I followed a restrictive diet because I wanted to be healthy, but it caused me to feel and be a lot less healthy than I thought it would. Following a strict diet for health or weight issues may not always be a good idea. Depending upon the kind of diet you are following, you could potentially cause yourself to become depressed with low moods and little energy. While it's good to eat a healthy diet, rich in nutrients, it's not good to cut too many things out of your diet. For example, I decided to cut out a lot of foods from my diet so that I could be healthy. I went on this restrictive diet because I thought that it may help with my depression and also I wanted keep my body healthy as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/5846e23b9de4bb2223aa6b3f/1563811637673-Z5EJTQ8EJJYUB8K3NQPV/Diets+Dont+Work_Final.jpg?format=1500w&content-type=image%2Fjpeg source I am thin and at the right weight for my height, however, I found myself counting calories and fat in every product because I didn't think it was right to eat a lot of fatty foods if I was trying to be healthy. I also cut out a lot of sugary products as well. I cut out all other types of food I thought were bad for me, like potato chips, steak, ice cream, cake, cookies, pies, pasta, bread and even pizza. Food shopping was very difficult. Finding the perfect low calorie, low fat, no or very low sugar products was hard to do. Shopping became a dreaded chore and it would take me hours to find food that I thought was healthy. So basically, my diet consisted of fruits with the lowest sugar contents, vegetables and things like organic brown rice crackers that tasted like cardboard. I love to eat and I love all varieties of food. I'm not a picky eater and never was. This diet I decided to follow was bland, I lost all the enjoyment and passion I had for food. I followed this so-called healthy restrictive diet for several months, and I noticed many things happening, including decreased energy, an agitated depressed mood and I felt sick more often. I felt very tired and drained. I just didn't feel good physically or mentally. Cutting out so many foods caused me to become even more depressed. Apparently, I wasn't getting the nutrients my body needed by eating a well balanced diet. I think that almost everything is okay to eat as long as it's done in moderation. Since then, I've been eating more of the foods that I used to enjoy. I still eat very healthy but not as restrictive. If I want to have ice cream, I'll eat it. If I want some pizza, I'll eat it. However, I don't eat these foods in excess nor do I eat them every single day. I just allow myself to eat more foods that I like and do not deprive myself of every single thing I thought was bad for me. A young woman I know who is a strict vegetarian ended up having problems with an iron deficiency. Her mood and energy levels were pretty low. Also, a neighbor of mine told me that when he went on a strict low carb diet, he started getting really moody. He would snap at people and get very irritable. I even noticed my neighbor's mood changing and I was wondering why he wasn't as jovial as usual. He told me it was because of his diet It wasn't until he decided to quit the diet and start eating a normal, well balanced diet, that he was back to his old self again. While I do still suffer from depression, the diet made my depression even worse. My moods were so low and I felt tired all the time. So by cutting out too many things in your diet, you may experience a dip in moods as well as agitation and irritability. You could also feel tired and lack energy because your body may not be getting all the fuel that it needs from the foods that you may be cutting out. Try to eat a well balanced diet, rich in vegetables, whole grains, fruits, lean meats, fish, nuts but also don't forget to give yourself a treat now and then. Just make sure that what you eat, you do so in moderation. By totally restricting the foods that you eat, you could end up losing out on some beneficial nutrients that that your body needs. That could cause problems for your body as well as your mind.
Originally posted here: https://hive.blog/hive-174578/@titianus/how-dieting-can-affect-your-mood
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