I cut down on meat a number of years ago. At the time I was in the grip of what would now probably be labelled an "eating disorder". I was working all hours to the detriment of my general wellbeing: takeaways every second night, gorging on rubbish 24/7. I stopped playing football, which had kept me fit and healthy for years. I went from 12 stone to almost 18, which is unbelievable to me now looking back.
One day I made a conscious decision to make some lifestyle changes. I started walking to work, stopped ordering takeaways; started eating lots of fruit and vegetables and cut out fizzy drinks and chocolate.
Making these relatively small changes had a huge impact on my life and general wellbeing. I very quickly shed the weight I had gained and felt much more clear minded and focused.
I haven't looked back since.
I understand that the doctors are advised to recommend exercise as the first step in dealing with patients suffering from depression. I wonder to what extent common ailments could be treated much more effectively through simple lifestyle changes as opposed to the current fashion of "treatment" consisting of prescribing a slew of pills.