A spud at night could lead you to a brighter morning

By SIOBHÃÂN HOLLIMAN A SPUD at night could help us wake up happier: making changes to what we eat could significantly improve a personâ€â„¢s mood and help prevent depression. This is one of the findings of mature student Steven Taylor from Corrandulla who has used his own experience of depression as inspiration for his study into how a personâ€â„¢s diet can impact on their mood. People turn to chocolate for comfort, or an espresso to get them over an afternoon slump, but Steven wanted to investigate whether food could have a larger feel-good factor.[private] Although his research was limited, he found that his test subjects, who included himself, reported significant mood improvements and increased energy levels as a result of making changes to their daily diet. Steven, who is originally from Watford in England, has been living in Corrandulla for more than 20 years. He works in food production and product development at Castlemine Farm, an organic farm in Co Roscommon and has just completed a BA in Culinary Arts at GMIT. The food enthusiast says he has suffered from severe depression in the past and was interested in finding out the link between mood levels and what a person eats. â€Å“I definitely believe there is a link between what we eat and how we feel,â€Â said Steven. He explains that the basis of the diet is simplicity - fresh food, prepared fresh and the avoidance of sugar and processed foods. He also recommends eating protein at every meal in conjunction with complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are unrefined carbohydrates such as brown rice, potatoes with their skins on and wholewheat pastas and breads. Testers were asked to stop eating processed foods and those high in sugar, as well as stopping or cutting back on alcohol and caffeine. They also took an omega-3 supplement such as cod liver oil. One of the unique and interesting aspects of the diet is eating a portion of potato late at night. Steven has found that by eating a complex carbohydrate around 11 pm or at least three or four hours after your main evening meal can aid the release of serotonin in the brain during the night. â€Å“Iâ€â„¢m not talking about having a big plate of spuds going to bed! Just a small portion, preferably with the skin left on. You could use any other complex carbohydrate but spuds are easy to have on hand and are usually in most households,â€Â added Steven. â€Å“Ideally a person would also go for a walk first thing for additional mood-boosting effects,â€Â added Steven. The study was intended to investigate how what you eat affects how you feel and whether through diet it is possible to improve a personâ€â„¢s temperament. The diet doesnâ€â„¢t involve weighing foods or drinking any bizarre concoctions. â€Å“For breakfast Iâ€â„¢d usually have some muesli followed by sardines, kippers or an egg. Lunch could be something like chicken with brown rice while Iâ€â„¢d tend to choose oily fish, chicken or turkey again for dinner with fresh vegetables and a complex carbohydrate like potatoes or wholewheat pasta. If you eat bread then choose one made with wholegrains and seeds, the less refined the better.â€Â Steven found that food can influence a personâ€â„¢s appetite and their frame of mind. All of the testers felt more motivated, less irritable and had reduced cravings for sweet or comfort-type foods. The results were very positive and Steven has experienced first-hand the benefits of eating a balanced diet in helping his depression. â€Å“I do believe you can change how you think and feel by what you eat. Itâ€â„¢s not always easy to restrict processed foods but you should aim to eat as much fresh food as possible while avoiding stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, alcohol and processed foods.â€Â Stevenâ€â„¢s depression took him and his family by complete surprise. â€Å“I canâ€â„¢t explain it. It came out of the blue It was really bad and I couldnâ€â„¢t seem to do anything.â€Â The mature student is no longer on medication and he hopes that by continuing to follow a healthier diet it will help maintain his improved mood. However he stresses that his research is not a cure for depression and he is not advising people to stop prescribed medication. â€Å“Anyone with depression or on medication should consult their GP. The healthier diet should be seen as something extra they can do to help themselves,â€Â he said. Stevenâ€â„¢s study and presentation received considerable attention from those gathered at the West of Irelandâ€â„¢s first gastronomy symposium, which was held in the GMIT, Galway. He now hopes to give talks to local schools about his findings and the positive impact of diet on peopleâ€â„¢s mental health.[/private]