Great Minds: Hamish and Kyle - On the impact of diet and the food we eat on our mental health

In this web series, psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald and Nutters Club co-host Hamish Williams look at mental health and how to navigate some of the more challenging parts of modern life. Today they look at the impact of diet and the food we eat on our mental health.

Most likely you've had a day in your life that required you to seek out a certain type of food to comfort away the challenges of a tough day.

I like to call it home-made prozac and specifically for its likely to include cheese, filled bell peppers, pistachio nuts, a cheesy crust pizza with beef and bacon topping and some icecream of the cookies and cream variety.

I know that none of that is particularly good for my waistline but some days I just have an overwhelming urge to eat the things I know will make me feel better.

But why?

"The most important aspect to understanding food and its connection to our mental health is that its a mood impactor," explains Kyle McDonald. "We often only think how food is connected to its physical effects on us such as weight, but the one to really become conscious of is how it makes you feel."

It seems one of the greatest enigmas of life is that the food that makes us happy doesn't make our body happy but thats the reality we have to learn to manage.

"It's a short-term hit when we eat those comfort foods just like alcohol or even drugs. That's why those foods can be referred to as an addiction," says McDonald. "The short-term hit from high-sugar and high-fat foods can be a great feeling but then there's the crash that comes afterwards".

The crash isn't always pleasant and can then potentially make us irritable to ourselves and others. Translation: you may not be the nicest person to be about.

"The challenge is to recognise the difference between your appetite, food that fuels our bodies, opposed to what is a craving," explains McDonald. "A good way to figure that out can be to keep a track of what you're eating and when as well as the mood that you're feeling at the time".

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Basically its about being accountable to ourselves and see if we can find the patterns of behaviour that are helpful as well as the ones that aren't.

It can of course go the other way and sometimes people find that for reasons connected to their mental health they go off eating altogether.

"A symptom of low mood, depression or just stress can be not eating altogether. If you find yourself experiencing that then any kind of food for basic sustenance is the important aspect. If it continues then best to go see your GP," advises McDonald.

With food very much being part of our day-to-day life it pays to think about what we eat in the same way we need to think about how all our day-to-day actions affect our mental health. What does your menu tell you about yours? Perhaps it's time to chew that one over.