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NO. HOW FOOD CAN AFFECT YOUR MOOD
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health / W E L L - B E I N G
PHOTOGRAPH / SERAINA SIL JA HÜRLIMANN STORY / DR LIBBY WEAVER
HOW FOOD CAN AFFECT YOUR MOOD Now that we’re well and truly into the swing of 2017, are you bursting with motivation and creativity, or do you find yourself feeling like you got up on the wrong side of bed? Mood swings or a consistently low mood not only impacts how we experience life, but the experience of those closest to us. My approach to holistic health is based on three pillars – the nutritional, the biochemical and the emotional – and this is no different when it comes to your mood. However too often we focus only on the chemical imbalances (the biochemistry) or the emotional aspects that can contribute to mood disorders and while both of these are extremely important factors, the nutritional aspect is often overlooked or underappreciated. Research tells us that the relationship
GET OFF THE SUGAR ROLLERCOASTER
between food and our mood is
Well regulated blood glucose levels are
bidirectional – meaning that our mood affects what we eat, and what we eat affects our mood. However, for many years, the link between mood and nutrition was debated. From the common sense corner, we have always known the food we eat affects us – you only have to recall a child’s birthday party to see just how powerfully the food we eat can impact our mood and behaviour. What we eat literally becomes part of us – the amino acids we ingest help to form the proteins that become part of our immune system, our muscles and so on. However, many of us have become disconnected from this relationship – we can be left
critical to an even mood. That means including proteins, fats and/or fibre with meals and snacks to ensure glucose from carbohydrate-rich foods – whether they are sugary or starchy – is released slowly into the blood. Most importantly though, don’t rely on fats, proteins and fibre to do this – don’t over-consume sugars and starches in the first place. While a sugary treat can boost your energy and lift a negative mood almost instantly, this effect is very short lived, in fact one study found that the mood enhancing effect lasted only three minutes. Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, quinoa and sweet potato are more nourishing options that
thinking it’s ‘normal’ to feel terrible at 3pm, will provide you with longer-lasting energy. snap before lunch or to constantly feel bloated after eating. Our relationship with food is complex and often has a strong emotional component. Take for example a stressful day – we’re generally drawn to chocolate, alcohol, or takeaways, not a health-promoting bowl of broccoli. If we’re feeling tired and sluggish, we tend to reach for caffeine and sugary foods – anything that will give us a quick surge of energy. When we reach for these, the quick energy boost we experience is ultimately followed by a crash, and this can wreak havoc on our mood.
GUT HEALTH
When we think of our mood, we tend to think of it being related to our brain yet research shows that our gut has a major role in this. The gut has its very own nervous system (the enteric nervous system), which is often referred to as our ‘second brain'. This allows signals to be transmitted between the gut and the brain, in both directions. Research suggests that our gut bacteria may be able to influence the messages that our gut sends to the brain, and certain bacteria that live in the gut have also been shown to produce GABA, a ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter.
In fact, 80 per cent of the body’s serotonin – a happy, calm, content hormone – is made in the gut. Poor serotonin metabolism has been linked to anxiety and depression. Fermented foods are typically rich in acetic acid, which has been shown to be highly beneficial to the digestive system and establishing what is known as the pH gradient of gut, allowing bacterial species that have a positive impact on our health to live there. These beneficial bacteria are being shown to play a part in enhancing our mood. Some examples of fermented foods are sauerkraut and kimchi – you can buy them or make your own. To keep these beneficial microbes alive once they are in our gut, we need to feed them, and the food of choice for our microscopic friends are prebiotics. Prebiotics are particular types of carbohydrates that pass through the gastrointestinal tract undigested, and stimulate the growth and/or activity of some good bacteria in the colon. While all prebiotics are considered fibre, not all fibre has prebiotic effects. Some foods that contain prebiotic fibres include bananas, onions, garlic and artichokes. If you have poor digestion, getting to the heart of this and resolving the symptoms can have a significant impact on enhancing your mood, too. It’s difficult to feel your best when you are dealing with digestive upsets such as bloating and abdominal pain!
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit messages in our brain, and many of these are actually made in the gut.
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health / W E L L - B E I N G
MOOD-LIFTING NUTRIENTS
If you are have been experiencing a lot of
There are numerous foods linked with
stress, your body’s requirement for this
enhancing mood, the most famous, of course being chocolate. Dark chocolate in particular is high in the essential amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan serves as a precursor for serotonin, one of our happy hormones. Chocolate consumption also drives the brain to produce another
mineral may be increased as stress depletes magnesium. Magnesium is found in green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds. EPA and DHA, the essential omega 3 fats found in oily fish, flaxseeds and walnuts, are also highly beneficial – they have been shown to reduce anxiety and have a
chemical called anandamide, which has
positive impact on many mood parameters.
been shown to temporarily block feelings
Eating a wholefood diet rich in green
of pain and depression. Dopamine is also produced when we eat chocolate, which can have a mood-lifting effect on many people. However, for those with already elevated dopamine levels, excessive amounts of chocolate can lead to tension and aggression. So like with all things related to mood, there is no one size fits all
vegetables and wholefood fats can make
mention that a lot of commercially available chocolate is full of refined sugar, and a diet high in refined sugars can have
fantastic option to experiment with. Making your own chocolate is faster than driving to the shop to buy them! Plus you create a chocolate snack that is packed full of nourishment – no fillers, milk or poor quality fats and refined sugar, just pure chocolatey goodness! Some other foods that are naturally high in tryptophan include fish and other seafood, nuts, seeds and vegetables such as broccoli and legumes. Vitamin B6 is critical for the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, and is found in fish, legumes, bananas, nuts, seeds and wholegrains. Bananas,
EATING MORE VEGETABLES CAN L I T E R A L LY H E L P T O G E T Y O U UP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF BED TOMORROW! INCORPORATE MORE VEGETABLES BY CHANGING THE WAY YO U P L AT E YO U R M E A L S – BUILD THE MEAL AROUND THE VEGETABLES AS OPPOSED TO THE CARBOHYDRATE OR PROTEIN OPTIONS. AIM FOR AROUND HALF YOUR PL ATE TO BE FILLED UP WITH VEGETABLE CONTENT. IF
and heavy or energised. Studies have
THIS MAKES YOU PANIC, START
shown that our mood is enhanced the day after we eat vegetables (how amazing is the power of plants!). It has also been
WITH A QUARTER. OPTIONS LIKE A SIMPLE HERBY SL AW AS A SIDE AS W E L L A S S T E A M E D O R S T I R-F R I E D V EG E TA B L E S A R E A G R E AT WAY TO
shown that consuming more indulgent and
BOOST THE VEGETABLE CONTENT
less nutritious foods leads us to experience
OF YOUR MEAL. LEAFY GREENS TEND TO BE BITTER, WHICH CAN HELP TO REDUCE CRAVINGS FOR SUGAR. AMPING UP YOUR INTAKE OF VEGETABLES LIKE
cycle repeats. Choosing nutrient dense real
S P I N A C H, K A L E A N D S I LV E R B E E T
wholefoods therefore not only provides
CAN HELP YOU GET OFF THE
your body with nourishment in that moment, but can have an uplifting effect
a negative effect on our mood. Recipes that on your mood for days. Not to mention it use the raw ingredients of chocolate, such means you are more likely to continue as cacao butter and cacao powder are a
ADD AN EXTRA SERVE OF VEGETABLES WITH YOUR MEALS
all the difference between feeling sluggish
– some find chocolate enhances their mood, a poorer mood up to two days after we for others it gives them a headache and/or consume them. A low mood then leads us fires them up. to choose less nutritious food, and the It would also be remiss of me not to
TOP TIPS
choosing more nutritious foods, which is fabulous for your overall health. If you are feeling low, I can’t encourage you enough to think about your food choices and how they might be impacting the way you feel, both physically and mentally, on a daily
SUGAR ROLLERCOASTER – THINK STEADIER ENERGY LEVELS T H R O U G H O U T T H E DAY.
ADD SOME FERMENTED FOODS ADDING SOME FERMENTED FOODS, SUCH AS SAUERKRAUT OR KIMCHI, CAN HELP TO BOOST THE GOOD BACTERIA IN YOUR LARGE INTESTINE. THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR GUT, WHICH IMPACTS MOOD.
basis. It never ceases to amaze me
GO FOR OILY FISH
everyday, the power a healthy diet can
O I LY F I S H, S U C H A S S A L M O N,
have on all aspects of life, in particular in enhancing mood.
MACKEREL AND SARDINES, ARE RICH IN EPA AND DHA, WHICH ARE OMEGA 3 FAT T Y ACIDS. T H E S E E S S E N T I A L FAT S M AY H E L P TO TREAT AND PREVENT ANXIET Y AND DEPRESSION AND ARE IMPORTANT FOR BRAIN HEALTH.
TRY DARK CHOCOL ATE IF YOU ARE CRAVING SUGAR,
particularly ripe bananas, can also help
TRY HAVING A SQUARE OR
to regulate dopamine – a feel good factor
TWO OF GOOD QUALITY DARK
– as they contain a high concentration of tyrosine, an amino acid that helps generate dopamine in the brain. Other food sources of tyrosine include almonds, eggs and meats. Magnesium helps to regulate neurotransmitters, and is known for its relaxing properties.
CHOCOL ATE (THINK 70 PER CENT CACAO CONTENT AND UPWARDS). THIS CAN HAVE A MORE BIT TER TASTE, WHICH CAN HELP TO REDUCE OUR TASTE PREFERENCE FOR SUGAR. CACAO IS ALSO HIGH IN TRYPTOPHAN AND MAGNESIUM, WHICH ARE CRITICAL FOR REGUL ATING MOOD.
Dr Libby Weaver is a Nutritional Biochemist, best-selling author and speaker. Her book, W O M E N ’ S W E L L N E S S W I S D O M , is available at: DRLIBBY.COM
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