Food and mood - 8 ways to get you thinking
about how your food affects your mood.
1. Eat regularly.
If your blood sugar drops it
can make you feel tired, irritable or depressed.
Eating regularly will keep your sugar levels steady.
Try food that releases energy slowly, like food high in
protein such as nuts and seeds, oats and wholegrains.
2. Make sure you're getting the right fats.
Your brain needs fatty oils such as omega 3 and 6 to
keep it working well. So rather than avoiding
all fats, it's important to eat the right ones.
Try eating food high in the good fats, like oily fish,
chicken, nuts like walnuts and almonds, olive and
sunflower oils, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, avocados,
or milk, yoghurt, cheese and eggs.
3. Increase your protein.
Protein has amino acids in it. These make up the
chemicals your brain needs to regulate your thoughts
and feelings. It also helps control your blood sugar
levels. So, try eating protein rich foods- lean meat, fish,
eggs, cheese, legumes like peas, beans, and lentils,
nuts and seeds.
4. Drink more.
If you're not hydrated enough you might find it difficult
to concentrate or think clearly. You might also start to
feel constipated, which puts no one in a good mood.
Water is great, but why not try drinking herbal or green
tea, or diluted fruit juice.
5. Eat a rainbow of fruit and vegetables.
Vegetables and fruit contain a lot of the
minerals, vitamins and fibre we need to keep us
physically and mentally healthy. Eating a variety of
different colours every day means you'll get a good
range of nutrients.
6. Cut down on the caffeine.
Having too much caffeine can make you feel anxious
and depressed, disturb your sleep, especially if you're
having it last thing at night, or give you
withdrawal symptoms when you stop suddenly.
Caffeine is in things like coffee, tea, chocolate, cola,
and energy drinks. You might feel better if you stop
drinking caffeine completely, but just cutting down will
help too.
7. Pay attention to your gut.
Your gut and your brain use similar chemicals, so
keeping your gut healthy can help to keep your brain
healthy too. Healthy gut foods include fibre rich foods
like fruits, vegetables and wholegrains,
and live yoghurts which contain probiotics.
Remember that it might take time for your gut to get
used to a new eating pattern, so make changes slowly.
8. Are you intolerant?
Sometimes people have food intolerances which
can affect both your mental and physical health.
If you're worried you might be intolerant, you could
contact a professional dietitian or nutritionist.
Remember that any changes you make might take time
for your body and your mind to get used to.
So, if you're changing to a new eating pattern, it might
take a while for you to start feeling the benefits.