerable to depression, whether genetically, or because of the change in seasons, or because they simply have a hard time when the holidays roll around. These foods come into play when someone is in a vulnerable position or their personality type leans toward depression.”
The top item on Kelle’s naughty list is sugar, which injects the bloodstream with a blast of glucose. While sugar provides a temporary burst of energy, when the effect wears off 60 to 90 minutes later, it can leave a person feeling lethargic and irritable.
Foods high in saturated fat, such as bacon, sausage and unskinned chicken can make a person feel good, too, Kelle says. But as with sugar, the effect is temporary, and frequently eating foods high in saturated fat can cause a person to feel “worse and worse and worse,” she says.
Caffeine is also high on Kelle’s list of substances to avoid.
“Caffeine increases anxiety levels, and anxiety increases depression,” she says.
While dietitians say people should avoid eating too much sugar and fat all year, the holidays are an especially critical time because of increased stress, which can lead to depression.
“The problem with eating these foods when you’re stressed is you usually have a higher level of cortisol circulating through your bloodstream. When you have extra cortisol in your body and you eat these foods, there’s a greater chance of your body storing that food as fat,” Kelle says.
With the list of foods to avoid during the holidays longer than the lines at popular retailers, what can people do to celebrate the season and still eat healthy? Kelle says people can pick one holiday occasion at which to eat and drink whatever they want, without feeling guilty, and then spend the rest of the season being good.
“Being good” doesn’t mean sacrificing taste or the gratification that comes with eating a delicious meal, Kelle says, but it does mean eating the foods that can keep depression at bay.
Some of the best foods for combating depression are those that contain serotonin, a hormone found naturally in the human brain. Serotonin is considered a “happy” hormone because it can produce a sense of well-being. This is good news for people who love “carbs,” as serotonin naturally occurs in carbohydrate-based foods. While some diets steer people away from carbs, Kelle says “all carbs are not created equal.”
“One of the things that happened when the low carb-style diet craze took off was an increase in depression. People were staying away from carbs, and carbs raise serotonin levels. So my advice is to eat adequate whole grains, as well as beans, legumes and vegetables,” she says.
Kelle says people should stay away from “white foods” such as refined rice, pasta, bread, crackers and cereal.
She also recommends an increase in foods that contain fish oil, good source of omega three fatty acids, which have been documented in studies to help with depression and brain health in general. Cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring are good sources of omega threes, Kelle says.
Kelle also suggests taking a vitamin B complex or eating more “leafy greens,” as people who suffer from chronic depression tend to have low levels of B vitamins.
Finally, an increase in physical activity and exercise can help to combat depression, Kelle says, as it raises serotonin levels.
Kelle does not advise a person go cold turkey for the holidays or make sudden changes in their eating habits, as such efforts are doom to fail. Rather, her prescription for combating holiday depression through nutrition includes gradually incorporating healthy foods into one’s diet, eating customary holiday treats without remorse at one gathering and consuming enough calories to ward off cravings for unhealthy foods.
“Don’t eliminate carbs. If you do, you’ll become more and more depressed. The only emotional response food should initiate is one of enjoying or not liking something,” she says.
For more information, visit pamkellenutrition.com.
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