Hi Everyone,
I just made a post about diet and mood in the depression forum and I thought I would share some thoughts here as well. Many people struggle with an increase in depressed feelings and anxiety while quitting. Anxiety and decreased mood are a common withdrawal symptom for many. I also find that many people use food as a a coping tool while they are going through withdrawals. I wonder about the effect on diet and mood while quitting smoking. As I mentioned in the depression post, probiotic and fermented foods has been linked to improvements in depression and anxiety. In addition to this, diets like the Mediterranean and traditional Japanese diet, which are high in vegetables, unprocessed grains and seafood has been linked to a a 25% to 35% decrease in depression. Source: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626
I am curious if anyone has noticed food has helped or hindered them while quitting? If so, how did you incorporate healthy foods into your quit plan. Thanks for considering!
Ashley
