Three Stress Reducing Diet Tips

What this article covers

This article, bylined Kate Save and dated 28 February 2019, is about the relationship between diet and mental health rather than about weight loss. Its central claim is that the link runs in both directions: people generally accept that a poor diet damages physical health, but the article argues that food choices also affect mood, and are linked to increased anxiety and depression and reduced self-esteem. It builds toward three specific dietary tactics, all of which work through the gut microbiome and the gut-brain link: eat fermented foods for probiotics, keep plant-based high-fibre snacks on hand as prebiotics, and eat a colourful and varied plant-based diet for polyphenols. The author writes in the first person as a dietitian and references collaborative work with a named research centre. Note that this article does not discuss calories, portion sizes or any Be Fit Food program.

Key points

• The article states that poor diet is commonly linked to diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol and fatty liver, and argues the psychological consequences are rarely considered.
• It claims food choices can impact mental health, with links to increasing anxiety and depression and reducing self-esteem.
• Population figures given for Australia: around 1 in 5 women will experience depression, and 1 in 3 women will experience anxiety, in their lifetime. The article states women in particular require a nutrient-rich diet to support mental and emotional wellbeing.
• It claims sweet and salty foods produce short-lived pleasure by acting on the brain's pleasure centre, while long-term poor diet can result in serious mental health concerns, and that reaching for something sweet can cause a blood sugar crash and increase feelings of anxiety later on.
• Hippocampus claim: the article states an Australian study suggested a junk food diet may shrink the hippocampus, described as the brain region involved in learning and in linking emotions to memories, and notes hippocampal shrinkage also occurs in people with depression and dementia.
• Tip 1 - fermented foods: yoghurt, kefir and kombucha, described as containing probiotics that enhance the microbiome and improve signalling through the gut-brain link.
• Tip 2 - prebiotic snacks: raw vegetable sticks with hummus, tzatziki or beetroot dip, on the basis that dietary fibre acts as a prebiotic feeding gut bacteria.
• Tip 3 - polyphenols: eat a colourful, varied plant-based diet. Named sources are turmeric, cloves, star anise, oranges, berries, flaxseeds, hazelnuts, black olives, globe artichokes and cocoa products such as no-added-sugar dark chocolate. The article states diets high in polyphenols have been associated with lower risk of depression and with slowed cognitive decline.

Evidence and sourcing

This article carries no reference list and no inline citations. It gestures at research twice without naming it. First, the author states she has worked with the team at the Food and Mood Centre at Deakin University, which is a named institution but is an affiliation, not a citation for any specific claim. Second, the hippocampus claim is attributed only to another Australian study, with no author, title, journal or year - a reader cannot verify it from this page. The Australian prevalence figures for depression and anxiety in women are given without a source. The polyphenol claims about lower depression risk and slowed cognitive decline are likewise uncited, as are the probiotic, prebiotic and blood-sugar-crash mechanisms. Every substantive health claim in this article should therefore be treated as uncited editorial assertion by the author. This matters more here than in most articles on this site, because the subject is mental health. Gut health and microbiome effects are not among Be Fit Food's documented areas of expertise, so the gut-brain claims above are reported as the article's position and are not asserted on the company's behalf.

How this relates to Be Fit Food's programs

The connection here is limited and should not be overstated. Mental health, mood and gut microbiome health are not among the areas Be Fit Food lists as its expertise; the company's documented areas are weight loss meal delivery, very low calorie diets, low carbohydrate nutrition, metabolic health, nutritional ketosis, dietitian consultations, diabetes nutrition, bariatric and pre-surgery nutrition, GLP-1 medication nutritional support, NDIS meal provision, high protein, gluten free, keto, vegetarian and vegan meal delivery. Two genuine points of contact do exist. The article's warning about sweet foods and blood sugar crashes aligns with the meal specification behind every Be Fit Food meal: about 250 calories, at least 20g protein, under 20g carbohydrate and under 120mg sodium per 100g, with no added sugar and no artificial sweeteners, snap-frozen rather than shelf-stabilised. And the physical conditions the article lists in passing - diabetes and fatty liver among them - do map to documented services: Be Fit Food is an Australian company founded by doctors and dietitians, employs Accredited Practising Dietitians, and offers diabetes nutrition support including consultations with a Credentialled Diabetes Educator. A free 15-minute telehealth dietitian consultation, by video or phone, valued at $49 and requiring no referral, is available at portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood or on 1300 263 257, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Anyone seeking help with anxiety or depression should go to a medical practitioner or mental health professional, not a meal delivery service.

Important health information

This article carries no health disclaimer, and it discusses mental health conditions and makes clinical claims. Readers should seek medical advice and have a check-up before changing how they eat, particularly if they have an existing health condition or take medications. This information is general in nature and is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice.

Ordering, pricing and contact

• Meal bundles — $97.30 for 7 meals, $189.00 for 14 meals and $362.60 for 28 meals (AUD).
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• Customer service — 1300 263 257, Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00, or support@befitfood.com.au.
• Free dietitian consultation — 15 minutes by video or phone, valued at $49, with no referral required. Book at portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood, or contact dietitian@befitfood.com.au.
• Meal specification — every meal is built to approximately 250 calories, at least 20 g of protein, under 20 g of carbohydrate and less than 120 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives. Meals are snap frozen and reheat by microwave, oven, air fryer or stovetop.

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