Depression is widespread in America. And you know what else is? Our penchant for sugary and starchy foods. Finally someone has put two and two together and realized the yo-yoing effect of certain foods can affect your mood.
A study at Columbia shows that if you’ve been indulging your sweet tooth with processed snacks like candy, cookies, cakes and soft drinks, the simple sugars in those items can lead to depression.
And even if you frequently eat the quickly absorbed sugars and starches in foods like white bread and white rice, your emotions are in danger — especially if you do like many folks and reach for a sugary snack looking for a pick-me-up when you’re a little down in the dumps.
Here’s the problem with these foods: Soon after you consume them, your blood sugar skyrockets and then rapidly plummets. Those highs and lows can be reflected in your high and low emotional states.
It’s a vicious cycle. As your blood sugar climbs, your happiness quotient temporarily elevates. But when the fall begins, low blood sugar levels sabotage those good feelings. And that can lead to an urge for binging on another round of refined carbohydrates, and possibly deeper depression.
So if you often find yourself down in the dumps, researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center have some dependable advice: Trade in the foods you are now eating for the good mood food.
That means saying no to refined foods and saying yes to foods like fruits and vegetables loaded with dietary fiber. The fiber slows your absorption of carbohydrates and leads to a slow change in blood sugar instead of a blood sugar roller coaster ride.
For a comparison of how various foods affect the speed of your blood sugar changes, check their glycemic index. Based on a scale from 1 to 100 (table sugar is rated 100), the glycemic index gives the comparative rates showing how foods generally influence blood sugar changes. The higher the number, the faster your blood sugar will climb after eating that particular food.
The simple solution to this yo-yoing effect is to eat more foods that have lower glycemic indexes and you should enjoy fewer emotional swings. The researchers at Columbia say that your personal energy should increase, too. And remember, fiber-filled foods also support gut health, cardio health, shrink waistlines and your risk for type 2 diabetes.
In a nutshell: Avoid dump cake — especially when you’re down in the dumps. Try a delicious baked apple instead. Fuji apples provide ample sweetness. Just core, add a little cinnamon, and bake. Leave the peeling on and enjoy. The only blues you’ll experience are the ones on your iTunes.
