Feeling Anxious or Depressed?

Eating a healthy diet full of full of whole fiber-rich grains, fruits, vegetables and fish is great for your body, but it's also great for your mind. If you're prone to anxiety or depression, a healthy diet can help keep you on a more even keel. Here are food and drink you should avoid if you're anxious or depressed:

Sugary Drinks - The sugar in fruit juice and sodas quickly hype you up, but unfortunately bring you down just as fast, which doesn't help with anxiety or depression.

Processed White Flour - Just like sugary drinks, processed white flour turns to blood sugar, causing energy spikes and crashes.

Diet or 'Light' Foods/Drinks - Many get their sweetness from aspartame, an artificial sweetener linked to anxiety and depression.

Alcohol in Excess - One drink a day for women and two for men is key. Exceeding this amount, can affect your sleep, which can increase your anxiety and cause depression.

'Trans Fats' - Food labels sometimes list 'trans fats' as "partially hydrogenated oils" or "vegetable shortening" -- these have been linked to depression.

Caffeine - Coffee and energy drinks can affect your sleep and make you feel jittery or nervous