Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Eat Fat to Lose Weight and Beat the Blues

Do you eat because you feel depressed?

Even having lost 125 pounds and fought off the demon of depression, I still have strong urges to grab a pint of comfort when stressed or depressed...in my case the pint is usually Ben & Jerry's.

I know from personal experience that eating all that sugar only temporarily helps the feeling of depression.

Well a study done in Spain indicates we can actually eat foods to help prevent depression in the first place!

The famous "Mediterranean diet" appears to be the answer--eating an abundance of fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats is olive oil, nuts and fish.

It may be the fats that have the biggest benefit--olive oil has oleic acid, and omega-3 fatty acids from fish give our serotonin levels a boost. Serotonin is the feel-good hormone, and is what many anti-depressants target.

This is another important reason why we shouldn't just eliminate or drastically cut back on all fats. Keeping some good, healthy fats in our diet is important for our moods, our mental abilities...and it also helps your insides stay regulated and your skin feeling smooth.

Eat healthy fats as part of your plan for losing or maintaining weight. It is a healthy part of any successful, permanent weight loss program.

No comments: