Can food affect your mood?

Food strategies for mood maintenance

There’s no getting around it – food affects how we feel and diet helps to shape your mental health from the inside out.  Eating food that supports your body will not only help your waistline this winter – it will improve your mood, give you more energy and help you think more clearly.

The biggest bad mood food culprits are refined carbs like sugar. The sugars in sweets, fizzy drinks, fruit juice, and jams, can cause your blood sugar to spike like a rollercoaster.

Refined white starches like white rice, white bread, crackers and gluten have the same effect. Avoid genetically modified foods which can also alter your gut flora and destroy the beneficial microbes needed for optimal mental health.

The connection between the brain and the gut is an important one. With 90% of serotonin receptors, [which control mood, emotion, and many other behaviors] located in the gut – protecting the gut is the first line of defense against depression and anxiety.

Clearly mood maintenance starts and ends with avoiding the wrong food and upping your intake of the right food. Think of it as an uncomplicated nutrition strategy to keep you smiling:

• A whole-food-based diet will support a positive mood and good mental health
• Include fermented foods to optimise your gut flora
• Avoid high carb diets and gluten
• Protein contains amino acids that make up the chemicals your brain needs to regulate your thoughts and feelings – so make sure you eat enough protein rich food

More than what you eat – it’s just as important to:

• Eat regularly – don’t skip meals – you will just end up eating too much when you do eventually eat. Always eat breakfast
• Keep hydrated – make sure you have enough water every day (six to eight glasses)
• According to research published by the University of Illinois Extension, eating regular meals and healthy snacks at the same times every day also helps keep your blood sugar levels steady and your mood stable

So if you find yourself in a bad mood, look at what you are eating. Junk foods may satisfy your taste buds, but they won’t help your mood. So start by grabbing some NuSeed sachets and snack on that. Low carb and high in protein – they are dry roasted deliciousness in 30g portion controlled servings.  But don’t stop there – add NuMe bread, rolls, brownies and muffins to your grocery basket – and get rid of gluten from your diet. Functional food that’s fun to make – our versatile baking premixes are so delicious – you will have a permanent smile on your dial. Now that’s something to be happy about!