Where, When and How We Eat Can Raise (or Reduce) Depression Risk
Make mealtimes mood-beneficial without following a strict diet
This article is part of a Wise & Well Special Report: The United States of Depression.
It’s Tuesday night and you’re getting home late from work. You grab the relatively nutritious meal you prepared over the weekend and throw it in the microwave. After changing into sweatpants, you take your dinner to the living room and flip on the TV.
A few minutes later, you realize your meal is gone.
Reflexively, you get up and bring some low-cal popcorn to the couch. Before you know it, the bag’s almost empty. You finish it off — what’s the point of leaving so little? — and start getting ready for bed.
If this scenario seems familiar, you could be unconsciously sabotaging your mental health.
It’s been well-documented that what we eat affects how we feel. Dietary recommendations for thwarting symptoms of depression abound, and the food that’s advised isn’t available to many people, in the U.S. or abroad. Even those who can easily access the best foods aren’t necessarily setting themselves up for optimal well-being.
The way we eat — when, where, how often, with whom — can be just as impactful on…
