Thinking of becoming Sober Curious?

Ahhh….A drink after a long day to take the edge off before bed, and then maybe a few more on the weekend to help you loosen up when you go out with friends. Socially, drinking is one of main ways we enjoy being with friends.

The trouble is it’s easy for those units to mount up, without even being aware of it (when I ask my clients to write down how much they actually drink, many of them are very surprised). And over time it can have really detrimental effects on your health, mood, energy levels and weight. Because some of these problems can creep in overtime, you may find it difficult to link them directly to drinking.

The recommended guidelines for alcohol are no more than 14 units a week, with at least 2 alcohol free days per week. A typical bottle of wine will contain 10 units. It’s easy to get through a bottle with three generous glasses in a night! Let’s face it, whoever pours a small glass?

Do you ever wonder if you drink a little too much? Maybe it’s crossed your mind on occasion that you have a problem with alcohol (even if you’ve not spoken those words out loud)? Do you use alcohol like a social crutch to give you confidence at parties and events? Do you often wonder what life would be like without alcohol or even why on TV, films and even in real life the alcohol flows freely at practically every event? It’s like we should all be drinking, and without it, we must be having less fun.

Have you ever thought about cutting down? And then maybe worried that not drinking seems somewhat suspect. After all, abstaining is often interpreted as a tacit indication that you struggle with alcoholism (itself a stigma and kept private), or that you’re just a virtuous teetotaller who’s a party- pooper and doesn’t know how to have fun! Trying to cut back though can be difficult and often meets with disapproval from others.

While you might be eating well, doing your yoga or Pilates, meditating, getting your 10,000 steps every single day, at the end of a long day, you get back from work, kick off your shoes and head for a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc. Soon, one glass is a second glass, which becomes the rest of the bottle.

I wonder if that sounds familiar?

If any of these questions above have crossed your mind, perhaps you are sober curious.

The sober curious movement is gathering pace and not drinking is really rather trendy. To be clear, ‘sober curious’ is not the same as sobriety (being 100% sober). According to Ruby Warrington, author of the book Sober Curious, it’s not that you’re either a drinker or teetotaller. Rather, it’s about bringing a “questioning mindset to every drinking situation, rather than going along with the dominant drinking culture”. Sober curious is a movement that welcomes you at any stage of your questioning the role alcohol plays in your life.

It may be that you have already dipped your toe into extended periods of sobriety – Dry January, Go Sober for October. Being sober curious the rest of the time is a natural extension. There are even sober bars popping up where you get to socialise over mocktails and kombucha rather than a G&T.

Author Ruby Warrington – the first to coin the phase – began thinking about her alcohol consumption in 2010 in terms of its impact on her health and wellbeing. She was drinking in a very socially-acceptable way. The way you might see openly portrayed on social media, it wasn’t like she was drinking secretly or during the day. Maybe a few glasses of wine on a few weeknights and a mini-binge at the weekend. Like many, she was simply doing it without question.

But then she began to question the role it played in her well-being, drinking less and less often. And then she stopped almost completely. With that came relief from hangovers, sleepless nights, and anxiety, plus a new sense of self-confidence and a stronger ability to cope with daily life. She calls her approach to drinking sober-curious, which she describes in her book Sober Curious.

Feel like exploring this for yourself?

Being sober-curious starts with asking yourself:

Why am I choosing to drinking right now?

Is it expected of me that I will have a drink right now? If so, how do I feel about that?

What will this drink do for my health and general well-being?

Think about what it is that you actually want.

It’s also important not to focus on what you’re cutting out. Instead, focus on everything that you’re cultivating or creating space for now in your life by looking beyond drinking.

When you do drink, ask yourself: How is this drink actually making me feel compared to how I thought it would make me feel? You might begin to notice that alcohol makes you feel tired and groggy and doesn’t give you the lift or the release you were looking for. And these experiences might make it easier to choose not to drink on some future occasions.

If people question you, it may sometimes be easier to have an excuse. For example, “I’m just not drinking this month” or “I’m driving.” Sometimes it’s easier to shut down the question, depending on who’s asking and whether you are comfortable sharing. Don’t be afraid to say to friends that you’re taking some time off from drinking, that you’d like to do something different instead (on a night you would normally go to a bar) . Remember, you don’t have to justify yourself to anyone. But if you feel the need to, I always tell my clients to use me, their nutritionist, as the reason!

Can you ever drink if you’re sober curious? Of course! Being sober curious is not about never, ever drinking. It’s simply being more mindful about when and why we drink, and how it fits in with the other things we want in our life. And that’s something we could probably all do with more of in every aspect of our lives.

SOBER CURIOUS RESOURCES

Sober Curious by Ruby Warrington

The Sober Diaries: How one woman stopped drinking and started living by Clare Pooley

Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health by David Nutt

Alcohol Lied to Me: How to Stop Drinking and Get the Real You Back by Craig Beck. There are some excellent hypnosis tracks to go with this book by Craig Beck

Beat Festive FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)

Hey, would you like to come to my Christmas party, have a mince pie, my home-made eggnog, warming mulled wine, taste my amazing Yule log…? If everyone else is eating cake and you’re not, you feel deprived. If everyone’s got a drink in hand, you feel like awkward if you don’t and feel like you totally should be too. You feel like if you don’t have all this food and drink, you’re missing out on something (FOMO). And, to make matters worse, the food pushers will insist that you are in fact missing out on something if you aren’t an active food participant.

And you’ll give in because you can’t resist. You’ll feast like you’ll never see another meal, and you’ll consume frightening amounts of festive tipples because otherwise you’ll be missing out on all the fun, right? You’ll worry that this is your only chance to eat turkey stuffing until this time next year so you’ll have to eat it, even though you’re not really hungry! Small wonder. Apparently, the British cram 44% more social occasions into December than any other month.

What is Food FOMO?

FOMO – shorthand for Fear Of Missing Out –is the pervasive and often unjustified apprehension that others might be having way more fun than you, and that you’re somehow being left out of all the said fun. It usually goes along with the desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing.  We hate feeling that we aren’t there for something important, something epic, something fun, where memories are made and friendships created.  And it reaches its annual high any day now.

But did you know that we also experience food FOMO?

Where Does It Come From?

Food FOMO isn’t our fault as it’s often driven by cultural and biological programming we’re unaware of. Our survival as an individual within a tribe, and thus our survival as a species, once hinged on being “in the know”. To not be aware of a new food source, for example, meant you literally missed out on something that could mean the difference between life and death.

When humans began to create more stable farming communities, being in the know involved paying attention, being in the right places at the right times to get resources and information and engaging in the gossip of the day as it filtered through the community.

We actually have a part of our brain that specializes in sensing if we’re being left out and it activates the stress response. In an attempt to prevent the stress response, which doesn’t feel good at all, some people will (unfortunately) redouble their efforts to not miss out on anything.

Because we are also a species that values and seeks out variety, we feel compelled to partake in it all, lest we miss out on anything. We are also culturally programmed to over-value losses and under-value gains.

Scarcity thoughts lead many of us to have anxiety around food, rather than food being enjoyable. The “lack” mentality also means that we allow food to control us. It’s also very difficult to feel satisfaction when filled with food FOMO because there will be the constant niggling feeling that there’s just not enough to satisfy us. In this way food FOMO leads to eating past the point of what our bodies need or want, causing anxiety, physical ailments and overall malaise, and getting out of tune with what our body really needs.

All of this means we put more importance on the food we may be missing out on, and less on our goals and well-being.

So, FOMO really is not your friend this month (or indeed any month) – especially if you want to maintain your weight, energy, mood and support your digestion over the holidays.

So, how does that festive FOMO usually pan out…

You’re committed to healthy eating during the Festive Season, and you go to just a few buffet parties or events. The food looks delicious, but you are watching your weight, so your deprived mouth can only water. There’s a very subtle fear that you are never going to be able to have any of these delicious treats ever again. The fear of missing out activates your survival instinct to consume everything and anything. And so you go on a binge, and your healthy eating plans are obliterated. The self-recriminations start.

The big question, of course, is what are you are you really missing out on? Nothing. OK, maybe some sweet or high-carb treats, some booze filled evenings and such. But eating and drinking these have a flip side: blood sugar imbalance, energy crashes, irritability, poor sleep, bloating and other digestive issues, and almost certain weight gain (if you consume in excess) – and that’s without mentioning the negative self-talk for having over-indulged.

There’s another thing about this festive FOMO and it’s that it has you giving up taking responsibility for your actions around food and alcohol (you would have been able to resist, right, but it was the party season?)

FIX YOUR FOMO AROUND FOOD

There are several things going on when it comes to food. Your fear of ‘missing out’ on that delicious dessert is the first. But also refusing food (though it should be a basic human right) is mired in emotional meaning both for you and for the host.

The answer is not to find more and more creative ways to say no. If you have to own up to eating healthily around this time or being gluten or dairy free, this seems to compound the original offence of not wanting to eat.

Can you get that it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t want to stuff yourself to the max with the cheese smorgasbord and mince pies? It doesn’t mean anything about your relationship with food, or how you feel about the host. You just don’t want the cheese smorgasbord or mince pies, or not to the extent that you’re so stuffed you feel sick!

Ask yourself what exactly are you missing out on????

Let’s be real, while it’s true that you’re missing out on the opportunity to talk about how good a dessert tastes, sharing a plate of fried mozzarella sticks, or having a third drink, you’re also not battling with your waistline, dealing with fatigue or doubled over with a stomach-ache. So in all reality, what are you missing out on?

Your action plan is this:

  1. INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON WHAT YOU CAN’T HAVE, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN HAVE. There are amazing flavours, foods and healthy dishes that will totally satisfy your palate and give you something to talk about with your family and friends.
  2. TASTE A BIT, BUT DON’T EAT IT ALL.Instead of eating a piece of whatever, eat a bite instead. You’ll be able to talk about it without feeling guilty about it later.
  3. HAVE AN ACTUAL PLAN Before you go to bed each night, plan out your food for the next day. This is never more true than during the Festive Season, when parties, chocolates, cookies and “treats” are just about everywhere.
  4. DON’T TRY TO DIET JUST NOW Set a maintenance goal instead. This is much more realistic and it is achievable, even at this time of year. It will also give you the freedom to enjoy yourself without feeling deprived, or that you’ve failed, which in turn means you’re more likely to rebel (and this is code for heading straight for the box of chocolates without a second glance).
  5. TAKE A BALANCED APPROACH Manage portions. Eat slowly. Savour each mouthful.
  6. YOU EAT WELL AT OTHER MEALS. Lots of vegetables. Making sure you’re feeling full with smart carbohydrate choices and plenty of protein-rich foods. Then you head to your party, have one or two drinks, a few nibbles and – most of all – enjoy time with the people you love!
  7. OH, AND DON’T GO TO A PARTY HUNGRY If you do, you’ll be fighting a losing battle. Have a low GI snack before you go – just a little something that includes protein and slow release carbs (cottage cheese or unsweetened nut butter on an oatcake, for example).
  8. KEEP FAMILY CHOCOLATES OUT OF SIGHT so you’re not tempted to tuck in just because they’re there. Ever heard of the ‘out of sight, out of mind diet’?
  9. Go from FOMO to JOMO. It’s all right to happily avoid certain activities and have the “Joy Of Missing Out (JOMO).” Learn to get comfortable with the idea of doing what you actually want instead of what you feel like you should do. In the end, you will be much happier if you are following your own urges rather than those of someone else.
  10. KNOW YOUR PRIORITIES Remember that each person has different priorities in life. Know what’s important to you so you can really analyse every opportunity that comes your way. When you treat everything as a priority, nothing is truly important. Remember that you can do a lot of things in your lifetime, but you certainly cannot do everything. You won’t be having a blast during every single moment of your life, and that is all right.

Try asking yourself these questions next time you’re faced with food FOMO:

  1. Is this a real or perceived food scarcity?
  2. Is my body physically hungry right now?
  3. What is driving my decision to eat right now?
  4. Is this food readily available to me or is this a special or seasonal food that only comes around once in a while?
  5. Am I stuck in dieting mentality right now, which is telling me to restrict calories or limit what foods I eat?
  6. What exactly are you missing?

FIX YOUR FOMO AROUND ALCOHOL

Frequently, party goers who are cautious about their alcohol consumption are viewed with suspicion. You can roll out the usual excuses for abstention: I’ve got a hangover from the party the night before, I’m on antibiotics, I’ve got a really important work thing tomorrow, and the like.

If you want to have a few glasses of wine, have a few glasses of wine. But make that decision inside of what you know to be your social schedule over the entire Christmas period.

How does the amount of socialising stack up against your health goals?

To be clear, you absolutely can honour all your social commitments but, in order not to find yourself tempted by the usual crash diet in January, hear this: it IS possible to go out, have fun, eat well and not have everyone notice you are being ‘healthy’.

If you cut back on the amount you are drinking at social events – even choosing not to drink at some events at all – you can feel the improvements almost immediately. On those nights that you don’t drink at all, you’ll sleep better, wake feeling more refreshed, you’ll have much more energy, and your mood will be better. The impact on your waistline will be positive too – alcohol is a big contributor to belly fat and is brimming with unnecessary calories.

Here are a few suggestions for cutting down – if that’s what you choose to do.

  1. Decide how much you are going to drink (maximum) before you go out.
  2. Consider telling someone else who will be there (friend or partner, perhaps), to help keep you accountable.
  3. Don’t feel pressurised by others. It’s your life and you are the one who makes the decisions.
  4. Have an excuse ready when you want to give it a miss (remember ‘no, thanks, I’d rather have …..’ is perfectly OK.

So, you see, the fear around missing out is just an illusion. And, actually (in social media terms, certainly) FOMO is a bit old hat. What’s trending right now is JOMO, the joy of missing out. Think what you will be gaining from taking on board some of my tips, enjoying yourself without over eating or drinking too much…

Healthy Eating

Do we really need to worry about what we eat?

These days, more and more people are telling us that healthy eating is very important for our health and well being. However, is it really all that important? A human being is made up of roughly 63% water, 22% protein, 13% fat and 2 % minerals and vitamins (Holford 2005). Every single molecule comes from the food you eat and the water you drink. Eating the highest-quality food, in the right quantities, can help you to achieve your highest potential for health, vitality and freedom from disease. For example, there is good evidence that eating a healthy diet can reduce your risk of obesity and illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis and some types of cancer, including those of the bowel, stomach, mouth, and breast (Cancer Research UK 2009).

But eating healthily doesn’t just reduce your risk of ill health, it will also help boost your energy levels, mood, concentration and help you handle stress better, making you feel better all round.

How have our diets and lifestyles changed?

Although we are living in the 21st century, our human genome is greater than 10,000 years old.  The genome refers to our entire DNA, including our genes. Genes carry information for making all the proteins required by the body. These proteins determine, among other things, how well the body metabolises food or fights infection, and sometimes even how it behaves. Our ancestors consumed only natural and unprocessed food from the environment which provided them with a diet of moderate protein, high in fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other beneficial plant chemicals. Thus, many researchers argue that there is a striking discrepancy between the diet we were biologically designed to eat and what we actually eat today.

Rapid changes in diets and lifestyles have occurred with industrialisation, urbanisation, economic development and market globalisation. While standards of living have improved, food availability has expanded and become more diversified, there have also been significant negative consequences in terms of inappropriate dietary patterns, decreased physical activities and increased tobacco use. This has corresponded with an increase in diet-related chronic diseases which are becoming increasingly significant causes of disability and premature death. For example, traditional, largely plant based diets have been replaced by an emphasis on animal-based foods and energy-dense diets which are high in fat- particularly saturated fat, and low in complex carbohydrates. Alongside this shift in dietary patterns, we have also switched to a much more sedentary lifestyle due to motorised transport, labour-saving devices in the home, the phasing out of physically demanding manual tasks in the workplace, and leisure time that is predominantly devoted to physically undemanding pastimes (World Health Organisation 2003).

Can nutrition help prevent disease?

It has been calculated that, in 2001, chronic diseases contributed to approximately 60% of the 56.5 million total reported deaths in the world and to approximately 46% of the global burden of disease- this is expected to increase to 57% by 2020(World Health Organisation 2003).

Chronic diseases are largely preventable diseases (World Health Organisation 2003). Although more basic research may be needed on some aspects of the mechanisms that link diet to health, the currently available scientific evidence provides a sufficiently strong and plausible basis to justify taking action now (World Health Organisation 2003). Modern dietary patterns and physical activity patterns are risk modifiable behaviours. Furthermore, nutrition has been shown to have the capacity to modify the expression of critical genes associated with normal physiological processes, as well as those associated with the development of disease, including age-related processes and cancer (Choi & Friso 2010). But diet, while critical to prevention, is just one risk factor. Physical inactivity, is now recognized as an increasingly important determinant of health, and is the result of a progressive shift of lifestyle towards more sedentary patterns.

What should we be eating?

There is no single “diet” which suits everyone-one man’s elixir could be another’s poison. However, there are some basics which apply to us all. Most people in the UK eat and drink too many calories, and too much fat, sugar and salt, and not enough fruit, vegetables and fibre.

Increase Fruits & Vegetables

It has been estimated that eating at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day could reduce the risk of deaths from chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer by up to 20% (Department of Health 2000). But eating fruit and vegetables can help to achieve other dietary goals too, including increasing fibre intake, reducing fat intake, helping to maintain a healthy weight, and displacing foods with added sugars.

The reason why fruit and vegetables are so beneficial is because as well as containing fibre, vitamins and minerals, fruit and vegetables also contain many complex plant components called phytochemicals.  Phytochemicals are nonessential nutrients, meaning that they are not required by the human body for sustaining life, but they have protective or disease preventative properties. It is well-known that plants produce these chemicals to protect themselves but recent research demonstrates that they can also protect humans against diseases.

How many fruits and vegetables do we need?

The UK government recommends that we have AT LEAST 5 portions (400g) of a variety of fruit and vegetables daily, 2 of fruit and 3 of vegetables.

One portion of fruit:

  • half a large grapefruit
  • a slice of melon
  • 2 satsumas
  • 3 dried apricots, or 1 tablespoon of raisins
  • A glass of 100% juice- but you can only count juice as 1 portion a day, however much you drink. This is because it has very little fibre.

One portion of vegetables:

  • 3 tablespoonfuls of cooked carrots or peas or sweet corn
  • 1 cereal bowl of mixed salad.
  • Beans and other pulses, such as kidney beans, lentils and chick peas, count only once a day, however much you eat. While pulses contain fibre and protein, they don’t give the same mixture of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as fruit and vegetables.
  • Potatoes don’t count towards 5 A DAY because they are starchy

Increase healthy fats

Eating too much fat can make us more likely to put on weight, because foods that are high in fat are also high in energy (calories). Being overweight raises our risk of serious health problems. However, this doesn’t mean that all fat is bad. We need some fat in our diet because it helps the body absorb certain nutrients, provides energy and essential fatty acids that the body can’t make itself.

Reading nutrition labels on food packaging can help you to reduce the amount of fat you eat:

• High fat foods: more than 20g of total fat per 100g
• Low fat foods: less than 3g of total fat per 100g

Reduce Saturated fats

There are two main types of fat found in food: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated and unsaturated fat contain the same amount of calories, but most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat: about 20% more than the recommended maximum. Eating a diet high in saturated fat can cause the level of cholesterol in your blood to build up over time which can increase your risk of heart disease. The main sources of saturated fat are meat and dairy products.

  • The average man should eat no more than 30g of saturated fat a day.
  • The average woman should eat no more than 20g of saturated fat a day.

Look out for “saturates” or “sat fat” on the label: this tells you how much saturated fat is in the food.

  • High: more than 5g saturates per 100g. May display a red traffic light.
  • Low: 1.5g saturates or less per 100g. May display a green traffic light.

Unsaturated fats

There are also 2 kinds of unsaturated fats: monounsaturated fats which are found in olive oil and avocados, and polyunsaturated fats called omega-3 and omega-6 which are found in nuts, seeds and oily fish.

Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fats are essential for optimal functioning of the brain and nervous system, immune system, cardiovascular system and skin health. Pumpkin and flaxseeds as well as oily fish (including salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, fresh tuna, sardines and pilchards) are rich in omega- 3 fats, while sesame and sunflower seeds are rich in omega-6 fats.

We should aim to eat a small handful of a combination of seeds and nuts daily, as well as eat at least one portion of oily fish weekly. In addition, by increasing our intake of plant foods, as opposed to animal foods, we naturally shift to a more healthy fat consumption.

Avoid hydrogenated and Trans fats

Trans fats are formed when manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats. Think shortening and hard margarine. Manufacturers create trans fats via a process called hydrogenation, a process by which vegetable oils are converted to solid fats simply by adding hydrogen atoms. Why hydrogenate? Because hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavour stability of foods. Indeed, trans fats can be found in vegetable shortening, margarine, crackers, cereals, candies, baked goods, granola bars, chips, salad dressings, fried foods, and many other processed foods.

Like saturated fats, trans fats can raise cholesterol levels in the blood. This is why it’s recommended that trans fats should make up no more than 2% of the energy (calories) we get from our diet. For adults, this is no more than about 5g a day.

Increase fibre

Fibre is the structural part of a plant that supports and holds it together. Fibre can be chewed, swallowed and subjected to stomach acid, yet much of it passes through the body unchanged.

Fibre is important because it:

  • stimulates the digestive tract and helps it work efficiently
  • encourages the presence of health-giving bacteria in the large intestine
  • softens the stool (bowel motion) and helps prevent constipation
  • slows down carbohydrate absorption, makes you feel fuller and so helps to control your appetite, and therefore helps with weight management
  • has also been associated with a decreased incidence of certain cancers of the digestive tract.

There are two types of fibre:

  • Insoluble fibre– insoluble fibre is less easily broken down by bacteria in the colon, so it passes through the gut, helping other food and waste products move through the gut more easily. It holds water very effectively (up to 15 times its weight in water) thus contributing to an increase in stool weight. Fruit and vegetables with their skins and pips, wholegrain cereals (wheat, quinoa, rye, rice) as well as nuts and some pulses are good sources of this kind of fibre.
  • Soluble fibre-this fibre forms a gel-like substance which can bind to other substances in the gut. It also has the extra benefits of lowering cholesterol levels and slowing down the entry of glucose into the blood, thereby helping to maintain good energy levels, concentration and mood. Fruits, vegetables, oats and pulses are good sources.

How much fibre do I need?

The recommended intake of fibre for adults in the UK is 18g a day, but 20 g -35 g in the US. However, most people in the UK don’t eat enough – the average intake is 12.6g a day for women and 15.2g a day for men.

So what does 18g of fibre look like? A few examples of the amount of fibre in some common foods include the following.

  • One bowl (30g) of high-fibre cereal, e.g. bran flakes – 4g
  • One slice of wholemeal bread – 3 to 4g (white bread contains less than half this amount)
  • One baked potato (with skin) – 5g
  • Half a tin of baked beans (200g) – 7.7g
  • Portion of dried figs (50g) – 3.8g
  • One medium-sized apple – 1.8g

Don’t forget the fluid

Without fluid, dietary fibre cannot do its job. Insoluble fibre, in particular, acts like a sponge absorbing water, increasing stool weight and size, thus putting pressure on the bowel wall and facilitating the movement of the stool. Without fluid this fibre is pointless and will only result in constipation.

Water

Two-thirds of the body consists of water and the body loses 1.5 Litres of water a day through the skin, lungs and gut and via the kidneys as urine, ensuring that toxic substances are eliminated from the body(Holford 2005). We also make about a third of a litre of water a day when glucose is “burned” for energy.  So our minimum water intake from food and drink needs to be more than 1 litre a day, with the ideal begin around 2 litres daily. Fruit and vegetables consist of around 90% water- 4 pieces of fruit and four servings of vegetables  can provide a litre of water, leaving 1  litre to be taken as water or diluted juices or herb or fruit teas. Alcohol acts as a diuretic and causes considerable losses of vitamins and minerals so it doesn’t count in this regard.

Should we be eating less?

We need to eat the right number of calories for our level of activity, so that we balance the energy we consume with the energy we use. Although consideration of calorie intake on its own is a simplistic view of weight management (and therefore also health management) if you eat or drink too much, you’ll put on weight. Likewise, if you eat too little for your energy requirements you’ll lose weight. The average man needs around 2,500 calories a day. The average woman needs 2,000 calories. Most adults are eating more calories than they need, and should eat fewer calories.

In fact, controlled, supervised calorie restriction is widely viewed as the most potent dietary means of slowing the aging process (Fontana et al 2004; Colman et al 2009).   Calorie restriction is a dietary regimen that restricts calorie intake, where nutrient dense, low-calorie foods are consumed to supply sufficient quantities of vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients. Generally, a calorie-restriction diet may call for 20 to 30 percent fewer calories than usual. Adult-onset calorie-restriction works best when it is imposed slowly, over two or three years, to allow the body to adjust.

How should we be eating?

We should always eat in a way which helps us maintain steady blood sugar levels. Why? Food is turned into glucose or sugar, which is the fuel that drives all cells and bodily processes. Thus, maintaining a steady supply of glucose to cells is key for optimal mental and physical functioning. However, blood sugar levels must be kept within strict boundaries, since too much is toxic to cells on the one hand, and too little makes us feel tired and lethargic on the other. This balancing process happens through the actions of two hormones. Firstly, insulin stimulates cells to take in glucose when there’s too much of it in the blood- this helps lower high blood sugar levels, but also provides cells with the fuel they need. Secondly, another hormone called glucagon breaks down stored sugar when blood sugar levels are low.

The negative effects of imbalanced blood sugar levels include irritability, poor concentration, fatigue, depression and food cravings- especially for sweet foods or stimulants such as tea, coffee and cigarettes, all of which in turn cause further blood sugar roller coasters.

How you can maintain steady blood sugar levels

1. Eat breakfast. The meaning of the word “breakfast” is literally “breaking the fast”. Blood sugar levels are low after an overnight fast and skipping breakfast will result in an inadequate supply of glucose to the cells. This can make you feel fatigued, moody and affect your concentration.

2. Don’t skip meals. This is for the same reason you shouldn’t skip breakfast- it will lead to low blood sugar.

3. Choose complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are broken down more slowly into glucose because of their fibre content and therefore provide a steady supply of fuel to brain cells. Complex carbohydrates are found in whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and vegetables.

4. Avoid refined carbohydrates. They convert more quickly into glucose than complex carbohydrates. This causes rapid blood sugar spikes, which is then followed by blood sugar lows because the body keeps blood sugar levels within a narrow range to protect against the potentially toxic effects of sugar on cells. This rapid drop in blood glucose levels (below the optimal reference range) starves the brain of its primary fuel and we experience symptoms such as energy slumps, cravings for sweets and stimulants (tea, coffee, and cigarettes), irritability, mood swings, poor memory, poor concentration and fuzzy thinking.

Refined carbohydrates are found in white pasta/bread/rice (as opposed to their whole grain versions) and anything containing added sugar like cakes, sweets, ice cream etc. Natural sugars are found in fruit and are better sources of simple carbohydrates because they contain protective antioxidants as well as fibre, which slows down the release of fruit sugar into blood and so reduces blood sugar spikes.

5. Avoid stimulants such as coffee, chocolate and nicotine which increase levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline (Lovallo et al 2006) which sharply spike up blood sugar levels and subsequently leads to an energy slump as described above. Adrenaline and cortisol are “fight-or-flight” hormones, biologically evolved to help survival under stressful situations by breaking down stored sugar to heighten alertness and fuel muscles for emergencies. However, unless the extra sugar released in the blood stream is burned off through a physical response as in the “fight-or-flight” reaction in a genuine emergency, blood sugar levels will remain high. This will trigger a large insulin response and lead to low blood sugar levels because the body keeps blood sugar levels within a narrow range to protect against the potentially toxic effects of sugar. Usually this results in reaching for another cup of coffee or more chocolate and the blood sugar roller coaster starts over. When stimulants are consumed, blood sugar levels remain high because the “fight-or-flight” reaction has been artificially induced rather than through a genuine emergency and requires no physical “fight-or-flight” response which would use up the extra blood sugar and naturally lower blood sugar levels to safe ranges.

6. Make sure you consume protein with each meal and snack – this helps slow down the release of sugar from food into the blood. Choose from chicken and turkey, game, white fish, oily fish (tuna, mackerel, herrings, pilchards, sardines, and salmon), pulses, eggs, yoghurt, cottage cheese, feta, nuts and seeds.

How do you make healthy eating a habit?

  • Don’t try to change everything at once.
  • Set an easy goal you can reach, like having a salad and a piece of fruit each day.
  • Make a long-term goal too, such as having one vegetarian dinner a week.
  • Aim for balance. Most days, eat from each food group-vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and alternatives, and meat and alternatives. Listen to your body. Eat when you’re hungry. Stop when you feel satisfied.
  • Look for variety. Be adventurous. Choose different foods in each food group. For example, don’t reach for an apple every time you choose a fruit. Eating a variety of foods each day will help you get all the nutrients you need.
  • Practice moderation. Don’t have too much or too little of one thing. All foods, if eaten in moderation, can be part of healthy eating. Even “treats” can be okay.

References

Cancer Research UK (2009) Diet, healthy eating and cancer last accessed 12.12.2011 at http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/dietandhealthyeating/.rs

Choi SW & Friso S (2010) Epigenetics: A New Bridge between Nutrition and Health. Adv Nutr (Bethesda)11 8-16

Colman RJ  Anderson RM Johnson SC (2009) Caloric restriction delays disease onset and mortality in rhesusMonkeys Science 325 5937 201–204

Department of Health (2000) The NHS Plan. London: Department of Health

Fontana L Meyer TE Klein S Holloszy JO (2004) Long-term calorie restriction is highly effective in reducing the risk for atherosclerosis in humans Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101 6659-6663

Holford P (2005) The New Optimum Nutrition Bible Rev Upd Edition Crossing Press

Lovallo WR  Farag NH  Vincent  AS  Thomas  Wilson T(2006) Cortisol responses to mental stress, exercise, and meals following caffeine intake in men and women Pharmacol Biochem Behav 8 3 3  441–447

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2003) Technical Report Series 916: Diet, Nutrition And The Prevention Of Chronic Diseases last accessed 12.12.2011 at http://whqlibdoc.who.int/trs/who_trs_916.pdf

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Food to boost your mood

by London Nutritionist Sylvia Hensher

Can you alter your mood through your food?

Many people are seeking to take control of their mental health using self-help, and to find approaches to help reduce the need for, or to use alongside prescribed medication. One self-help strategy is to make changes to what we eat, and there is a growing interest in how food and nutrition can affect emotional and mental health. We don’t have the whole story yet, but there are some interesting clues. Food appears to affect our mood by bringing about chemical and physiological changes in our brain structure.

A survey in the UK (1) of 200 people found that 88% of participants reported that dietary changes improved their mental health significantly: 26% said they had seen large improvements in mood swings, 26% in panic attacks, 24% in cravings, 24% in depression, 22% in irritable/aggressive feelings, 19% in concentration/memory difficulties. People also said that cutting down on food “stressors” and increasing the amount of “supporters” they eat had a beneficial effect on their mood. Stressors highlighted included sugar (80%), caffeine (79%), alcohol (55%), chocolate (53%), wheat-containing foods (48%), additives (47%) and dairy (44%). Mood supporters included water (80%), vegetables (78%), fruit (72%), oily fish (52%), nuts and seeds (51%), ‘brown’ (wholegrain) food (50%), fibre (48%) and protein (41%).

In addition, Mind, a charity which helps people take control of their mental health, has received numerous reports of improvements in a wide range of mental health problems by people making dietary changes, including: mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks, cravings or food ‘addictions’, depression (including postnatal depression), irritable or aggressive feelings, concentration, memory difficulties, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), obsessive-compulsive feelings, eating disorders, psychotic episodes, insomnia, fatigue, behavioural and learning disorders, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) (2).

Which foods can negatively affect mood?

The foods and drinks that most often cause problems are those containing alcohol, sugar, caffeine, chocolate, wheat (such as bread, biscuits, and cakes), dairy products (such as cheese), certain artificial additives (or E numbers) and hydrogenated fats. Other commonly eaten foods, such as yeast, corn, eggs, oranges, soya and tomatoes may also cause symptoms for some people. A qualified nutritionist can help identify suspect culprits.

How can your food boost your mood?

1. Don’t avoid carbohydrates, but choose the right ones-The connection between carbohydrates and mood is all about tryptophan, a non-essential amino acid. As more tryptophan enters the brain, more serotonin is synthesised in the brain, and mood tends to improve (3). Serotonin, known as a mood regulator, is made naturally in the brain from tryptophan with some help from B vitamins. Foods thought to increase serotonin levels in the brain include fish and vitamin D.

There’s a catch though: while tryptophan is found in almost all protein-rich foods, other amino acids are better at passing from the bloodstream into the brain. Thus, by eating more carbohydrates you can help boost your tryptophan levels; carbohydrates seem to help eliminate the competition for tryptophan, so more of it can enter the brain and help boost your mood. However, it’s important to make good carbohydrate choices like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, which also support positive mood in other ways by helping to stabilise blood sugar levels and contributing important nutrients and fibre (4).

2. Eat More Omega-3 Fatty Acids-your brain is 60 % fat if you take out all the water. This fatty tissue needs replenishing, but you need to know which fats will nourish your brain the best. Essential fatty acids known as Omega-3 and Omega-6 are intimately involved in brain function and deficiencies or imbalances in brain fats are now known to be associated with numerous mental health problems.

In particular, researchers have noted that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (found in oily fish, flaxseed, and walnuts) may help protect against depression. This makes sense physiologically, since omega-3s appear to affect neurotransmitter pathways in the brain. Past studies have suggested there may be abnormal metabolism of omega-3 in depression, although some more recent studies have suggested this association may not be as strong as previously thought. Aim for two to three servings of fish per week, of which at least 1 should be oily (5).

Some common symptoms of omega-3 deficiency or omega-3: omega-6 imbalance include:

  • Excessive thirst
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Dry or rough skin
  • Dry hair, loss of hair or dandruff
  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or breast pain
  • Eczema, asthma or joint aches
  • Dyslexia or learning difficulties
  • Hyperactivity
  • Depression or manic depression
  • Schizophrenia

The best foods to feed your brain are:

  • Omega-3: flax seeds (linseeds), hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, eggs.
  • Omega-6: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds.

3. Eat a Balanced Breakfast- eating breakfast regularly can lead to improved mood, along with better memory, more energy throughout the day, and feelings of calmness (6). It seems sensible then to reason that skipping breakfast would do the opposite, leading to irritability, anxiety and fatigue.  So what should you be eating for a good breakfast? Lots of fibre from whole grains, nuts or seeds, as well as legumes (such as baked beans), some lean protein, omega-3 and/or omega-6 fats

4. Follow a Mediterranean Diet– the Mediterranean diet is a balanced, healthy eating pattern that includes plenty of fruits, nuts, vegetables, cereals, legumes, and fish — all of which are important sources of nutrients linked to preventing depression.

In particular, the low levels of the B vitamins folate and B12 status have been found in studies of depressive patients, and an association between depression and low levels of the two vitamins is found in studies of the general population (7). These B vitamins help to control “methylation”, a chemical process which goes on throughout the brain and body and helps to turn one neurotransmitter into another.  The brain uses these neurotransmitters to communicate, sending messages from one brain cell to another. Folate is found in Mediterranean diet staples like legumes, nuts, many fruits, and particularly dark green vegetables. B-12 can be found in all lean and low-fat animal products, such as fish and low-fat dairy products.

5. Balance your blood sugar levels- The most common underlying imbalance in many types of mood disorders is fluctuating blood sugar levels. The negative effects of imbalanced blood sugar levels include irritability, poor concentration, fatigue, depression and food cravings- especially for sweet foods or stimulants such as tea, coffee and cigarettes, all of which in turn send your blood sugar levels on a roller coaster. Here are the most common symptoms of blood sugar imbalances:

  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Heart palpitations
  • Fainting, dizziness or trembling
  • Excessive sweating or night sweats
  • Excessive thirst
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Frequent mood swings
  • Forgetfulness or confusion
  • Tendency to depression
  • Anxiety and irritability
  • Feeling weak
  • Aggressive outbursts or crying spells
  • Cravings for sweets or stimulants
  • Drowsiness after meals

A few simple steps you can take to help balance your blood sugar: Continue reading “Food to boost your mood”

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