How Does Food Affect Your Mood?
I’m sure we can all agree that we have certain days (or sometimes even weeks) where we’re feeling negative, or a little crappy. Our usual go-tos for blame are either lack of sleep, or stress. While these could be true, there is another culprit we usually forget about... dum dum dum... the food we eat!
Plain and simple: Processed food (ex: refined carbohydrates) has a negative effect on your body, while whole foods (ex: complex carbohydrates) has a positive one. If ever you’re having a day where everything is irritating you and you’re not sure why, think about what you had to eat in the last 24-hours. Did you eat a lot of chips, sweet, chocolate, pasta, processed protein, etc. or did you have a lot of veggies, fruits, nuts, lean protein, etc.?
To help clarify this a little, here’s a brief explanation of how you’re body produces energy: Our bodies love carbohydrates (glucose). In order for our muscles, organs, and cells to function properly, our bodies work hard to make sure the glucose in our blood (others known as blood sugar) stays constant. Since refined carbs are quickly broken down by the body, they can cause our blood sugar levels to dramatically spike. This causes our bodies to release a hormone called, insulin, telling your body’s cells to start absorbing the glucose and return the blood sugar levels back to normal. Since the process of refined carbs being broken down is quick, absorbing glucose can be quite fast, therefore most people tend to feel hungry just a few hours later and thus the cycle continues. It’s these quick spikes in blood sugar levels that can explain why we might be our usual happy selves one minute and then transition into the Oscar the Grouch the next. Luckily, there are a number of ways that you can avoid all of this.
My recommendation:
1. Eat more complex carbs (leafy greens, sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice...) and less refined ones (sweets, fried food, white bread/pasta/rice...) combined with lean protein (fish, beans, nuts/seeds, turkey...) for each meal. Not only can these foods provide your body with more nutrients, but they also release energy more slowly, allowing you to feel full longer, and avoid major mood swings.
2. Instead leaving large gaps between meals and eating bigger ones, eat smaller, more frequent meals.
3. Pack healthy snacks with you wherever you go to eat in between meals. Examples: Trail mix, veggies (+ optional hummus/guacamole), hard boiled egg, nuts, energy bars (with whole foods only), nut butter, fruits, dried fruit (with no added sugar)...
These small changes can help your blood sugar level remain more stable throughout the day, preventing drastic mood swings.
Jittery & Anxious
Do you sometimes feel really jittery or anxious and you aren’t sure why? If you are a coffee drinker, this may be your answer! As most of you know, coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant. When we are tired and in need of sleep, our brain can release neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that tells our body that it’s time to rest. Stimulants such as caffeine often work by getting in the way of this process. That single cup of coffee in your time of need can end up being more than just a quick pick-me-up, it can last for hours - causing you to be alert, jittery and anxious when you don’t want to be.
Coffee is the obvious source, but many people don’t realize that caffeine can also be found in other drinks (such as energy drinks, or sodas) as well as chocolate. If you drink multiple caffeinated beverages, and eat lots of chocolate (or anything containing chocolate in it) in a day, this can be why you feel jittery and anxious.
I know telling you to cut our coffee is easier said than done (trust me, I’ve done it before), so before you raise your hands in protest, hear me out. If you’re constantly relying on coffee to keep you going...
My recommendation:
1. Assess what is causing you to feel so tired. Are you not getting enough sleep? Are you not eating foods that provide you with enough energy to get through the day? Are you overly stressed? If yes, what is causing it and can you try to eliminate it? Are you getting enough sunlight? Are you exercising? It might be these issues you need to deal with first and then your need for coffee won’t be as strong.
2. Cut down on coffee by replacing it with decaf, half-caf, or green tea. Green tea is ideal as it has plenty of beneficial antioxidants and doesn’t dehydrate you like coffee does. (I originally replaced coffee with green tea, but found in the winter months where it’s dark and dreary that it wasn’t doing the trick, so I switched to Nespresso half-caf, and found that super helpful in the morning. Then if I needed a mid-day pickup, I had green tea. Sometimes the placebo effect can help too.)
Irritable & Sluggish
Do you find yourself frequently crave comfort foods? I have no doubt you noticed that after eating “comfort foods”, such as chocolate, pizza, or ice-cream, not only do you have a quick burst of energy, but you feel happier as well, right? Did you ever wonder why?
Comfort foods cause your body to release endorphins - brain chemicals that cause you to feel happy. Not surprisingly, this “happy” feeling can be addictive, because, let’s be real, who doesn’t want to be happy, right? So, when you’re upset and you decide to go for that comfort piece of chocolate (or bar) and you suddenly feel better, it’s hard not to associate one with the other. As a consequence, the next time you’re upset, your body will crave chocolate since it knows it will make you feel better. This is often how people put on a lot of weight without even realizing it.
Another problem with comfort foods is that the “high” is only temporary. You have to keep eating it to maintain it, and when you stop, you will likely experience a crash in blood sugar - causing you to be grumpy and irritable, thus reaching for those comfort foods again. (Does this sound familiar, like an addiction to drugs?) It’s a never ending circle unless you decide to take action and stop it.
My recommendation:
Pay attention to your eating patterns and mark it down. Emphasis on the writing it - nobody likes to see all the junk they eat on paper, it’s usually a big reality check. Next time you feel stressed, upset or angry, mark down what you eat and how much. Afterward, take a look at what you ate when you were emotional and not even hungry. Ask yourself, “How does that make me feel?” and think about it. The next time you feel that way, instead of going for your usually comfort food, why not do something that will make you feel better, like going for a walk, read a book, or call a friend?
There are lots of ways that food can affect your mood, and everybody is different and can react differently to it. One thing I’m sure we can all agree on is that we feel better when we eat better, so be good to yourself, it’s you that suffers otherwise. Try not to deprive yourself, as this often causes more cravings, but be aware of which foods affect you negatively. Everything can be done in moderation, a well rounded diet is what you want to aim for.