May 6, 2022

Food has always had the capacity to bring me joy. Even in Auschwitz, barely existing on the prison regimen of thin broth and crusts of bread, we prepared feasts in our minds, arguing over how much caraway goes into the best rye bread, how much paprika in Hungarian paprikash, praising the ingredients and choreographing the preparation of our favorite dishes. We were starving and cold, we feared death at every turn; yet in our minds, we were feasting, soothed by the remembered scents of spices, the flavors of vegetables, meats, fruits, desserts.

During those heated arguments, for those moments, we were back in the life of love and food. Those loved foods nurtured us even then. I pledged that if I ever escaped that hell, I would fill my home to brimming with the healing power of food.

And I have. To savor food is to savor life.

When my husband and young daughter Marianne and I moved to America, I was determined to reproduce the foods I remembered my mother preparing for our family, the dishes that had meant love and fulfillment to me as a child and that signified something even more profound as a survivor and new mother—the joy and responsibility of freedom, the memories and sensory impressions that kept my parents’ spirits alive.

What began as an attempt to connect with the past has also become a way to embrace the present. As I’ve come to know and love the distinctive flavors of American cooking, I’ve adapted my recipes with the imprint of my new home. And in my training and practice as a psychologist, I’ve come to see that food is significant to our mental, emotional, and spiritual health; it feeds us beyond physical nourishment. The way we approach our meals affects how we think, feel, and behave. When we pay attention to and take pleasure in what literally sustains us, we have a greater capacity to learn, grow, and care.Advertisement

5 mood-boosting tips for mealtime:

1. Have conversations.

I’m someone who loves conversations that happen over meals—tiny at breakfast, longer at dinner. Food is often part of the conversation. Sometimes we talk about what we did that day, who we saw, and what’s going on in the world. Sometimes it’s just gossip.

2. Always make extra.

Make extra so you can share with friends or eat for the next day’s lunch. You never know when you’ll be hungry.

3. Learn from mistakes.

In cooking as in life, making mistakes and being disappointed are two of the best things if you use them well. How else can we learn, redirect, and move forward? Don’t get discouraged—that may have serious emotional effects. Look within, acknowledge what happened, look for more helpful actions. Keep at it.

4. Make the kitchen your friend.

Many people who think they hate cooking don’t realize that one first has to learn one’s way around the kitchen. No one is good right away. Use a basic cookbook or simple online recipes. Learn first; create after. Ask for help if you need it. Let others try your food. See this as a gift you give them. A gift you can enjoy together.

5. Choose to make your meals celebrations.

Every meal you have makes a difference in your happiness each day. You can choose to treat each as a rushed moment of ignoring or damaging yourself—or as a tiny celebration. Your attitude will set the stage for growth, stagnation, or regression. Choose celebration. Take loving care of yourself emotionally and in your relationship with food, and you will nourish all who come into your life.

Reference From: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/mealtime-mental-health-advice

Running is not a cure-all, but exercise does impact mental health to some degree. Research has shown that physical activity can reduce symptoms of depression, but at what dose hasn’t been quantified–until now.

In a meta-analysis published in April in JAMA Psychology, researchers found that even just performing half the recommended volume of exercise lowered the risk of depression by 18 percent, in comparison to those who didn’t exercise at all. And adults who did exercise the recommended amount (2.5 hours of brisk walking per week) had a 25 percent lower risk.ADVERTISEMENThttps://s.yimg.com/rq/darla/4-10-1/html/r-sf.html

The robust analysis only included studies that had more than 3,000 participants and a follow-up period of 3 years or more. It included nearly 20,000 participants in total with a physician-diagnosis of depression or diagnostic interview that indicated as such. And 64 percent of the participants were women.

RELATED: Running Isn’t Therapy. Therapy is Therapy

Past publications have shown that people who participate in a large amount of physical activity have lower risks of depression compared to sedentary peers, but this research in particular makes interventions like exercise much more approachable.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 280 million people–about 5 percent of all adults–are affected by depression worldwide. But despite how common it is, there is still stigma around the illness that prevents people from seeking treatment (along with other barriers like the cost of care or access to trained healthcare providers).

“Our findings therefore have important implications for health practitioners making lifestyle recommendations, especially to inactive individuals who may perceive the current recommended target unrealistic,” the study authors write. Even a short walk could potentially offer some relief to someone who is struggling.

Why does exercise have the ability to impact our mental health? The answer isn’t completely known, but there are several possible explanations.

For one, exercise actually changes our brain. None of us are strangers to the short-term boost that a run can have on a stressful day (likely through a release of serotonin), but research shows that exercise can help to alleviate long-term depression as well.

That could be because exercise increases the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth of neurons.

RELATED: Your Brain on Running: A Deep Dive on the Latest Science and How to Become Smarter, Happier, and More Creative Through Running

Exercise can also improve sleep, a known way to regulate mood; improve self-esteem; and open up doors to positive social interactions through groups and clubs. Take that exercise outdoors in the presence of natural green spaces and the benefits multiply.

Activating your body also activates your mind; our emotions and behaviors have a reciprocal relationship. We may behave a certain way because we feel sad or angry, for example. But behaviors and actions also have the ability to alter the way we feel. Waiting to feel motivated to go for a run might simply not come. But if you go do it anyway, you might find the motivation coming along afterward. And with it, feelings of accomplishment and improvement that can boost your mood.

But forcing yourself to do something you really don’t want to do is easier said than done. One study published in 2017 in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry found that the majority of the participants knew there was a link between physical activity and their mental health and had a desire to be more active. But mood limiting their ability to do so was listed as a significant barrier.

RELATED: Daily Affirmations Helped Valarie Allman Win Gold. Here’s How to Make them Work for You, Too

One way to start is to choose something you truly enjoy doing: That could be anything from running a couple laps around your local park, walking to go get lunch or a coffee, or enrolling in a fitness class you know you’ve enjoyed in the past.

Trying to anticipate your barriers to physical activity and working to get ahead of them can also help. That might mean going to sleep earlier in order to have the energy for physical activity the next day, starting a run from your house to avoid traffic while driving to another starting point, or scheduling time on your calendar for a walk so meetings or other obligations don’t fill up your entire day.

Consulting with a licensed therapist can also help you to discover tips that will motivate you, as well as work through other proven treatment options for depression.

RELATED: This Mom Lost Her Son to Suicide; Now, She’s Running to Make a Difference

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Reference From: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/even-small-amounts-exercise-hugely-215811666.html