Nutrition guru Patrick Holford will be in Durban at the end of the month (February 2011) with some pointers on how food can lift mood. Lindsay Ord asked him 10 questions
Sugar is the only thing that gives me energy and makes me feel bright, yet you say I should eliminate it. Why?
The immediate energy that sugar gives you is followed by a blood-sugar low that actually contributes to long-term tiredness and weight gain. If you avoid sugar, and eat slow-releasing, low-GL carbohydrate foods with protein – fish with brown rice, or eggs on wholegrain toast, or fresh fruit with nuts – you’ll quickly find you have a naturally higher and more consistent energy level without mood dips.
Bread has been the staff of life for centuries, yet you say wheat is bad for low moods. Why?
Bread and wheat is a relatively new food, certainly in Africa. It is one of the most common foods that people develop intolerance to, the most severe form being coeliac disease. Depression is a very common symptom of coeliacs.
If a person suspects they may feel worse on wheat, one week without it should make a difference to their mood.
I’m too tired and depressed to exercise. How can I get out of that cycle?
Even walking, especially in the sunshine, is good. So, if you feel down, just get out for a walk in nature or along the beach. You’ll soon feel better. If you follow my low-GL diet you’ll soon have surplus energy for exercising.
I work long hours and have a demanding family. It’s easier to heat a ready-made meal in the microwave than to chop vegetables and cook fish. How does your programme fit into the modern, all-hours lifestyle?
Many of my menus and recipes take under 10 minutes to make. Eating the right food is vital for both mental and physical health. It’s worth getting the family involved in preparing meals. In truth, healthy breakfasts take no longer to prepare than unhealthy ones.
Supplements are expensive and I can’t afford all you recommend. Is there a more affordable option for me?
There’s a lot you can do with your diet alone, without taking supplements. Many of the key nutrients for good mood (tryptophan, tyrosine, vitamin D, chromium, B vitamins) are in the Mood Food Formula, so if you take just one, that’s the one to have, if you’re prone to low mood.
I am on antidepressants. How do I implement your suggestions as I presume it is risky to stop taking them suddenly.
Firstly, I don’t recommend you stop or change your medication without checking with your doctor. All the mood boosters I recommend can be taken alongside medication with the exception of 5-HTP, so there’s lots you can do.
In an ideal world what should we be eating?
Anything you can pull from the ground or a tree, plus fresh fish, free-range eggs and lean meat. Eat lots of raw nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, vegetables and fruit.
You have been in the nutrition industry for a long time. Is there any issue that you have done an about-turn on?
There used to be high aluminium levels in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s on autopsy. However, this association vanished when autopsied brains started to be stored frozen, not in jars containing formaldehyde. It turned out the formaldehyde was leaching aluminium from the containers. Although I’m always fine-tuning my recommendations, based on the latest science, none of the ideas I’ve represented has proved to be in the wrong direction.
You have a gruelling work schedule. How do you keep it up? How do you make time for family and fun?
When I’m writing a book I start at 5am. On tours I’m often working two weeks straight. But I also take good quality time out with my family, ideally in Africa, on the coast or in the wilderness, often without e-mail contact. It’s our favourite continent.
Have you always been healthy? What diet do you follow?
As a teenager I began to feel the consequences of poor nutrition and was suffering from migraines, too. I met two nutritionists who challenged me to change my diet, cut out the junk food and saturated fats and take daily supplements. I decided to try it for three months. Out went the red meat, cigarettes and coffee.
Within two months I had lost 7kg and my migraines had virtually vanished. I have been refining my eating ever since. I haven’t eaten meat for 30 years.
There is nothing wrong with eating a fit, wild animal, but that is completely different from tucking into a battery-farmed hen.
I believe the vegan diet, plus fish and eggs, is best of all because it contains high levels of fibre, protein and good unsaturated fats, like Omega-3 fatty acids. I eat six organic eggs every week because they contain high levels of phospholipids, essential fats which can help the body build new nerves and brain cells.
My favourite breakfast is oat flakes with berries, apples or pears. I’m allergic to dairy products, so I eat it with soya milk. I sprinkle a seed mix over the oats. Flax seeds are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
I also take multivitamins that contain vitamin C and Omega-3 and 6. I try to eat around six portions of fruit and vegetables each day and rarely drink alcohol, but when I do I like to sip champagne, which contains very little yeast because it is double fermented. - Daily News