19 Sep Food and Mood

When you’re feeling grumpy or just low energy, what do you do? Do you reach for a snack? Maybe a soft drink? A lot of us do. We want that kick that comes from eating something, especially something sweet.

What about when you’re down, and you need cheering up? Is that when you fill up a bowl of ice cream? Or maybe just skip the bowl and grab a spoon?

Here’s my point. Food affects mood.

As further proof, think of why we have the word “hangry” (hungry + angry). Ask my husband. He’ll tell you what I’m like when I get hangry.

So many of us consider something like mood to be all in our head. As in, our thoughts and experiences drive our mood. Of course that’s true, but it’s not the only thing that drives mood. Our gut and brain are connected. The main connection is through the vagus nerve. It’s a cranial nerve that connects most of our organs to the brain, but it’s not part of the spinal column.

You know you have a gut-brain connection when you’re scared. You probably feel a pit in the bottom of your stomach. If you’re scared enough, you could even throw up or mess your pants. Not trying to get too gross, but this shows what a strong connection there is between gut and brain. The opposite works too. If you are relaxed, and feeling calm, your digestion is enhanced.

Depression and the gut-brain connection

When there’s inflammation in the gut, that can lead to depression. This is a serious gut-brain connection. Most people think of depression as a chemical imbalance in the brain, but it may be more helpful to realize that issues in the gut lead to issues with the brain and mood. Not everyone with gut inflammation gets depression though. Your genetics determine your likelihood. The good news is the gut can be healed and you can do that with the food you eat.

Why would someone have gut inflammation? It’s very common now because the food we eat can be hard on the gut. Offenders are bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, and other wheat products. Wheat has been found to affect the brain, and not in a good way. It’s “addictive”, as you will feel withdrawal after a while. Hmmm. You never thought of yourself as a druggie, did you. But wheat takes control of you and tends to affect mood in a bad way. Sugar is similar. Sugar is hard on the brain and it’s hard on the body. Artificial sugars are worse. And finally, chemical additives in food are also hard on the gut and brain. These are things I try to avoid, not always successfully, but I do minimize them in my life.

Gut/brain healing foods

Probably the best food for your gut is broth. It can be bone broth or meat stock, as long as it’s made with bones. I eat soup made with broth almost everyday. I make my own broth and it’s pretty easy, but you can buy it. Just look for a brand that doesn’t have sugar or additives.

Salmon is an excellent choice. It’s high in omega 3 fatty acids and those go straight to your brain and support it. Supplementing with omega 3 is a good idea for everybody, as we all tend to be low in it, if you can find a good quality supplement. I take omega 3 supplements.

Another good choice is avocado. Your brain thrives on healthy fat because all your nerves are coated in myelin, which is kind of like insulation on wiring, and myelin is made of fat.

Olive oil is probably the best oil for your brain. The ancient Greeks worshiped Athena, the goddess of wisdom and beauty, and she wore an olive wreath. They intuitively knew that olives gave them brain power.

While on the subject of healthy fats, egg yolks are great. It’s a shame that we used to think they caused high cholesterol (they don’t) because eggs are a good food. Also nuts are a good food, like walnuts and pecans, and coconut oil is good too.

Leafy greens are full of B vitamins, and B vitamins support the brain and nervous system. So do mushrooms. Shitake has lots of nutrients. Salads are great, but cooked greens are easier to digest.

Berries are brain food. Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, any berry. And they taste good and can satisfy a sweet tooth.

Turkey is a good choice–think how relaxed you feel after Thanksgiving.

Yogurt, kefir, homemade sour cream are full of probiotics. These support the gut microbiome, which is your collection of good and bad “bugs” in your gut. You want to keep the balance favorable so adding in probiotics helps.

Notice how all these foods taste good or make food taste good. I don’t believe you have to deprive yourself to be healthy in body and mind. I have more ideas for finding food that supports your health. Contact me. I’m a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and I’m an instructor of health coaching. Let’s see if we can work together.

Comments: How does food affect your mood?

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