We are emotional beings; anyone who’s cried into an empty tub of ice cream can tell you that. What you might not know is that the food you eat can influence your mood and mental health.
Depression is a tough emotional state to deal with. During this sensitive time, your nutrition plays an important role in managing your emotions and feelings. Bombarding your body with comfort foods can be a perilous choice that deepens your depression. Certain foods can also have adverse effects on depression medications, altering their efficiency and results.
Let’s just understand few things, there is a group of anti-depressants known as “Monoamine oxidase inhibitors” (MAO inhibitors) these medicines block the enzyme Mono oxidase that breaks down Tyramine in the body, blocking this enzyme is believed to relieve the depression! So basically while on MAO inhibitors, a person needs to avoid foods that contain Tyramine, because enzyme needed to break it down is being blocked by medications and the absence of the enzyme the level of Tyramine will increase leading to high blood pressure and medical emergency!
Avoid depression and anxiety by removing the following five foods from your diet completely. Log your mood and mental state for 30 days and decide if they really do have any merit in your diet at all.
Foods to avoid if you are on anti- Depressants:
#1 Alcohol
Alcohol is a depressant that acts on your nervous system, exacerbating your negative emotional state. Consuming too much alcohol alters hormonal balances, creating mood swings and irrational behavior. Cut back on your trips to the local watering hole and watch your life improve in many departments.
#2 Fermented Foods/Pickles
They are rich in Tyramine, eating them can lead to a spike in blood pressure as discussed above!
#3 Fast Food
Clinical research has tied eating junk food to increased feelings of depression. That pizza that you ordered and devoured last Friday night when you were feeling bad, probably did not help as much as you thought. Sure, maybe one pizza every now and again but filling your diet with comfort food will take its toll. Stopping past the drive-thru window too often can have a dramatic negative effect on your physical and mental well-being.
#4 Coffee
There’s nothing like that fresh aroma of a cup of coffee in the morning, and then an anxiety attack fifteen minutes later. What a way to start the day, don’t you agree? Strong coffee is loaded with caffeine, a stimulant that will get you on edge quickly if you have too much. Caffeine alters mood and mental state quickly creating anxiety in people suffering from depression, leading to a completely debilitating panic attack that can last for hours and it interferes with medications!
#5 Grapefruit
Chemical compounds found in grapefruit can interfere with a variety of medications, amplifying, or neutralizing their effects. Stay away from this fruit and its juice.
Clean it Up!
If your diet features regular appearances from three or more of the five foods listed above, it is time to seriously reconsider what you are putting in your body. Clean things up or a while and reduce the inflammation, you might be surprised with the results.