Several of the respondents suffer from moderate to serious depression and have explored various treatments; many having tried antidepressants. Most of the respondents struggle with alcohol – drinking too much and suffering from the aftermath. Most of the respondents described sugar cravings and are aware of its ill effects. Few mentioned caffeine. Several things stand out as triggers for why people indulge in junk food and alcohol – social situations, stress, and loneliness.

I'm conducting an informal study - alongside additional research - on the relationship between food and mood. I would like to invite you to participate in the 'Mood Food Project' by completing a short questionnaire. Your answers will help me understand how others relate to food and cope with difficulties. I believe that simply by considering the questions could be a beneficial exercise for you. In a couple of weeks when I publish my research summary, my recommendations may be more relevant to you -- not just because your answers informed them, but also because you will already thinking about the relationship between what you eat and how you feel.

To be clear, I am not an expert on this subject. It remains a personal interest. My research is not scientific but is done with great care and scrutiny. The same care - and informality - apply to the questionnaire for which I'm seeking respondents. Your responses will be completely confidential; your name will not be published and your words will not be quoted.

If you are interested in participating, please fill out the questionnaire.

The cause of depression is often complicated, involving social, psychological, and biological forces -- all of which are rarely easily identified. Depression can be fed by what you eat (or more often by what you don't), and what you eat can be driven by how you feel. It can promote health problems, and health problems can lead to depresson. It can be caused by bad relationships and/or lead you into them. It's often cyclical in these ways, and it definitely tends to feed on itself.

Many depressed people self-medicate with readily available pick-me-ups -- alcohol, sugar, and caffeine. And the cycle continues. When we regulary intoxicate our brains with alchohol, it suffers. When we fail to nourish it with much-needed nutrients, it suffers. It should be common sense that what we put into our bodies is going to affect us, yet modern life rarely treats food as nourishment. It's either a necessity or a treat. 2,400 years ago Hippocrates wrote: "Let your food be your treatment, and your treatment your food."

There are a number of different explanations for the cause and effect relationship between food and mood, including: brain chemical imbalances, food allergies, nutritional and/or fatty acid deficiencies, and sugar sensitivity. 'Mood Food Project' will explore food as both an explanation and solution for some of the possible causes of depression. Being aware of how food affects you doesn't have to be a drag. Good emotional health is a pretty great perk.

While food allergies involve the immune system, food intolerances involve only the body’s metabolism – the body lacks an enzyme necessary to digest a particular food. Most food sensitivities should be classified as food intolerances. According to IFIC.org, fewer people have true food allergy involving the immune system. Approximately 5 million Americans, (5 to 8% of children and 1 to 2% of adults) have a true food allergy.

When you focus on weight loss, you give too much power to food and your outward appearance. Your intent might be better health, but your gauge is a series of numbers – the number of calories you’re consuming, minutes you’re exercising, pounds on your scale, and your pant size. It certainly helps to measure change, but does it truly measure the success of your life? Do you naturally make food choices based upon numeric data? And by doing so, do you feel like you’re obsessing over food?

I was curious about what made Weight Watchers one of the most popular weight loss businesses in the world. Follows is the summary of my research.

I struggled with depression for many years and was advised to take an anti-depressant. Rejecting medication, I pursued diet and lifestyle changes that would alleviate the symptoms. One of the recommendations I followed was that of Dr. Andrew Weil to supplement with 100 milligrams of Vitamin B6, as part of a B-complex