Food and Mood

June 9th, 2008 ~ No Comments

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I’m passing along a story I got from my friend Wayne over at the Good News Place…

Food and Mood

by Sarah Tay
>From The Positive Goodnews Network

The message about dietary change has recently been hitting our television screens. In the wake of Jamie Oliver’s successful series, Jamie’s School Dinners, ITV’s Tonight Special two-part investigation featured nutritionist, Patrick Holford, overhauling the diet of three unruly, teenage boys. Patrick is the Director of the Institute of Optimum Nutrition and the Brain Bio Centre in London. He investigates how our diet affects our behaviour and likens his approach to `an MOT for the brain.’

The steps to an improved diet are simple: essential B vitamins, found in nuts, fortified breakfast cereals, whole grains and dairy produce, provide improved mental and emotional stability; a daily dose of cod liver oil, Omega 3 essential fats, for improved concentration and brain power. A study undertaken by Oxford University’s Physiology Department shows that 40 per cent of the children who took part experienced improvements in reading and spelling as a result of taking the Omega 3 oils. A recent study by the University of Southern California shows that by feeding children a balanced diet, we could be securing a safer, less violent society. The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, shows that children fed poor diets suffer from aggression and other such behavioural disorders when they grow older.

Patrick managed to turn around the boys’ diet and behaviour in the space of a month – and this is what one of the boys, Liam, had to say about the changes he had made: “I feel more positive about my future. Since starting Patrick’s diet I’m a lot calmer than I used to be and I haven’t got into any trouble at all. I’m going to stay on the diet
for life and keep taking these vitamins. It’s brilliant!”

FURTHER INFORMATION : Institute of Optimum Nutrition, Blades Court, Deodar Road, Putney, London, SW15 2NU. Brain Bio Centre, Carters Yard, London, SW18 4JR WEB SITE : http//:www.patrickholford.com