Feeling Blue? Why Not Try the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean diet is more than just a nutrition plan – it is a way of life. Many experts now say that this diet can have an enormous benefit for your wellness and wellbeing, including boosting the health of your heart, and brand new evidence shows that it could also help to reduce depression.

 

A group of Spanish researchers tracked 4,000 people aged between 55 and 80, some of whom where on a Mediterranean diet, which was rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and olive oil, and some of whom were simply on a low fat diet. The researchers followed them over a period of four years. During the time period, 200 members of the group developed some form of depression.

 

Amazingly, the Mediterranean diet cut the risk quite significantly, by around 41 percent, especially among diabetic men. This is possibly because the diet is thought to reduce levels of inflammation in the body. When inflammation occurs, it reduces the secretion of a certain brain compound called neurotrophic factors, and the levels of these are generally lower in patients who are suffering from depression.

 

The Mediterranean has been followed by many generations, generally by those who live around the Mediterranean (hence the name). It is rich in fish, which is lean and filled with omega 3 oils, and also contains lots of fruit and vegetables, which are naturally low fat and low carb.

 

Many studies have already proved that the Mediterranean diet is an ideal diet for health and wellness but this new information about depression is an area that has yet to be studied extensively, and further research is needed in order to fully understand the repercussions of it. It has, however, been known in a more general sense for some time that a good, nutritious diet helps to reduce the chances of you suffering from depression.

Categories: blue, depression, depression nbsp, diet, Mediterranean, Mediterranean diet, nbsp, reduce

Could These Strange Tricks Help You to Lose Weight?

Losing weight is not always a case of simply eating less and increasing your fitness. There are other things that you can do to improve your wellness and wellbeing by reducing the amount of food that you eat.

 

One trick that many people swear by is sniffing an apple, a banana or a peppermint. This strange tip is actually backed up by science. A research project was run by Dr Alan Hirsch from the University of Chicago, who did a trial involving 3,000 volunteers. During the trial, he found that the more people sniffed these items, the less they felt hungry and the less they ate, leading to increased weight loss. A theory suggests that when your brain smells food it feels like it is eating, and so is tricked into feeling full. This could also explain why people who cook from scratch also tend to be slimmer, as they spend a long time inhaling the smells of the food and so probably eat less in the end.

 

A rather drastic trick is to hang a mirror opposite where you sit at the table. Looking at yourself while you eat reminds you the entire time of your goals, and makes you more conscious of what you are eating and how much.

 

The colour blue is also thought to be very useful in weight loss. Studies have shown that the colour blue acts as an appetite suppressant (which is why you won’t see many restaurants decorated in blue). Use blue dinner plates or a blue cloth to help discourage your appetite. On the other hand, you should avoid the colours, red, orange and yellow in your dining room, as studies have shown that these colours actually encourage your appetite, and so if your décor, plates, tablecloth or even clothes are any of these colours you are likely to eat more food than you would otherwise.

Categories: blue, colour blue, Colours, Food, loss, people, Tricks, weight, Weight Loss