Can the Foods We Eat Affect our Mood?

Have you ever noticed that after eating a big meal you are ready for a nap?  Or after eating a high sugar candy your energy drops drastically 45-75 minutes later?  Most people do not think to look at their diets as a source of their moods.  It is really important to look at the foods and drinks you consume to see if they are helping or actually hindering your mood.

The foods we eat can either help us feel better or worse. We know there are several anti-depressants or mood-altering drugs available to us by prescription but we do not always make the connection with our nutrition.

We are now getting into the shortest days of the year and a lot of people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD because of the lack of sunlight. There are foods we can add to our diet to counteract the effects. Besides natural sunlight, which is difficult to enjoy in the winter if you live in the northeast, beef liver, milk, egg yolks and fatty fish such as wild salmon and sardines also contain vitamin D.  You can also research supplementing your diet with a daily intake of at least 1000mg of vitamin D.

Another way to boost your mood through a healthy diet is by eating foods rich in vitamin B12 and folic acid.  Vitamin B12 and folic acid can be found in beans greens, meats, fish, poultry and dairy.

Eating an assortment of different fruits and vegetables is a great way to boost your mood because they contain key nutrients and antioxidants and as a bonus, are lower in calories.

Consume foods that are rich in a mineral called selenium because selenium acts like an antioxidant in the body.  What do antioxidants have to do with minimizing our bad moods?  There is a lot of research which shows that the presence of oxidative stress in the brain (which antioxidants reduce) are associated with cases of mild to moderate depression, especially in the elderly.  Foods rich in selenium include: whole grains such as oatmeal or brown rice, beans, legumes, lean meat, dairy foods, nuts and seeds and seafood.

Fish contain omega-3s, which have been shown to have positive affects on mood swings and depression.  There are recent studies, which show that people who consume fatty fish such as salmon or sardines have lower symptoms of depression.  Some other sources of omega-3s are ground flaxseed, avocado, nuts and seeds, hemp seeds and olive oil.

Most people love chocolate and believe it or not in small amounts dark chocolate, with at least 70% cocoa, can have an effect on our endorphins or feel-good chemicals.

Just as the foods I mentioned can make you feel better, there are foods we consume which can make us feel worse.  The biggest “mood crushers” are foods which are high in saturated fat or sugar, alcohol (although we think of it as a feel-good drink it is actually a depressant) and caffeine.  While we associate caffeine with jolts of energy it actually can increase irritability or give us a sudden burst of energy that ends with fatigue.  Consuming alcohol or caffeine can also affect our sleep.  When sleep is disturbed or inefficient we tend to be more irritable.

Stress is something we “feed” our bodies and unfortunately for most of us, we tend to overindulge in stress, which also can hinder our mood.  I recommend the following daily tips to decrease your stress:

• Take breathing breaks throughout the day. Soon after you awake, close your eyes, take several deep breaths and meditate or just relax. Imagine yourself in a beautiful place, think of a happy memory or visualize yourself succeeding at a cherished goal. In addition, whenever you feel overwhelmed, take quick breathing breaks of 1 to 5 minutes.

• Take five minutes out of your day, either in the morning or evening, and write down a couple of things you feel grateful about in a gratitude journal.  This helps us realize how fortunate we truly are, even we when we might not be aware of it.

The food we eat CAN affect our mood.  When we eat a healthy diet balanced with foods that are high in antioxidants, fiber, unsaturated fat and lean protein we are providing our bodies with numerous benefits, including boosting our mood.  Incorporating exercise and stress management into your daily routine can also help increase your mood.

Article was published in Winter 2010 issue of  Weight Loss Success Lifestyles Magazine