You might assume that nothing would make you happier than polishing off that super-sized double cheeseburger meal with a large milkshake, but actually the opposite is true -- recent studies suggest that eating junk food actually makes you depressed. Researchers at the University College London in England found that people who regularly indulged in processed, high-fat and sugary foods were 58 percent more likely to suffer from depression than those who eat a healthy, balanced diet.

"There seem to be various aspects of lifestyle such as taking exercise which also matter, but it appears that diet is playing an independent role," Dr. Eric Brunner, lead author of the study, told the Daily Mail.

So is a healthy diet really that much better for you? The study, which appeared in the British Journal of Psychiatry, concluded that all the nutrients found in wholesome food compared to fast food affect mental health. High levels of antioxidants, folate and omega-3s are being credited with the positive mental health of those with a balanced diet. On the other hand, unstable blood sugar levels contribute to high levels of depression in junk food eaters.

The bottom line? Junk food won't make you happy. Keep that in mind next time you're weighing up the merits of a salad versus a Whopper at lunchtime.

In fact, poor eating may send you to therapy -- it did for Kevin Federline.

Chocoholics rejoice! Today is National Chocolate Day. But before you stick a fork in that piece of chocolate cake, there are a few nutritional facts about chocolate you should know.

Several years ago, new research claimed chocolate was full of healthy antioxidants and could actually be good for you. All of this hype sent some straight to the nearest bakery. Not a good idea. While it's true that chocolate is made from pure cacao beans, which contain powerful antioxidants, once it is manufactured, many of these beneficial ingredients are processed out. Some chocolatiers advertise that their bars have antioxidants added back in, but they can also add mega doses of sugar and fat.

Don't despair though. If you choose your chocolate wisely, you can avoid the unhealthiest selections and may even help your heart and waistline while satisfying your sweet tooth. Start by looking at the label. Chocolate is usually labeled with the percentage of cacao it contains. This indicates the intensity of chocolate in the bar. For example, 30 percent is milk chocolate, 35 percent is dark milk chocolate, 50 percent is semisweet and anything above 70 percent is bittersweet.

Photo: ccharmon, Flickr

Stop feeling guilty about munching away on those fluffy, delicious kernels of goodness -- it turns out popcorn is a source of antioxidants and fiber. Hooray!

Now, the caveat -- you can only consider it a health food if you air pop it and season it lightly with salt, reports ABC News. Adding butter (or caramel, or large quantities of salt), like most of us do, puts it right back in the "sometimes food" category.

On its own, popcorn is a whole grain. Unfortunately, on its own, popcorn also doesn't offer a lot of flavor. But, if you're able to keep the unhealthy additives to a bare minimum (a little olive oil and a dash of salt can go a long way), it's a great snack option. It's light, so you can snack throughout a movie, but it's filling, so it won't leave you hungry. And it's fun -- how many other foods are so easy to toss in the air and catch with your mouth?

Trying to lose weight? You might want to reconsider limiting your snack options!

Photo: Charlotte Kinzie/Flickr

If you take junk food and put something healthful in it, is it still junk food? Manufacturers seem to hope that you'll answer that question with a negative. Here in the states we've got Diet Coke Plus, where niacin, zinc, magnesium and vitamins B6 and B12 are added into the drink. And now they're releasing a green-tea flavored Diet Coke in Japan.

"We wanted to cater to people who are looking for something that tastes good but is also good for health and beauty," said Katsuya Sato, a representative from Coca Cola Co. in Japan.

So what's the bottom line? These drinks are soda. Though the addition of vitamins, minerals or antioxidants certainly isn't a bad thing, it doesn't change the fact that you're drinking soda. So whether they're beneficial depends on how you're using them. If you choose a Diet Coke with added ingredients instead of a regular Diet Coke, it's not a bad choice. However, if you choose a soda in place of water or (worse) use these fortified drinks as a replacement for getting nutrients through fresh, natural and nutrient-dense foods, then it's a very poor choice.

Green tea has been linked to many possible health benefits -- from reduced cancer risk, to better skin, to regulated blood sugar. But you're much better off drinking a cup of green tea than getting the antioxidants from a fortified soda.

Would you drink green tea-flavored Diet Coke?

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Eating well generally includes getting a variety of vitamins and antioxidants. So that's why a recent study on the effects of mixing exercise and antioxidants is so very frustrating at first glance.

Exercise helps boost your metabolism and increase insulin sensitivity, but incorporating antioxidant supplements such as vitamin C and E into your diet might negate these benefits, researchers found.

When you exercise, your muscle cells metabolize glucose, causing tissue-damaging oxygen molecules to be released -- antioxidants attack those molecules, which is normally a good thing. However, those same molecules have been shown to increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, which can help prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Don't think this means you get a pass on your daily servings of fruits and veggies, though -- researchers in this study agree that getting antioxidants through food is a good thing, and that it's really when you start taking large amounts of supplements that antioxidants might curb some of the benefits of exercise if you're at risk for diabetes.

Keep in mind, of course, that this is only one study. It is part of a growing body of evidence that have not shown supplements to be beneficial, and some may even be harmful. So the message isn't really frustrating at all, fruits and vegetables are still the best way to go.

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Has anyone else noticed a preponderance in the number of TV commercials pushing antioxidants? Every other beauty product is "infused with the power of antioxidants," and every new juice on the market has also harnessed the healing powers. I mean, even if you're not one to jump on the newest health and beauty trends, you've got to be wondering what antioxidants can do for you.

And I've got the answer -- a lot. Dr. Leslie Baumann, a leading global expert in dermatology, wrote in her most recent Skin Type Solutions newsletter that, in addition to preventing "heart disease, liver disease and certain forms of cancer, they may also offer some protection against neuro-degenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. And if these aren't good enough reasons to convince you to start guzzling the pomegranate juice, I can also give you another one: Antioxidants also help prevent wrinkles."

Basically, antioxidants help protect against free radicals, which cause damage inside and out and contribute to premature aging of the skin. (To be clear: While antioxidants can prevent further damage, they won't remove existing wrinkles). But, as Baumann says, there are plenty of ways to get these protective antioxidants, both orally and topically.

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Breathe in. Breathe out. There. You just supplied your body with much-needed oxygen, some of which will make its way to your cells. When your cells use the oxygen, however, they leave some free radicals behind. Antioxidants are a cleaning crew, of sorts -- they clear away all those unwanted visitors.

When it comes to getting your antioxidants, are you turning to produce and other natural sources? Or are you looking to processed foods?

As so often happens in the food industry, when a health-related item becomes somewhat trendy, everything from soda to candy will be labeled to match the trend. You may not have to think back too far to remember a time when you had never heard of antioxidants. But now that they're in the public eye, you can find a wide variety of products with labels touting their antioxidant power.

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Steamed broccoli and roasted cauliflower are two of my favorite vegetable dishes; I could eat them every night of the week. But serve them up raw, and I won't touch them. So goes the veggie lover's dilemma: It's a common belief that heat destroys powerful nutrients in vegetables, but cooking makes them tastier.

First, let's clear up that myth. According to Scientific American, cooking actually enhances the nutritional value of several different kinds of vegetables. Powerhouse antioxidants like lycopene and cartenoids increase when veggies like tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, spinach and peppers are boiled or steamed. On the other hand, my beloved broccoli might actually be healthier raw, since cooking destroys an important enzyme. And while cooking boosts the beta carotene in carrots, it lowers the overall level of polyphenols.

Confused yet? Me too. Scientific American cuts to the chase for us: Cooked and raw veggies both offer a boost in certain nutrients and antioxidants. If you're unlikely to eat vegetables at all unless they're cooked, then by all means, toss some extra broccoli into your stir fry. But if your idea of a great snack is a bowl of chopped, raw veggies, then go ahead and eat up. The more you enjoy your veggies -- cooked or raw -- the more that you'll eat.

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I've given up a lot of things in my diet to live a healthier lifestyle, but one thing I just haven't been able to ban is my favorite full-fat poppy seed dressing. (And if you try and make me, be ready for a fight.)

Turns out, I have an excuse to enjoy it on my salad a couple of times a week. Experts say that when combined with fat, antioxidants from leafy greens are better absorbed. That's just one example of how when certain foods are combined, nutrition gets a boost.

Researchers are discovering that sometimes, two great tastes don't just taste great together, they're better for your body that way too. It's called food synergy, or the "one plus one equals three" effect. And it might just be why we've developed a taste over time for certain food combinations.

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Tomorrow is the big day, the one reserved for outpourings of love and affection, sweet surprises and maybe a little chocolate too -- we suggest you go dark on this one. It's also a day for sporting some red. You know, your favorite red sweater, a red scarf, a red ribbon in your hair, red running shoes even.

Ever thought about going red with your fruits and veggies in honor of Valentine's Day? It's a healthy thing to do -- and can be the perfect prep for that big meal you might be sharing with your sweetie once the sun sets.

There are lots of antioxidants in red produce, which means extra protection against all sorts of disease. Can't beat that, so why not show yourself some love this Valentine's Day and throw back some of these super red foods: tomatoes, red peppers, apples, strawberries and raspberries. And let us know in comments what other red foods you might try. Red beans, maybe? How about red cabbage, red wine or watermelon? You tell us.

Hurry, Quick. Get yourself some acai berries. I hear they taste just like a combination of red wine and chocolate (Family Circle, February 2009 tells me so). They also happen to be chock full of disease-fighting antioxidants so apparently, you just can't go wrong with this superfood.

Not familiar with anything acai? Give this superfruit smoothie a try.

In a blender, combine one and one-fourths cups plain soy milk, one cup acai juice (available in natural food stores), one-fourth cup orange juice, one large mango (peeled and cut into chunks) and one cup frozen blueberries. Blend well. And drink. Detect any red wine and chocolate in there?

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Pour yourself a piping hot cup of cocoa if you get the chance today. There's nothing better for warming your spirits on what might be a chilly day in your neck of the woods. Just two rules: Make it sugar-free, and go easy on the creamy toppings.

The great thing about hot cocoa is that while you sip your way to a toastier spirit, you'll also be helping your heart. Just ask researchers from Yale, who say that downing a cup of the chocolate stuff causes blood vessels to temporarily dilate so the heart doesn't need to pump as hard. The end result, says the crew at Ladies Home Journal: A blood pressure drop to the tune of six points (only three points if your cup contains sugar). Opt for naturally-processed cocoa powder over the Dutch-processed variety, and you'll get even more antioxidants for even better blood flow.

Go ahead -- indulge. It's Christmas. You deserve a treat. And a healthy heart too.

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During the holidays, the wine flows freely at my house. Wine's the best of the alcohols, right? That's what we tell ourselves anyway. But one has to wonder, considering recent reports that the metals in wine are linked to Parkinson's and cancer. Plus, apparently, wine drinkers are most likely to drink too much. Egads.

And yet, it's still true that wine is healthy for your heart. What's a wine lover to believe?

I, for one, believe in moderation -- living healthfully 90 percent of the time and giving myself a break that other 10 precent. I also believe that if we abide by every study on every food that causes whatever disease or condition, we're not really enjoying ourselves. I believe in enjoying the good things in life, all at once -- good food and libations with good family and friends. I believe in making up for indulgences with an extra long run on Monday.

What's your take?

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When a food item becomes a health trend, it starts popping up everywhere -- from energy drinks to sodas to diet pills, sometimes even in shampoo. The acai berry trend is one of the more recent nutrition buzzes... but is it worth all of the fuss?

According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, acai berries are rich in antioxidants and are a very nutritious food. However, Dr. Oz states that acai is as good as any other healthful food, not any better. One reporter and her husband decided to try out the acai diet -- he took capsules and she used a powdered drink mix. Not only was it expensive, the drink was gritty, and neither saw any weight loss results. And the cleansing drink that came with the acai diet was completely gag-inducing.

The lesson here is to not go overboard. When nutrition news hits the media, the marketing folks clamor on board and try to sell as many products as possible based on very limited science. Acai is a great food to incorporate into your diet but if you're expecting it to help you magically lose weight, cure disease and unclog your kitchen sink, you're going to be sorely disappointed.

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I think the general consensus is that coffee, in moderation, is healthy. It's packed with healthy antioxidants and as long as it's paired with skim milk instead of cream and sugar, it's low in calories. And it can give your metabolism a bit of a boost -- something I think we all could use every now and then.

Yes, coffee can help you lose weight but that's not always a good thing. According to recent studies out of the UK, drinking coffee can shrink a woman's breasts -- and ladies, I think most of us can agree that this is the last place we want to slim down, right?

However, these findings were true of women who drank three or more cups a day. Stick to one -- two, max -- and you should be fine.

(via Diet Blog)

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