How Food Impacts Your Mood

How many times have you heard the phrase “you are what you eat”? Leading Healthy Lifestyle expert, Danette May, says “this is true on so many levels, including the fact that what you eat can have a direct impact on how you feel” in her article entitled, “The Food-Mood Connection” (https://danettemay.com/the-food-mood-connection-and-how-to-make-it-work-for-you)

Out of all of the organs in your body, your brain demands the most energy to run. It runs around the clock and that means it needs fuel all the time. That fuel comes from the foods you eat. Eating the right food goes a long way towards helping your brain operate at its highest level. So, what is the right food for your brain? You want to eat foods that are high in vitamins and minerals. You also want to make sure that the food you eat helps rather than hurts. That means:

• Eating food that fights damage caused by free radicals

• Staying away from processed and refined foods
• Staying away from refined sugar, which boosts the body’s inflammatory response

Studies have shown that when you take in these low-quality foods, your brain has a hard time getting rid of them. Once there, they cause damage like oxidative stress. Some studies have shown they can even lead to a worsening of depression and other mood disorders.

Eating the right foods can affect your mood too. Not only does nutrient-dense food fuel your brain, it also impacts the health of your gut. We’re learning more and more about the link between the bacteria that lives in your intestines and your overall health, and the revelations are huge! It’s becoming very clear that if you take care of your gut, your gut will take care of you. This is important because your gut is where almost all of your body’s serotonin creation comes from. Serotonin is what determines whether you’re in a good mood or a bad mood. It controls how well you sleep and whether you’re hungry. It even has a hand in how much pain you feel. The healthier your gut is, the more effectively it produces serotonin. To have a healthy gut you need it to be full of “good” bacteria. 

The best way to make sure you have plenty of good bacteria in your gut is to make sure you’re eating the right food. The best way to do that is by consuming vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, seafood, and probiotics, and staying away from processed foods, refined foods, and sugars.

Eating the right foods not only ensures you are absorbing the right nutrients in your gut, it also sends the nutrients you need to all of your other organs, muscles, and tissues. This has a direct impact on the way you feel, as well as how well your body functions.