Are you fed up of feeling fed up? How what you eat affects your mood.
What we eat can really impact our mood.
This is because the nutrients in our food directly affect the biochemical function of our bodies and therefore our mood.
Everything in your body is connected and our diet impacts our mood and our mood often dictates our food choices. This can cause a vicious cycle if you are feeling stressed and choosing high sugar and salty ‘comfort’ foods to fuel you through a difficult day.
Diet and mood interact in lots of different ways.
Your gut bacteria feed off the foods you eat and are responsible for making your neurotransmitters (signals to the brain) that dictate if you are happy or sad, stressed or relaxed. Therefore, eating sugary, processed foods will feed the ‘bad’ bacteria driving emotions of low mood, depression and lethargy. Whereas fibre and fermented foods feed the ‘good’ bacteria increasing feel good signals to the brain.
Foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates spike blood sugar which increases the release of cortisol, the ‘stress’ hormone’ that raises blood pressure, heart rate and inflammation in the body.
What can you eat to improve your mood?
- Eat regular, well-balanced meals to ensure a consistent supply of nutrients, vitamins and phytochemicals.
- Oily fish, chia seeds and walnuts contain Omega 3 which has been shown to improve mood.
- Protein such as turkey, eggs and tuna contain tryptophan, a building block of serotonin, the feel-good hormone.
- Fermented foods such as kefir, yogurt and kombucha feed the good bacteria to increase serotonin.
- Whole grains and root vegetables are rich in B vitamins for energy production.
- Green leafy vegetables provide magnesium, a nutrient that reduces the risk of depression and lifts mood.
Need a little bit more right now?
One supplement I like to recommend to clients who need a little mood support is NT Intensive by BioCare.
It contains a mix of amino acids (like tryptophan), magnesium and lemon balm.
It is also suitable for vegetarians with no unnecessary additives.
Add 2 teaspoons to water once a day.
If you are unsure if this is suitable for you, or you would like to take advantage of my practitioner discount, click here to get in touch.
If you’re struggling with low mood, anxiety or lethargy there is so much we can work on together to support you and help you feel better.
Get in touch for an informal chat to find out more.