| Food and Mood Centre

Less is not more: how excluding major food groups may impact your health

by Dr Sarah Dash If you look at the menu at your local café, you’ll likely notice a range of options for your meal; gluten-free, low-carb, Paleo friendly. Based on a recent CSIRO report, Australians are electing to avoid certain foods more than ever, and approximately one in three Australians a...

Feeling stressed? It probably affects your eating as well.

Stress - it’s that all too common feeling that has somehow become synonymous with modern day life. But aside from the tension and worrying thoughts, how else does stress hijack your body? If you’re someone that reaches for the chocolate in the shadows of a looming deadline to find comfort,...

Find happiness in your gut: In a nut shell

Humans are heterotrophs, which means we can’t produce our own food within our body, instead we have to consume food. We eat in order to meet our energy and nutritional requirements. If we are hungry, frustrated and over-loaded with work, we often feel that “my brain is not working” and we rush...

Eating alone? Join the club!

Social interaction and support from family, friends, and colleagues has long been associated with positive health outcomes. Having meaningful relationships helps us to manage stress and anxiety, improve physical and mental health, and increase overall quality of life. Conversely, social isolation, l...

Fueling the fire: diet, depression and inflammation

By Dr Sarah R Dash You likely know inflammation as the redness and swelling that appears after you cut your finger – it’s painful, but its job is to help us heal. Systemic (or chronic) inflammation is different. We can’t see this low-level autoimmune response, and it’s usually a prolonged r...

Recap of Gut Revolution: A Catalyst special – Part 2: Obesity (Garry’s story)

Airing on ABC’s catalyst series last month, Gut Revolution was a two-part feature seeking to sort the facts from the faeces. Hosted by Dr Joanna McMillan, we followed the path of two people with debilitating gut issues, on their quests for better health. Food and Mood Centre director, Professor Fe...

Recap of Gut Revolution: A Catalyst special – Part 1: IBS (Melissa’s story)

The Magic Pill

by Sara Campolonghi The prevalent approach in Western countries towards health is generally based on symptom care rather than on health prevention and promotion. Usually we begin to deal with our health when there is something wrong with it, instead of taking care of it in advance, through...

Polyphenols: Do we all just need a little more chocolate?

by Meghan Hockey For many of us, we instinctively turn to chocolate when we are in a bad mood. Is it the taste or are we programmed to choose these foods because of their mood-boosting benefits? Chocolate, along with fruits, vegetables, spices, tea, coffee and red wine all contain nutritive compoun...