Not only should we be crossing doughnuts off the list but tea and coffee, the internet and a whole host of other things! I can understand why the internet can cause us to seep into depression. After staring at a computer screen all day at work, the last thing I want to be doing in the evenings is spending more time on the internet or even the phone. The overload in technology can apparently exhaust the brain and bring about symptoms of depression. Using anything technology based just before going to bed also makes it more difficult to sleep as your brain becomes active – my mother always said no tv before bed and she is always right! It’s the same with tea and coffee. Why drink a cup of tea or coffee before going to bed? Surely the caffeine will only be keeping you awake? 

It pleases me to see that cutting out carbohydrates can also cause depression. Lets be honest, who actually enjoys dieting? Carbohydrates raise the level of 'feel-good' brain chemical serotonin keeping us happy and content. I have taken this to mean I must eat more carbohydrates to keep happy. On the other hand, we should avoid comfort foods that are high in sugar and fats, such as doughnuts. The reason for this? Well its not just our waistline that we are causing problems for but the sugar crash that follows our sugary high can actually make us feel worse. However, eating chocolate with more than 85per cent cocoa is said to help us avoid this crash… so to summarise, chocolate high in cocoa is now making its way onto the shopping list! 

Alicia Marsh
Trainee solicitor - Clinical Negligence Team.