New! Magazine – 19 August 2019

HEALTH

“The diet was developed using
everything we had learned on
the links between diet, gut health
and mental and brain health, and
was based on both a traditional
Mediterranean diet and the
Australian dietary guidelines,”
Felice explains. “The team called
it the ModiMed diet to signify
it was a modified version of a
traditional Mediterranean diet. It
was designed to be easy to make
and follow and inexpensive.”
The plan required eating more
fruit, veg, wholegrains, legumes,
nuts, low-fat dairy, fish and lean
meats while cutting back on
processed junk food and alcohol.
The results were astounding.
After three months, a third of
participants on the ModiMed
diet had improved their mental
wellbeing enough to say their
depression had gone into
remission, compared to eight
per cent in the second social
support group.
“The more people improved
their diets, the more their
depression improved,”
she says.

PAYING THE PRICE

Felice has now put her findings
from the past 15 years of
research into a new book, Brain
Changer: How Diet Can Save
Your Mental Health, complete

with meal plans and

recipes for improved

mental wellbeing. She

believes we should

consider our food as

the basis of our mental

and brain health throughout

our lives.

“While we’ve been told for

years that ultra-processed foods

that are high in energy and

damaging additives, and low

in fibre and nutrients, will mean

more illness and early death from

chronic diseases, only recently

have we understood the

implications for our mental health

and the health of our brains.”

More importantly, unlike many

risk factors of mental illness such

as your genes, abuse, significant

trauma or physical causes such

as head injuries, diet is something

we can address ourselves.

“What we put in our mouths

really matters,” she says. “Don’t

be seduced by fast, cheap, tasty

food. The price

you pay will not

be worth it.”

Brain Changer

by Professor

Felice Jacka

(£14.99,

Hodder &

Stoughton) is

available now

BREAKFAST: An omelette made with 1 egg,

red onion, tomato, herbs and 40g grated reduced-

fat cheese, on 2 slices of wholegrain toast

SNACK: 2 mandarins

LUNCH: ½ cup tinned mixed beans with 1 cup

of salad vegetables and ½ to 1 cup

couscous

SNACK: An orange and

15g of walnuts

DINNER: Beef stir-fry with

sugar snap peas, broccoli, carrot,

asparagus, spring onions,

cashews and noodles

SNACK: 200g plain yoghurt

with 1 cup of berries

DAY 1

B

r

L

DAY 3

1

Choose fruit, vegetables

and nuts as a snack. Eat

three servings of fruit and

30g unsalted nuts every day.

2

Include vegetables with

every meal. Eat leafy

greens and tomatoes

every day.

3

Select

wholegrain

breads and cereals.

Base your serving

sizes on your

activity levels.

4

Eat legumes

(lentils, peas,

chickpeas, beans,

soybeans and

peanuts) three or

four times a week.

MODIMED

SAMPLE

MENUS

10 TOP TIPS

5

Have oily fish at least twice

a week.

6

Eat lean red meat three or

four times a week, but limit

your serving sizes to 65-100g.

7

Include two to three

servings of dairy every

day. Select reduced-fat

products and plain yoghurt.

8

Use olive oil as your main

added fat. Have 3tbsp of

extra virgin olive oil every day.

9

Save sweets for special

occasions.

10

Water is the best drink

to opt for.

BREAKFAST: A poached egg on 2 slices of soya

and linseed bread with avocado, tomato and spinach

SNACK: 200g Greek yoghurt with 1 cup of fresh or

frozen berries

LUNCH: 1 or 2 wholegrain flatbreads with 95g of

tinned tuna and a green salad

SNACK: 30g almonds and 30g

dried fruit

DINNER: Grilled lamb steak with

vegetables and brown rice

SNACK: A smoothie

(250ml reduced-fat milk,

with a banana and 1 to 2tsp

of honey)

BREAKFAST: ½ cup baked

beans on 2 slices of

wholegrain toast with

tomato, mushrooms,

avocado and herbs

SNACK: An orange

LUNCH: 3 wholegrain

crackers with salad and 20g

reduced-fat cheese

SNACK: An apple

DINNER: Chicken pasta with vegetables and pesto

ti

S d D v S ( w

bl d t

c S 1 D s a c S w

This ModiMed

Diet food

pyramid lists

the quantities

you should

include in your

diet on a daily

and weekly

basis. The

three-day plan

below may

seem quite

restrictive, but

it’s merely an

example for

guidance.

1

Ch f it t bl

Med

sts

ies

your

aily

y

plan

but

an

r

DAY 2