`COMMUNICATION STUDIES SPEECH

Good morning judges

Food equals happiness. If yuh disagree feel free fi talk to me after the speech. Now the theme I
chose to center my research around is mental health and its relation with food-based therapy. A
regular symptom associated with the coping of depression in patients is the consuming of food in
either an abnormally high servings or dangerously low servings. But before I dive that topic
What is food therapy, is considered as the dieting option given to various patients to aid in the
improvement of, in this case, mental health.

So why study food-based therapy; as a child I experienced my grandmother’s eating habits

changing drastically from healthy food to junk food and it is my belief, consequently this has
attributed to her developing a strange mental disease. This experience has reinforced my interest
in dieting on a whole, and has made me curious of how dieting can affect mental health. And if
so can the food we eat positively affect mental health.

My first source comes from the Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health publishing which
released an article written by DR MD Eva Selhud. The primary source states how the foods we
eat affect how we feel positively, it goes into detail about the chemical relationship between the
digestive system and the brain. It was extremely difficult finding a contrasting view on my topic
due to the popularity of positive body image and its dominance within the media which leads to
it overshadowing views which oppose it in any way.

However my second source came from the science daily website which created an article based
on the study done by The Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center which
revealed that California adults who consumed more unhealthy food were also more likely to
report symptoms of either moderate or severe psychological distress than their peers who
consume a healthier diet. Source one presents the case that food plays a positive role in the
maintenance of good mental health while source two argues that food can play an overall
negative role in the maintenance of good mental health and in addition to that plays a positive
role in the development of mental illnesses. All sources discussed is less than 5 years old.
According to Harvard health publishing edited by DR MD Eva Selhud serotonin is a
neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain. Since
about 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, and your gastrointestinal
tract is lined with a hundred million nerve cells, or neurons, it makes sense that the inner
workings of your digestive system don’t just help you digest food, but also guides your
emotions. How many times have you felt sad and decided to pull for that ice cream, chicken or
even bacon? Who in here would happy if me give them a zinger?

Eating is not only a physical act it is also an emotional experience due to serotonin. It sends
signals between your nerve cells. Serotonin impacts every part of your body, from your emotions
to your motor skills. Serotonin is considered a natural mood stabilizer. Serotonin also helps
reduce depression and regulate anxiety. A post from medium.com refers to selhud’s article in a
listing of how depression can be handled where it states Depression is a condition that affects
your brain. Additionally, what you eat regulates the way your brain functions. In an article from
the Harvard Health Publications, Dr. Eva Selhud mentions that your brain is similar to a car, and
it needs premium fuel to keep it healthy and operative. She goes on to say that the food you
consume can affect the way you feel, and eliminating processed and refined foods from your diet
can uplift your mood.

I trust the information presented on the basis of reputation of both the editor DR MD Eva Selhud
and the publisher Harvard health publishing of the Harvard medical school.

Dr. Eva Selhud is an internationally recognized expert, physician, author, speaker and consultant
in the fields of stress, resilience, mind-body medicine and working with the natural environment
to achieve maximum health and wellbeing. Dr. Selhub engages her clients and her audiences
with her powerful energy, words of wisdom and scientific knowledge to be empowered to
transform themselves, their health and their life for the better. Board Certified in Internal
Medicine, Dr. Selhud is on staff at Harvard Medical School and is a Clinical Associate of the
world-renowned Benson Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine.Dr. Selhud also works with
clients privately, combining her knowledge and expertise from Western and allopathic medicine
and from the Eastern healing traditions. Dr. Selhud has been published in medical journals and
featured in national publications including The New York Times, USA Today, Self, Shape,
Fitness, and Journal of Woman’s Health, and has appeared on radio and television in connection
with her work, including the Dr. Oz show.

Harvard University is ranked No. 1 in Best Medical Schools within the research category No. 10
in Best Medical Schools in the Primary Care category number one in the psychiatry category and
is ranked the number 1 medical school in the world by the QS world university ranking by
subject a globally accepted ranking system. This makes Harvard the most reliable source in the
world to obtain information within the realm of medicine and medical practices. With this now
being known it is quite simple to see why I believe medical information which comes forth from
an article spearheaded by these juggernauts within the medical field is both valid and reliable.

I also believe that broadcasting this information through the medium of the internet in the form
of a blog brandished with the emblem of the Harvard university increases its already
undisputable level of credibility.

The study, published Feb. 16 in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition,

revealed that California adults who consumed more unhealthy food were also more likely to

report symptoms of either moderate or severe psychological distress than their peers who

consume a healthier diet.

Jim E. Banta, PhD, MPH, associate professor at Loma Linda University School of Public Health

and lead author of the study, said the results are similar to previous studies conducted in other

countries that have found a link between mental illness and unhealthy diet choices. Increased

sugar consumption has been found to be associated with bipolar disorder, for example,

consumption of foods that have been fried or contain high amounts of sugar and processed grains
have been linked with depression. Banta stated. "Perhaps the time has come for us to take a

closer look at the role of diet in mental health, because it could be that healthy diet choices

contribute to mental health but more research is needed before we can answer definitively

Banta cautioned that the link found between poor diet and mental illness is not a causal

relationship. Still, he said the findings from California build upon previous studies and could

affect future research and the approaches that healthcare providers should administer for

behavioral medicine treatments.

Banta made use of secondary data sources such as the California Health Interview Survey and

found that nearly 17 percent of California adults are likely to suffer from mental illness -- 13.2

percent with moderate psychological distress and 3.7 percent with severe psychological distress.

As stated, above Jim E. Banta, PhD, MPH is an Associate Professor at the Loma Linda

University School of Public Health and Director of the DrPH in Health Policy and Leadership

Program. His research interests include health services research using large secondary data files

and behavioral health. The Loma Linda University School of Public Health is accredited as a

degree-granting institution by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The

programs of the schools are accredited by the appropriate accrediting agencies. These factors

grant validity to the information gathered and presented from the research done by Jim. E Banta

I believe publishing the information in the form a newsletter on a respected website such as of

science daily which is rated a Pro-Science Source. based on proper scientific sourcing and a

clean fact check record was an excellent idea because it broadcasts medical information in a

form both experts and casual readers can grasp with ease.
The Harvard health publishing article the Loma Linda University School of Public Health

newsletter the foods we eat can affect how we feel positively, the food we eat can affect how we

feel negatively these two points are the core construct of both my sources respectively I have

gained much knowledge throughout my investigation on this topic hence making me a better

student and more equipped for future researches. I am more experienced in choosing reliable

sources of information such as the Harvard health publishing. I believe the more research done

on this topic the easier it will be to see that the food we eat has an effect on the body whether

positive or negative but the onus is on us as responsible human beings to make it beneficial to us

good day.