I’m not blowing anyone’s mind when I say that the food we eat has a big impact on how we feel, right?
Mental health and brain health is complex. Just like the foods we eat and the way our bodies interact with those foods. The exact mechanisms of how food and nutrition help are unknown what we do know is the ways food impacts our moods.
First, the foods we consume become the raw materials for our neurotransmitters. If you’re not sure, neurotransmitters are the biochemical messengers that allow our nerve cells to communicate (ever heard of serotonin?). They are important not just for thinking and memory, but also for mental health.
Second, our blood sugar is affected by what we eat. Having unstable blood sugar levels contributes to mood swings amongst other things.
So, in saying this, let’s learn about mood-boosting and mood-busting foods.
Mood-boosting foods
Mental health problems can sometimes be nutrient deficiencies in disguise: this includes deficiencies in B-vitamins, vitamin D, and the mineral selenium. So, getting enough vitamins, minerals and antioxidants into you is super important. These nutrients fuel biochemical reactions in our bodies and also reduce inflammation. Biochemical reactions include those that create the neurotransmitters we spoke about above.
Studies show that people who eat the most fresh fruit and vegetables are the happiest. This is more than enough reason to make sure you’re eating a wide variety of nutrient-dense whole foods, especially fruit and vegetables.
Vitamin D, or ‘the sunshine vitamin’, is something you should consider eating more of as it isn’t naturally occurring in many foods. You can try to add some Brazil nuts, walnuts, cod, and poultry to your diet as Selenium, a natural mineral, is found in these foods.
Secondly, you want to make sure you’re getting enough protein in your diet as it’s your body’s main source of amino acids. These amino acids are important for mood issues as they are the building blocks of neurotransmitters. Plus protein also helps regulate your blood pressure. Protein can be found in meat, eggs, poultry, and dark leafy vegetables and I recommend eating some kind of protein with each meal.
Third, complex carbohydrates like sweet potato and quinoa (complex carbohydrates) are great too as they allow better absorption of key amino acids like tryptophan. Tryptophan is pretty cool as it’s used by your body to make serotonin (your “happy hormone”) and melatonin (your “sleepy” hormone). Try having these in the evening if you have trouble winding down and relaxing.
Fourth, fish and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids, like seeds and nuts, are also mood-boosting. Omega-3s are definitely great “brain food” and may help to ease some symptoms of a bad mood.
DID YOU KNOW: One study showed that giving prison inmates one multi-vitamin and one omega-3 fish oil tablet per day reduced the incidence of violent behavior by 50%!
Last but certainly not least, make sure to keep yourself hydrated. Even mild dehydration can cause moodiness amongst other things so, drink up!
Mood-busting foods
It probably won’t be a surprise to you to hear that processed are mood busters, right?
Studies have shown that eating a diet high in processed foods with little nutrients can increase your chances of becoming depressed by a whopping 60 percent! And this is on top of research showing that some nutrient deficiencies can look a lot like mental health issues!
“But I feel good after eating it!”
Yeah, some of these mood busters can make you feel better… But this feeling is only temporary. In fact some of the biggest food companies in the world actually study how to maximize this feeling of pleasure with the perfect amount of sugar, salt, and fat. Not to mention how to appeal to our other senses with the color, texture, and taste; they can light up our taste buds and make us feel good too… for now.
Other things to avoid are:
- Alcohol (nervous system depressant)
- Caffeine (may worsen anxious feelings and ability to sleep)
- Sugar (messes with your blood sugar and can worsen inflammation).
Conclusion
Bad moods often lead to bad eating habits; and, bad eating habits can lead to bad moods so it can be a vicious cycle of feeling crappy.
If you’re in need of a mood boost, instead of reaching for a chocolate bar or soft drink, stick to minimally processed nutrient-dense whole foods. Things like fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, eggs, fish, poultry, and meat. Avoid common mood-busting foods like alcohol, caffeine, and sugar.
And remember, these “feel good” junk foods, only make you feel good temporarily. In an hour or so after consumption you’ll be back feeling just as crappy, if not more so, than before!
For a delicious, nutrient dense mood boost try my fruit salad recipe below!
Mood Boosting Fruit Salad- Serves 6-8
1-2 cups watermelon, cubed
1-2 cups cantaloupe, cubed
1-2 cups blueberries, fresh
1-2 cups blackberries, fresh
1-2 cups green grapes, halved
Instructions
Place all fruit in a large bowl and gently toss.
Serve & enjoy!
Tip: Substitute or add any ready-to-eat fruit, like chopped peaches, or raspberries.
References:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/food-and-mood
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/how-to-fight-depression-naturally-with-nutrition