Choosing Good Foods for Good Moods
Gluten and “leaky gut”
So, what about gluten? According to Scott, at least 80% of her clients with depression and anxiety feel better when they avoid gluten, whether or not they test positive for celiac disease. Gluten sensitivity has recently been recognized as a disease. Some gluten-sensitive people are also affected by dairy or may fare best on a grain-free diet.
Digestive issues and nutrition often overlap with neurological disorders such autism, as well. “Leaky gut” can aggravate these conditions, meaning a change in one area can impact health in another.
What is “leaky gut”, exactly? Gaps in the intestinal lining permit food particles to seep into the bloodstream, causing the body to develop antibodies. In this case, Scott says that we need to remove foods that are irritating the gut from the diet and apply healing supplements such as vitamin C, glutamine and aloe vera. Omega-3 also has healing properties.
Gluten seems to be the biggest culprit here. Removing gluten, working to heal the gut and then slowly attempting reintroduction of foods may help.
To stay sweet, limit the sweets
Even when my sons and I manage to eat a well-balanced diet, we still crave sweets.
Can we keep eating our chocolate? Caffeine and sugar can be concerns for people with mood issues. But, again, quality counts. If you’re going to indulge, organic and dark chocolate are better choices. And a little goes a long way.
Added sugar has no place in a healthy diet, although it’s a common source of self-medication. Still, sugar is toxic.
