15 Dec You Are What You Eat: How Your Diet Effects Your Emotions

You are what you eat.

Alright, so you may not literally BE a hot dog, but after stuffing yourself with a few Ball-Park Franks you certainly FEEL like one, don’t you?

This is because food has an undeniable affect on your mood – for better or worse.

What you put into your mouth triggers chemical and physiological changes within your brain that totally alter your behavior and emotions. 

Most people understand the connection between what they eat and their OVERALL physical health, but the connection between food and mood is much less understood.

When you understand that what you eat affects – and in many ways CONTROLS – your mood, your energy levels, how you sleep, and how well you think, you start looking at your plate much differently.

Whether you’re feeling sluggish and cranky, or energized and optimistic, chances are it’s the result of what you had for your last meal.

Nourish your emotional wellbeing by choosing foods that fuel your energy, boost your mood, and, ultimately, increase your self-esteem (because you know you’re making good choices and doing what’s best for your body, and your life).

“I’ve seen people make dramatic improvements in depression and anxiety within ONE WEEK of making some simple dietary changes,” said Trudy Scott, a nutritionist and spokesperson for the National Association of Nutrition Professionals.

As a matter of fact, researchers who have been studying this food-mood connection have found that a healthy diet is AT LEAST as important as the other, more popular mood-boosting remedies, such as exercise, adequate sleep, and stress management.

Talk about food for thought!

So, exactly what kinds of foods should you be stocking up on (or purging from your cupboards) if you really want to start eating your way to happiness?

Based on recent clinical studies, here’s a list of 3 essential nutrients to start seeking out:

1.    Omega-3 Fatty Acids

A growing body of research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids may help boost your mood and treat symptoms of depression.

It appears that a lack of DHA has far-reaching hormonal effects, increasing corticotrophin-releasing hormone – a hormone that moderates emotionality. This may in turn contribute to hyperactivity within the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis – an important neuroendocrine system that regulates mood, aggression, and “fight-or-flight” responses associated with anxiety.

“The evidence is becoming quite compelling that increasing omega-3 fatty intake enhances many aspects of brain function, including the control of mood and aspects of personality,” Brian M. Ross, MD, says.

To get more omega-3 fats, try adding in more fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, and sardines), walnuts, flaxseeds, edamame, beans and fortified eggs.

2.  B Vitamins

According to researchers, certain B vitamins – most notably vitamin B12 and folate – can make you feel better by supporting your body’s serotonin production, a neurotransmitter responsible for stabilizing mood. In fact in many studies, low amounts of these disposition-lifting nutrients have been linked to depression.

Load up on foods rich in these two B vitamins, including shellfish, beef (especially the liver), fish, cheese, eggs, broccoli, beets, lentils, beans, seeds, and greens.

3.  Vitamin D

Many studies have shown that the “sunshine vitamin” brightens your mood by upping your serotonin levels, and positively affecting certain areas of the brain that are linked to depression.

Vitamin D has widespread benefits for our health, from regulating our immune system to boosting cognitive function, maintaining healthy body weight, aiding in other vital nutrient and mineral absorption, and the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases.

Power yourself up with extra Vitamin D by consuming more fatty fish, mushrooms, fortified milk, egg yolks, cod liver oil, supplements, and of course, getting more sunlight.

Now let’s look at what kinds of food to avoid.  Some may be obvious… others, not so much.

1.    Refined Carbohydrates

Concentrated sugars from candy, soda, juice and other sweet things cause your blood sugar to spike rapidly and then drop quickly.  And this “rollercoaster” in your blood stream causes a rollercoaster in your emotions and your energy levels.

Limit the obvious ones (like candy, soda and unnecessary sweet treats), and if you want to take it a step further, cut out the grains as well (especially white breads, white rice, crackers, and pasta).

2.  Trans Fat

These infamously unhealthy fats cause inflammatory responses in your body that interfere with mood-boosting neurotransmitters, leaving you feeling down in the dumps. In addition, trans fat raises your “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lowers your “good” cholesterol (HDL).

To fully remove trans fat from your diet, you have to become somewhat of a food detective.  Start with cutting out the fried foods, margarine/shortening, and generic packaged baked goods (from cake mix to pancake batter).  Then, be sure you know what to look for when reading your food labels.  Keep an eye out for “partially hydrogenated oil,” which is really just a fancy-shmancy phrase for Trans Fat.

Even small changes can make a massive impact when it comes to changing your diet to impact your emotions. Focus on implementing one nourishing new food item into your diet this week (or removing one food that isn’t serving you) and see how it feels!

And as always, let us know what you come up with by commenting below!