Food, Depression, Anxiety & You – TPS570

In this episode, Joan Sotkin talks about the connection between food, depression, anxiety, and overall well being. She shares her personal story of overcoming depression by changing her diet and lifestyle.

Joan discusses how eating sugar and processed foods can negatively impact mental health, referencing various studies that show links between diet, inflammation, and conditions like depression and anxiety. She talks about the importance of meeting your body’s needs through healthy nutrition, exercise, and self-care.

Overall, Joan encourages listeners to evaluate whether their current habits and lifestyle are serving them and to make changes if needed. She believes taking care of our physical and mental well being is an inside job and that we have the power to create better feelings and life experiences through the choices we make each day.

Highlights

• Joan suffered from depression for 15 years before discovering the link between sugar, hypoglycemia, and mental health.
• Cutting out sugar and processed carbs helped her depression lift within a week.
• There are now many studies showing connections between inflammatory diets and increased risk of depression.
• Releasing cortisol from chronic stress negatively impacts physical and mental health.
• Making different choices about diet, exercise, and self-care can shift habitual emotions and thinking patterns.
• Meeting your own needs gives you more energy to share with others.
• Joan is interested in leading workshops and webinars focused on these topics.

Links

Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss

Sugar Blues by William Dufty

Nourish Yourself for Health and Happiness by Dr. Harold Harper and Joan Sotkin. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the download.

Article Links

2023

Alterations in Alcohol Consumption Echo Depression Symptom Changes

Summary: A new study uncovers a correlation between changes in alcohol consumption and the ebb and flow of depression symptoms.

How inflammation in the body may explain depression in the brain

Depression: Ultra-processed food consumption tied to higher risk

2022

Depression Linked to Consuming an Inflammatory Diet and Increasing Risk of Frailty – Neuroscience News

2017

World’s First Clinical Trial Finds Diet Works for Depression