2. You Are What You Eat Flashcards
nutrition interacts with many components of the body,
such as genes, athletic performance, resistance to infection, growth, and development, and cognitive functioning (Hall, 2008
The World Health Organisation (2015) recommends that added sugars comprise no more than
10% of daily total energy intake and advise that no more than 25 grams of added sugar (6 teaspoons) will provide additional health benefits
there is evidence that sugar shrinks areas of the brain responsible for
memory and mood regulation functions, such as the hippocampus (Graham & Ramsey, 2011
(Burleson, Andersen, Copeland, & Sullivan, 2016) examined the association between sugary drink consumption (e.g., fruit juice, soft drink, energy drinks, etc) and depressive symptoms. The results found that the odds of reporting greater depressive symptoms increased b
5% for every sugary drink consumed, even after controlling for factors such as age, sex, race, employment status, body mass index (BMI), education level, and physical exercise
Carbohydrates are obtained through
sugar, fibre, and starch
In clinical populations, carbohydrates enhance mood in individuals with
obesity, premenstrual syndrome, and Seasonal Affective Disorder
In non-clinical populations, carbohydrates (versus protein-based diets)
enhance positive mood and energy and reduce anger, anxiety, and depression (Benton & Donohue, 1999
Unrefined carbohydrates (e.g., legumes, wholegrains, fruits and vegetables) have numerous health benefits and are rich in
vitamins, minerals and fibre,
Omega-3 has also been linked to
neuronal growth, enhanced mood, reduced heart disease and the delay of dementia (Hanson & Mendius, 2009
a Google Scholar search of the words ‘kimchi fermentation’ reveals that between 2000-2010, there were
3770 studies about kimchi
The growing interest in fermented foods is due to the fact that these foods are high in good
‘gut bacteria’
evidence suggests that eating vegetables, fruits, legumes, cereals, and fish, with a moderate intake of wine during meals, may significantly reduce
overall mortality, cardiovascular mortality, cancer incidence and mortality, and incidence of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s (Sofi et al., 2008
Aside from the physical benefits, a 10-day Mediterranean diet intervention has been shown to improve
mood, increase energy, vigour, and contentment (McMillan et al., 2011)
Additionally, Hanson and Mendius (2009) recommend the following practices to achieve adequate nutrition and promote good physical and psychological well-being
Eating well every day, with adequate fruits and vegetables, including berries, and proteins.
Minimising sugar, and particularly refined sugar, found in drinks and bread.
As Conner and Armitage (2006) state, while physiological processes are an important part of food choice, social psychological variables such as our attitudes are likely to mediate
our food choices
