Recently, as temperatures plummeted, walking outside has become an exercise in pulling your neck into your shoulders to shield against the chill.

The autumn wind is bleak. Watching the yellow leaves on the trees gradually fall with every gust, it’s hard not to feel a little down.

On Facebook, many friends have expressed sentiments like:

• “The dark days of autumn are back, and I just can’t seem to cheer up.”
• “I can’t muster any motivation to do anything. All I want is to go home and sleep.”
• “My home is a mess, but I just don’t feel like cleaning up. I’m so exhausted.”

Autumn and winter are peak seasons for depression.

With shorter daylight hours, our bodies produce less vitamin D, leading to decreased levels of serotonin and dopamine, which can result in Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

One of the most prominent features of autumn and winter depression, compared to spring and summer, is eating disorders.

As temperatures drop, the body burns energy faster. In the haze of fatigue, food becomes a source of comfort.

A crispy piece of fried chicken paired with a soft slice of cake can fill your stomach and momentarily soothe your soul.

But little do we realize, this way of eating only deepens the emotional spiral, worsening depression.

So, what should we eat to protect both our appetite and our mood during autumn?

 

Your Depression Might Be Caused by What You Eat

For many people, food becomes a source of comfort when feeling down, especially highly processed, calorie-dense options.

Returning home from the cold wind outside, wrapping yourself in a warm blanket often triggers a surge in appetite:

• “One day, I was in such a bad mood that I sat alone in my dorm and ate an entire pack of 10 slices of bread.”
• “Autumn + a breakup is the ultimate blow. I’ve been eating three pieces of cake a day to cope.”

Unhealthy eating habits can lead to inflammation. A survey from Healthworld shows:

25% of patients with mental illnesses (including mood disorders and schizophrenia) exhibit elevated levels of inflammation.

Diets high in sugar, fat, and refined carbs, as well as poor nutrition, are significant contributors to inflammation.

Harvard University’s book Conquering Inflammation mentions that chronic inflammation can be triggered by foods like:

• Red meat (e.g., steak, burgers)
• Baked goods containing trans fats
• Fried foods
• High-sugar foods

Even foods prepared using overly complex cooking methods can be sources of chronic inflammation.

An article published in Medical News Today highlights that:

People who consume large amounts of refined foods are more likely to develop depression compared to those whose diets consist mainly of fresh produce.

The most common refined foods include:

• White bread
• Chips
• Cookies
• Sweetened juices
• Sugary breakfast cereals
• Margarine
• Processed meats like hot dogs
• Candy

One major reason for this is that refined foods cause rapid blood sugar spikes, providing a brief sense of pleasure. However, as blood sugar levels crash later, so does mood stability.

Another factor is the lack of essential micronutrients—minerals and vitamins—in processed foods.

Micronutrients are crucial for producing neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.

Low levels of these neurotransmitters are closely linked to depression and anxiety.

 

 

Which Foods Can Fight Depression?

Everything has two sides. Some foods can increase the risk of depression, while others may act as "antidotes" to it.

An epidemiological study points out that:

Regardless of the country, diets rich in plant-based foods, high in fiber, and low in sugar are associated with a lower risk of depression.

One of the best examples is the Mediterranean diet.

From a nutritional perspective, the Mediterranean diet has anti-inflammatory effects and is linked to lower rates of depression.

The main principles of the Mediterranean diet include:

1. Encouraging the consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, olive oil, and herbs.
2. Eating fish and seafood at least twice a week.
3. Consuming moderate amounts of poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt.
4. Limiting red meat (pork, beef, lamb) and sugar intake.
5. Avoiding alcohol when possible, or drinking moderate amounts of red wine if necessary.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the Mediterranean diet is the perfect solution, but the key is to focus on a balanced, nutrient-dense diet with good food hygiene.

A balanced diet means getting enough essential minerals and vitamins. For example:

• Adequate intake of vitamins B6, B9, and B12 helps to reduce homocysteine levels, thus maintaining stable nerve function.
  These can be obtained from organ meats, lean meats, legumes, nuts, and green vegetables.
• Vitamin D improves neurotransmitter levels, which can enhance mood and reduce the risk of depression.
  It can be obtained from fatty fish, animal liver, egg yolks, and lean meats.
• Tryptophan and tyrosine are closely related to mood and must be obtained through food.
  These can be found in dairy products, shiitake mushrooms, sunflower seeds, black sesame, soybeans, and pumpkin seeds.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that simply eating a nutritious diet will cure depression.

Emotional regulation also requires a healthy routine, appropriate exercise, and, if necessary, intervention from a therapist or counselor.

A nutrient-rich diet helps provide the essential elements the body needs, ensures sufficient energy levels, and enhances psychological resilience, thus reducing the risk of depression.

 

How to Improve Depression with Food?

The following six dietary tips can help regulate your mood:

1. Approach with an Open Mind and Change Your Diet Structure

Before changing your diet, you need to acknowledge one important point:

“We eat the foods we like, and we like the foods we eat.”

This means that the foods you typically eat and the flavors you choose are simply habits you’ve formed over time.

Changing your diet structure takes time. For example, if you dislike broccoli but know it’s nutritious, you might need to try different ways of preparing it until you find a method you can tolerate.

Your attitude toward food is crucial. If you approach new foods with a negative mindset, you’ll likely have a hard time enjoying them. So, it's best to try new foods when you're in a good mood and approach them with curiosity.

2. Start with Small Habits and Gradually Change Unhealthy Eating Patterns

The most important element in building new eating habits is repetition.

Only by repeatedly doing something can a new habit be formed.

However, repeating tasks over and over can be difficult. Another challenge in forming new habits is that we often forget to do them.

This is where a “habit tracker” comes in handy— you can write a daily checklist and post it somewhere visible or set alarms or phone reminders.

For example, if you plan to drink more green tea daily, you could ask yourself each morning before you leave:

“Did I drink green tea this morning?”

Over time, this will become a habit, and you won’t need reminders anymore.

Another effective way to build habits is by integrating new actions into things you already do.

Instead of completely overturning your old eating habits, adjust them.

For instance, if you have a cup of coffee or milk tea every afternoon, try swapping it for green tea.

You don’t need to completely change your lunch from a rice bowl to a salad. You could swap white rice for brown rice or replace meat toppings with vegetables.

As the saying goes:

“Radical reforms will only bring disaster and disappointment; long-term success comes from the gradual accumulation of small changes over time.”

 

3. Eat Oily Fish Once a Week to Boost Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Oily fish is rich in healthy fats, specifically two types of omega-3 fatty acids—DHA and EPA.

A review of 26 studies involving over 150,000 people found that higher fish consumption is linked to a lower risk of depression.

However, the body cannot directly synthesize these omega-3 fatty acids, so they must be obtained from food.

The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) recommends that adults aim to eat two servings of fish per week, with at least one of them being oily fish.

Which fish should you eat?

If you use the first letter of the fish names in English, you can remember them with the acronym SMASH:

• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Anchovies
• Sardines
• Herring

For example, 140 grams of mackerel can provide all the omega-3 fatty acids an adult needs for the week.

If you’re a vegetarian, or unable or unwilling to eat fish (such as pregnant women), you can take algae supplements that provide 250 mg of DHA and EPA daily.

4. Increase Dietary Fiber Intake

As mentioned earlier, gut bacteria play an important role in regulating mood.

The main food for gut bacteria is dietary fiber, which can be obtained from whole grains and plant-based foods.

Examples include nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.

The UK government’s dietary guidelines suggest that adults should aim to consume 30 grams of dietary fiber each day.

How can you increase your fiber intake?

You can swap your main staples for higher-fiber foods, such as:

• Choosing whole grain bread instead of white bread
• Eating brown rice instead of white rice
• Eating potatoes with the skin on
• Adding nuts and dried fruits to your cereal or porridge

This approach can help improve gut health and, by extension, help with mood regulation.

 

5. Increase the Intake of Plant-Based Foods

Plant-based foods are actually very beneficial for gut health.

Recent research suggests that it's best to eat at least 30 different types of plant-based foods every week.

You might find this surprising, but in reality, fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and legumes all count as plant-based foods.

However, more than half of our calories come from just three plants: corn, rice, and wheat.

6. Increase the Intake of Fermented Foods

While increasing the intake of plant-based foods is important, a recent study from Stanford University indicates that there is an even faster way to boost gut microbiome diversity: eating fermented foods.

Fermented foods are those that have undergone bacterial fermentation, such as sauerkraut, kombucha, kvass, kefir, and other naturally fermented foods like pickles, cheese, and yogurt.

In Stanford’s study, 36 participants were randomly assigned to either a high-fiber diet group or a high-fermented food diet group for 10 weeks.

The researchers found that consuming fermented foods more frequently and in larger quantities significantly increased the diversity of the gut microbiome.

Final Thoughts

As someone once said:

“Food is the salvation in times of despair, the companion in moments of loneliness.”

No matter how tough things get, make sure to eat well and take care of yourself.

When you nourish yourself, you’ll have the strength to face the pain of your body.

Perhaps, this is the true power of food.

So, today, have you eaten well?