Food and Mood
Does what you eat affect your mood?
How to choose foods that will improve your mood and life!
If this grey, dull, cold and damp JUNE!! weather (where is summer in Scotland anyway?!) is giving you a serious case of the blues, you might be pleased to hear that what you choose to eat can make a difference to the way you are feeling.
Certain foods and nutrients help your brain to make chemicals and hormones that support better mood, attention and focus, while other foods can deplete your energy, making you feel sluggish, fatigued and literally cloud your mood.
Food and Mood: What you eat and how you eat matters.
You are what you ate... read that again... In other words what you are about to eat is directly linked to how you are going to feel later. Therefore, when it comes to our emotional and mental well-being (as well as our physical health) arguably the number one activity we can take responsibility for, is what we choose to put in our mouths every time we eat.
My number one mission is to help people recognise food as a form of selfcare in their lives. Awareness of our regular food choices and habits together with our emotions is key. When we become conscious of the way we view food, what and how we eat and how we are feeling before, during and after eating, we feel much more connected to the food we are consuming. This is known as mindful eating.
Mindfulness is a form of meditation and is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are, what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Mindful eating then is the practice of focusing our full attention while eating, using mindfulness to develop awareness of your experiences, physical cues and feelings when taking each mouthful.
Fundamentally mindful eating involves:
Eating slowly and without distraction
Listening to your body’s physical hunger and satiety cues
Distinguishing between true hunger and non-hunger triggers for eating
Engaging all your senses and noticing colours, smell, sounds, texture, flavour, enjoying each mouthful
Eating to maintain overall health, nourishment and well-being
Learning how to cope with guilt and / or anxiety surrounding food
Noticing the effects of eating upon your feelings, without judgement
Gaining an appreciation of food
Integrating these mindful eating practices allows you to replace subconscious or automatic responses to food, empowering you to make more conscious, often healthier food choices and decisions. It also opens the doorway for appreciation, pleasure and enjoyment of food and having a better connection with it.
The next step is to then connect the dots between what we ate and how that food is impacting on the way we feel physically, mentally and emotionally. Food choices are directly responsible for and make the difference between feeling sluggish and tired OR energised & motivated; uncomfortable and nauseous OR pain-free and vibrant. By ‘listening’ to the, sometimes subtle, feedback from your body during the process of digestion, you can become empowered to make better food choices for your own unique body type, optimising your energy levels, balancing your mood and improving focus and clarity.
Each individual is totally unique, there’s no one quite like you on this planet and therefore there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to the ideal way in which to eat. I believe we all hold the key to our innate inner wisdom and the ability to heal emotionally, mentally and physically using a food first approach coupled with positive lifestyle habits for lasting, sustainable change. This is precisely why I am so passionate about bringing Ayurvedic wisdom into my coaching practice.
Ayurveda, is an ancient natural medical system that originated in India more than 5,000 years ago. The term Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit words ayur meaning life and veda translating to science or knowledge. Thus, Ayurveda translates to knowledge of life or the science of longevity. Based on the idea that disease is due to an imbalance or stress in the body and / or mind, Ayurveda encourages a holistic approach using natural remedies, diet, exercise and lifestyle, to regain a balance between the body, mind, spirit, and the environment. Ayurveda treats every ‘body’ as the beautiful unique being they are, recognising that certain foods and the way in which they are prepared and cooked are better suited to some and limited by others. Ayurveda can be a great starting point for those suffering with food sensitivities or digestive discomfort such as bloating, gas, IBS symptoms or constipation.
These digestive issues are directly linked to our mood and well-being, just think about when you are preparing for an exam, about to deliver an important presentation at work, or run a race and you experience ‘nervous tummy syndrome’, suddenly needing to dash to the bathroom! Our gut and our brain are connected by and communicate via the vagus nerve, this is known as the gut-brain axis. Nourishing our digestive health to promote healing and reduce discomfort, we have a greater chance of improving not only our physical health, but our emotional and mental well-being too!
What to eat to improve your mood and find balance?
The best meal to choose to enhance your mood is one that combines a balance of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, healthy fats and colourful fresh produce. Here’s the science bit!
Simple Vs Complex Carbohydrates
In contrast to simple carbohydrates or sugars, which have shorter chains of molecules that are faster to digest and often produce a blood glucose ‘sugar spike’; complex carbohydrates are built of more complex chains of molecules, which take longer for the body to digest, elevating blood glucose levels for longer and thus producing a more lasting elevation in energy levels. Complex carbohydrates can be found in wholefoods such as:
Starchy veggies e.g. sweet potatoes
Whole grains e.g. brown rice, quinoa, oats
Beans, lentils and peas
Leafy greens, fresh fruits and veggies
Pasta made from 100% whole wheat.
These complex carbohydrates can increase the availability of the ‘feel-good’ hormone serotonin in the body., 95% of the body’s serotonin is produced by bacteria in the gut, in fact hundreds of neurochemicals are produced in the gut and used by the brain to regulate physiological processes as well as mental processes such as learning, memory and mood. When you consider the gut's multifaceted ability to communicate with the brain, "it's almost unthinkable that the gut is not playing a critical role in mind states," says gastroenterologist Emeran Mayer, MD. Such is the key role of the gut’s influence in our daily lives, it is no wonder that it is often referred to as the ‘second brain’, and therefore worth paying attention to the way in which we maintain and look after our digestive system, including how we fuel our body with the foods we choose to put in to it.
The key components of complex carbohydrates are resistant starches and fibre. Although dietary fibre is not processed by human enzymes, gut microbes do act upon the fiber to produce key metabolites like short chain fatty acids, which are then absorbed and affect metabolic regulation in the body. These foods allow for a gentle rise in blood sugar levels which influences the regulation of insulin levels by providing slow-release energy important for sustained energy levels, increased ability to concentrate and focus, stabilising mood and regulating appetite, decreasing cravings for sweet or sugary foods.
Protein consumption
Eating a diet high in the amino acid l-tyrosine can help ensure you’ve got the basic building blocks needed for dopamine synthesis. L-tyrosine is commonly found in protein-rich foods such as:
all animal products
almonds
apples
avocados
bananas
beets
chocolate
coffee
fava beans
green leafy vegetables
green tea
lima beans
oatmeal
olive oil
oregano
peanuts
rosemary
sesame and pumpkin seeds
soy products
turmeric
watermelon
wheat germ
foods high in natural probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and raw sauerkraut
These foods have been linked to higher levels of dopamine, which is a brain chemical or neuro-transmitter that plays a key role in how we feel pleasure and our human ability to think and plan. Dopamine affects many parts of our behaviour and physical functions such as:
Learning
Motivation
Heart rate
Blood vessel function
Kidney function
Sleep
Mood
Attention
Control of nausea & vomiting
Pain processing
Movement
Healthy fats are polyunsaturated fats (Omega 3 & Omega 6) which are essential fats required for normal body and brain function. You can find these healthy fats in:
Oily fish
Nuts & seeds (walnuts, flaxseeds, chia etc.)
Extra virgin olive oil
Avocados
A deficiency in healthy fats is associated with anxiety and depression.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that nourish your body and are shown to boost happiness.
Mediterranean diet for health and happiness
The Mediterranean diet has been linked to improvement in depressive symptoms, this is attributed to the high intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, whole-grains, legumes and nuts, using olive oil for cooking and dressing foods, eating home-made fermented yoghurt and lower amounts of red meat and processed food consumption. Studies have found that sustained adherence to Mediterranean dietary patterns can reduce markers of inflammation in humans, since various mental health conditions, including mood disorders, have been linked to heightened inflammation, this strengthens the link between poor diet and increased risk of depressive symptoms. This hypothesis is supported by observational studies which have shown that people with depression score significantly higher on measures of ‘dietary inflammation’, characterised by a greater consumption of foods that are associated with inflammation (e.g., trans-fats and refined carbohydrates) and lower intakes of nutritional foods, which are thought to have anti-inflammatory properties (e.g., omega-3 fats). Therefore, consuming a Mediterranean style diet based on real, whole and unrefined foods with an adequate balance of protein, healthy fats and fibre, helps to stabilise blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation in the body, which has been linked to improvements in mood and anxiety.
What to eat and what to avoid
Over time, eating processed, refined foods which contain little nutrient value can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Nutrients important to a healthy mood include:
Folate.
Iron.
Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA).
Magnesium.
Potassium.
Selenium.
Thiamine.
Vitamin A.
Vitamin B6.
Vitamin B12.
Vitamin C.
Zinc.
Here are some examples of meals which contain a healthy balance of these mood boosting nutrients:
Egg or gram flour frittata with asparagus, roasted veg and pesto dressing
Grilled mackerel served with roasted tomato, artichoke, olive & lentil salad
Grass-fed roast beef served with roasted sweet potato chips and broccoli
Mediterranean minestrone bean soup made with spelt pasta
Mango, avocado & pine nut quinoa salad served with chicken or tofu
Bhudda bowl served with brown rice
Meanwhile try to avoid foods which are going to drain your energy both physically and mentally. Some food with low nutritional value, containing high sugar or simple carbohydrate content may give you a quick energy fix, but leave you feeling tired and irritable later. Examples of these are generally shop bought, packaged products, such as:
Refined flour-based products: breads, biscuits, baked goods.
Sugar-sweetened beverages, cookies, doughnuts, chocolate bars.
Making Change
When you make positive changes to your diet some changes can be felt in a matter of hours, other changes can take time to feel improvements in your mood, so be kind and patient with yourself and allow a period of 3-4 weeks to see a difference. It might also take a bit of time for your gut to get used to a new eating pattern, so it is best to make changes slowly to give yourself time to adjust. It is useful to observe and record these changes and keeping a food and mood journal to help you track your progress along the way will be helpful.
Get my FREE BONUS Food and Mood Journal to help you get tracking TODAY!
