The Mediterranean Diet: The Ultimate Mood-Boosting Food

The Mediterranean Diet – the official, backed up by research, mood-lifting way of eating! Want to boost your mood with food? You should eat like you’re in the Mediterranean!

Ahhh… As soon as they draw to an end… We already start to miss the holidays… ?️☀️??️

Most of us haven’t had a chance to sit on the beach for a while, thank you lockdowns, travel restrictions and a particularly dreary English summer! Our mood and energy levels have been far from ideal for longer than we can remember. Every ray of sunshine feels like a rare and special treat and Netflix has somehow lost its charm. Can we have a proper summer again, like, now, please?

Here’s an idea – let’s rewind a month and pretend it’s still mid-summer with a fresh breeze and sun on our faces. We’re in Mykonos, a lovely little town on a Greek island, prepping for the afternoon beach trip. ?
️
Before we go, though, let’s enjoy a proper Mediterranean late lunch with lots of fresh veggies, seafood, local olive oil, and a cheeky glass of red. Mmmm… Life’s not too bad, right? ????????

The good news is, while we wait for the above to actually materialise, we can enjoy the famous Mediterranean diet, which is not only bloody delicious but also amazing for our mood and overall health.

You just can’t go wrong adopting the main principles – fresh veggies, unprocessed local food, wholegrain, olive oil, nuts, seafood combined with some quality red wine. The benefits are pretty impressive – brain health, mood, diabetes and heart disease prevention, increased longevity, weight loss and so many more.

All backed up by solid research.

As an example (? puts a nerd hat on) I invite you to check out the SMILES trial from 2017, where a whopping 30% of participants with diagnosed depression achieved complete remission of symptoms and most noticed major improvements.

And all of this while stuffing your face with deliciousness…

The Diet

6 veggies & 2 fruit servings per day
Wholegrains, 4-5 servings per day
Nuts once daily & eggs 6 servings per week
Virgin Olive Oil as main added fat
Lean red meat & poultry, 2-3 servings per week
Oily fish twice a week

The Benefits

Improved mood
Brain health boost
Improved cardiovascular health
Stabilised blood sugar
Reduced cancer risk
Longevity
Ideal weight

So. Let’s eat like we’re in Greece. Take a mouthful, close your eyes and feel the gentle breeze of the Mediterranean sea… ?

If you found this post helpful, check all the other awesome mood-boosting foods out there as well as a few examples of mood-boosting supplements!