Food And Mood
There is an increasing amount of evidence and research to show that there is a link between our mood and what we eat. We can have a positive impact on our mental wellbeing by adding certain mood enhancing foods to our diet and avoiding others that can cause our mood to fluctuate.
How does food affect mood?
What we eat and when we eat can affect how we feel. Eating sporadically, missing breakfast and not having regular meals can affect our blood sugar levels. This has been shown to cause mood swings and our energy levels to dip. Also what we eat can affect how feel. If we eat a lot of sugar and caffeine rich foods this can elevate our blood sugar to give us fluctuating moods and also exhaust our adrenal glands which adds to our feelings of stress and anxiety.
Since the brain depends on an even supply of glucose, it is no surprise to find that sugar has been implicated in aggressive behavior, anxiety, and depression, and fatigue,
Low levels of vital vitamins and minerals and essential fatty acids can also affect mental health, with some symptoms associated with particular nutritional deficiencies. For example, links have been demonstrated between low levels of certain B-vitamins and symptoms of schizophrenia, low levels of the mineral zinc and eating disorders, and low levels of omega-3 oils and depression.
Top tips to change how you eat and the way you feel:
- Have 3 meals a day at regular times spread throughout the day. Remember that having breakfast improves academic performance and improves the body’s ability to cope with stress.
- Replace refined foods with wholemeal, whole wheat or brown varieties - Eating lots of refined sugar and refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, rice and most processed foods) is linked with depression because these foods not only supply very little in the way of nutrients, but also use up the mood-enhancing B vitamins because the body needs B vitamins to turn each teaspoon of sugar into energy.
- Cut down or eliminate sugar and caffeine in your diet to help improve your stress levels.
- Eat more oily fish such as mackerel or salmon and nuts and seeds which contain Omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids to feed the brain and improve function and stabilise mood.
- Eat good sources of protein like beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, fish, eggs and meat, which are all high in tryptophan – the building block for serotonin which is a mood enhancer.
- Eat foods which contain a good balance of vitamins, particularly the B vitamin complex which helps to feed the nervous system and improve mood. Food rich in these essential vitamins include romaine lettuce, asparagus, spinach, sunflower seeds, peas, tomatoes, aubergine, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, low fat yoghurt, milk, salmon, halibut, turkey breast, yellow corn, chicken breast, steamed broccoli, squash, bell peppers, dark green leafy vegetables, almonds, eggs, shrimps and lentils.
- Drink plenty of water daily.
- Exercise is a key part of changing your mood for the better. It has been shown to be as effective as taking anti-depressants in a number of studies in which people exercised for 30 to 60 minutes 3 to 5 times a week. Exercising outdoors increases the beneficial effects.
Useful Links
www.foodforthebrain.org
www.mind.org.uk
Disclaimer
None of the information above is intended to replace medical advice or a recommended drug regimen from a health professional. Always consult your GP before making any changes.
Credit to Paul for use of strawberry image, Michelle Meiklejohn for blueberries image and Master Isolated Images for the apples image.