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What we eat can impact our state of mind in all kinds of ways, and can conjure up pretty much every feeling known to human beings. We talk of food in emotional terms – ‘comfort food’ being the most obvious. Food doesn’t just sustain our bodies, it is essential for our minds too. It can influence our health. When I had a full-blown breakdown, food became massively important, but also a massive challenge. I was well aware that if I wasn’t eating properly, or enough, then I would feel even more rubbish, and yet cooking itself often seemed like a mountain to climb. When you are in a bad mental state, almost anything can seem a challenge. I can remember sitting on the end of my bed and taking about half an hour trying to decide which pair of socks to put on that day. Even when ninety per cent of the socks in the sock drawer were the same colour, it still seemed to take a Herculean effort.