Believe It or Not, Holiday Sweets Can Make You Depressed

While many people feel down during the holiday season, a new study shows that the stuff we usually eat at this time of year could be to blame – specifically, the sugary sweets.

While you're already aware that Christmas cookies and other goodies that show up at your home or office around the holidays don't do your waistline any favors, researchers say they're also making you anxious and depressed.

The added sugar in your diet, with the addition of a lack of sunlight and the sleep disruptions that come with the winter, can create a "perfect storm" of depression and sadness during the holidays.

View this post on Instagram

How much sugar do you eat in a day? I used to devour 3 family size packets of sweets in a row....after dinner and a tub or Icecream. I would proceed to then climb the walls from a sugar rush. My heart would race, my face would get tingles. After a few hours I hit the sugar low, then pay the consequences of too much sugar for days after. I felt with all that sugar in my system. When I first started my recovery journey, I reduced my sugar intake dramatically and found that my muscles weren’t so inflamed. The brain fog lifted a little. I knew that I was on the right path to self love and self discovery. You are worth the change! Stop covering your emotional and spiritual pain with food. I believe in you. You got this. #depressionhelp #anxiety #lifejourney #mentalhealthjourney #mentalhealthadvocate #healingjourney #selfdiscovery #selflove #selfcompassion #yougotthis #ibelieveinyou #sugaranddepression #saynotosugar

A post shared by Danielle Bloch (@the_happinesscollector) on Nov 28, 2019 at 1:50am PST

The sweets trigger "metabolic, inflammatory, and neurobiological processes" that can lead to a vicious cycle of depression, researchers say. When we feel sad or down, we may (and tend to) eat more stuff like cookies, cakes, ice cream and other sweets to try to find some comfort – but those foods in turn actually increase the feelings of sadness.

This great article that I came across at StudyFinds.org has a bunch of good information and how to avoid this from happening to you this holiday season. You don't want another Christmas and holiday season to come and go with feeling depressed or sad. Kick the sugar and save it for a very special treat this year. Don't overindulge; your body and mind will thank you for it.