Understand How Foods Can Affect Your Feelings and Emotions
Understanding the connection between food and mood can help us alter our mood by changing our diet and making different food choices.
What we eat can affect how we feel both physically and emotionally.
Different foods contain different amounts of an amino acid called tryptophan.
Tryptophan is converted into serotonin, which is an important brain chemical that regulates impulse control and appetite.
It also elevates mood and self-esteem, increasing feelings of optimism and inducing calm feelings and sleep.
If serotonin levels become consistently low, we can begin to feel quite depressed and tired without really knowing or understanding why this is happening.
Refined products such as white flour, biscuits, pastries, and sugar can elevate serotonin levels quickly, making you feel good, but this only lasts for a short period.
This is because refined carbohydrates cause too much serotonin being produced too quickly.
This causes the brain to shut off the production of serotonin to allow balance to be restored.
Our bodies then become less able to use the serotonin we have and again begin to crave that sugar boost.
This eventually results in a cycle leading to low mood caused by chronic low serotonin levels.
How we can change this and help ourselves feel more balanced depends on what we choose to eat.
Many of the foods we eat today are fast foods, full of added sugar, salt and fat.
Choosing foods without added sugar, salt and fat are best and include the following: "Good mood" protein can be found in chicken, fish, meat, eggs, dairy, beans, nuts seeds and avocado and can help improve mood as they contain high amounts of tryptophan.
"Good mood" carbohydrates are slow releasing carbohydrates which help with the absorption of tryptophan into the brain and are more concentrated in whole foods such as whole wheat, brown rice, oats, vegetables and fruit.
Carbohydrate cravings can sometimes be explained as a subconscious drive to increase serotonin levels.
Eating carbohydrates that release their energy slowly can help to avoid the roller coaster ride of energy and moods associated with large fluctuations in blood glucose levels.
The natural sugars in the fruit have a gentler effect on the blood sugar levels than added refined sugar.
"Good mood" fats such as polyunsaturated 'omega 3' fats are also essential for the body to use serotonin effectively and are found in oil rich fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring, nuts and seeds.
'Omega 6' fats are also required and keeping a balance between the 'omega 3' fats and 'omega 6' fats is important.
Many good sources of 'omega 6' fats are found in sesame oil, pecan nuts and pistachios.
However there are other sources which are found in fast foods and processed foods, such as popcorn, mayonnaise, cream, cheese, butter etc which are best eaten very sparingly and not recommended as a good source of 'omega 6' fats.
Some people try to avoid all types of fat when dieting.
This is not a good idea as this can lead to anxiety and depression and other mental health problems.
Vitamins and minerals are also essential for emotional and mental health.
A variety of 'co-factor' nutrients such as Vitamin C, Folic acid, Vitamin B6, Zinc, Biotin and Selenium are necessary to help in converting tryptophan to serotonin.
Certain foods and additives can cause sensitivities, allergies, intolerance and many other symptoms.
Here are a few to look out for and be aware that they may cause a negative reaction after consuming them.
Artificial additives such as certain E numbers, sweeteners, MSG and hydrogenated vegetable oil can cause a range of food sensitivity reactions in certain people and may alter mood.
Added sugar can cause a sudden blood sugar rise followed by a dip in mood and energy an hour or so later.
Sugar sensitivity can produce symptoms of confusion, poor concentration, anxiety, irritability, aggression, fatigue and depression.
Stimulants such as chocolate or caffeine are often associated with feelings of anxiety or panic attacks in vulnerable people.
Wheat or dairy foods are the two most common culprit foods associated with food sensitivities and can be associated with depression and fatigue.
Foods that are low in additives, low in stimulants such as coffee, chocolate etc, low in added sugar and are hypoallergenic are much more likely to make us feel good.
A well balanced meal that will help to promote feelings of well being over a long period of time is likely to contain essential fats particularly 'Omega 3' food sources, be high in complex carbohydrates, high in fruit and vegetables and contain some protein.
What we eat can affect how we feel both physically and emotionally.
Different foods contain different amounts of an amino acid called tryptophan.
Tryptophan is converted into serotonin, which is an important brain chemical that regulates impulse control and appetite.
It also elevates mood and self-esteem, increasing feelings of optimism and inducing calm feelings and sleep.
If serotonin levels become consistently low, we can begin to feel quite depressed and tired without really knowing or understanding why this is happening.
Refined products such as white flour, biscuits, pastries, and sugar can elevate serotonin levels quickly, making you feel good, but this only lasts for a short period.
This is because refined carbohydrates cause too much serotonin being produced too quickly.
This causes the brain to shut off the production of serotonin to allow balance to be restored.
Our bodies then become less able to use the serotonin we have and again begin to crave that sugar boost.
This eventually results in a cycle leading to low mood caused by chronic low serotonin levels.
How we can change this and help ourselves feel more balanced depends on what we choose to eat.
Many of the foods we eat today are fast foods, full of added sugar, salt and fat.
Choosing foods without added sugar, salt and fat are best and include the following: "Good mood" protein can be found in chicken, fish, meat, eggs, dairy, beans, nuts seeds and avocado and can help improve mood as they contain high amounts of tryptophan.
"Good mood" carbohydrates are slow releasing carbohydrates which help with the absorption of tryptophan into the brain and are more concentrated in whole foods such as whole wheat, brown rice, oats, vegetables and fruit.
Carbohydrate cravings can sometimes be explained as a subconscious drive to increase serotonin levels.
Eating carbohydrates that release their energy slowly can help to avoid the roller coaster ride of energy and moods associated with large fluctuations in blood glucose levels.
The natural sugars in the fruit have a gentler effect on the blood sugar levels than added refined sugar.
"Good mood" fats such as polyunsaturated 'omega 3' fats are also essential for the body to use serotonin effectively and are found in oil rich fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring, nuts and seeds.
'Omega 6' fats are also required and keeping a balance between the 'omega 3' fats and 'omega 6' fats is important.
Many good sources of 'omega 6' fats are found in sesame oil, pecan nuts and pistachios.
However there are other sources which are found in fast foods and processed foods, such as popcorn, mayonnaise, cream, cheese, butter etc which are best eaten very sparingly and not recommended as a good source of 'omega 6' fats.
Some people try to avoid all types of fat when dieting.
This is not a good idea as this can lead to anxiety and depression and other mental health problems.
Vitamins and minerals are also essential for emotional and mental health.
A variety of 'co-factor' nutrients such as Vitamin C, Folic acid, Vitamin B6, Zinc, Biotin and Selenium are necessary to help in converting tryptophan to serotonin.
Certain foods and additives can cause sensitivities, allergies, intolerance and many other symptoms.
Here are a few to look out for and be aware that they may cause a negative reaction after consuming them.
Artificial additives such as certain E numbers, sweeteners, MSG and hydrogenated vegetable oil can cause a range of food sensitivity reactions in certain people and may alter mood.
Added sugar can cause a sudden blood sugar rise followed by a dip in mood and energy an hour or so later.
Sugar sensitivity can produce symptoms of confusion, poor concentration, anxiety, irritability, aggression, fatigue and depression.
Stimulants such as chocolate or caffeine are often associated with feelings of anxiety or panic attacks in vulnerable people.
Wheat or dairy foods are the two most common culprit foods associated with food sensitivities and can be associated with depression and fatigue.
Foods that are low in additives, low in stimulants such as coffee, chocolate etc, low in added sugar and are hypoallergenic are much more likely to make us feel good.
A well balanced meal that will help to promote feelings of well being over a long period of time is likely to contain essential fats particularly 'Omega 3' food sources, be high in complex carbohydrates, high in fruit and vegetables and contain some protein.
