Food and Mood

Summer is officially in full swing, and with summer comes bbqs, ballgames, swimming and all sorts of outdoor activities that keep us and our families running wild. It can be really easy to just swing through the drive through between stops or fill up on concessions stands and fried foods. Sometimes we just don't have the time or energy to cook a balanced meal at home, however it is important that we continue to try to do the best we can to balance our diet for ourselves, our families and our mood. 

How Food Affects Our Brains

That’s right I said our MOOD too. Did you know that what we eat can be directly reflected in our mood? If we are eating a lot of takeout and fried foods day after day it creates inflammation in our stomach and intestines which in turn makes us tired and more irritable, as well as physically bloated. We are likely to get more angry and upset easier and have a harder time regulating our emotions. This is because 90% or more of our brain chemicals come from our stomach and if our stomach is inflamed, it is not able to send our brain the chemicals it needs to function at its best. 

These chemicals are sent along the vagus nerve that physically connects our gut to our central nervous system and in turn our brain and vice versa. This communication is a two-way street. Just like when we take medication for a headache or blood pressure, it goes to our stomach first to be dissolved and absorbed into our bloodstream to travel to our brain to let our brain know what needs to change for us to feel relief. The same goes for the foods we eat. Different foods have different compounds that can affect our bodies natural production and absorption of dopamine, serotonin, and acetylcholine that are crucial for regulating mood and processing thoughts and emotions. (Naidoo, 2020, 15)

Foods That Can Help Boost Mood

• Probiotics like yogurt, sauerkraut, and certain cheeses
• Prebiotics like bean, bananas, berries, garlic, onions, asparagus
• Chia seeds
• Honey
• Orange juice
• Healthy fats like olive oil and avocado
• Omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines
• Minerals and micronutrients like iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and selenium
• Spices like saffron and turmeric
• Herbs like oregano, lavender, and chamomile (Naidoo, 2020, 55)

Foods That Can Help Reduce Anxiety

• High-fiber foods like beans, brown rice, berries, pears, apples, bananas, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, artichokes, almonds, walnuts, and oats
• Aged, fermented and cultured foods like yogurt, apple-cider vinegar and pickled vegetables
• Tryptophan, like turkey, other meats, chickpeas, especially when combined with carbohydrates
• Vitamins D, B1, B6, A, C, and E
• Minerals like Magnesium, potassium and selenium
• Tumeric
• Herbs like Lavender, passionflower and chamomile (Naidoo, 2020, 79-80)

As you can see there are a lot of different foods that recent researchers have found to improve overall mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety. Of course this is just the beginning and there are a lot of foods, like processed sugars and food dyes, that hinder our emotional well-being. Stress, health problems and other factors also affect our gut function and that gut-brain communication. 

Bring Focus to What You’re Eating and How You’re Feeling

Bring your focus to this complex system and ask yourself the question, “What am I eating and how am I feeling because of it?” This allows us to continue to grow the conversation of mental and physical wellness, as some of the foods mentioned above may also be beneficial in aiding digestive struggles, maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and possibly lowering blood pressure. We also have to be aware of the things that might cause an increase in these health problems as well so it is also important to talk with your doctor prior to making major changes to make sure that medical issues are well monitored for changes. 

Our brain and bodies are complex systems that need the right fuel to function at their best. There are a lot of different combinations of foods, minerals, vitamins, and spices that can be helpful in getting you to feel your best. 

References

Naidoo, U. (2020). Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More. Little, Brown.