Can you Eat Your Way to a Better Mood?

Is it really possible to eat your way to a better mood?

The research says YES!  

Over the last few years, there’s been more and more research emerging about the connection between the food you eat everyday and your mood! 

Your physiology creates your psychology!

There’s even an entire field of study dedicated to the impact the food you eat has on your mental health, nutritional psychiatry, yet most of us (and even most medical professionals still don’t connect the foods we eat with how we FEEL. 

Sometimes it’s hard, especially when life is moving so fast. Taking the time to check in with your body doesn’t always happen, but it’s definitely worth the effort. 

In fact, one of the reasons people are so drawn to cleansing, is that when you cut out alcohol,  processed foods, refined sugars and flood your body with nutrients, you feel amazing! 

But obviously the downside of extreme measures like cleansing is that they are meant to be short term and aren’t typically sustainable. 

And before you know it you’re right back to your old habits.

Too many days of overly processed foods, and overdoing it on alcohol and sugar and you’re back to feeling anxious, tired and stuck on an emotional rollercoaster! 

Not to mention bloated and just plain icky!

But that’s exactly why it’s so important to tune in to your body and find out which foods work for you to feel healthy and balanced, and which ones don’t. And sometimes this changes over time. If your gut is outta whack, even healthy foods become hard for your body to tolerate because everything feels like an attack.

Working with a practitioner to help heal and support for gut is important to help you feel your very best. 

There’s a lot of research surrounding a Mediterranean style diet to support a healthy balanced mood. But, I think it’s worth mentioning it’s not the ONLY healthy way to eat. Every culture and style of eating offers it’s own flavors, herbs and spices and fresh fruits and veggies that can be part of a healthy diet. 

Mexican food for example gets a bad rap, but it’s so much more than just cheese and tortillas. Not that there’s anything wrong with tortillas!  But foods like nopales, chayote squash, pepitas, chili peppers, avocados, and cilantro are all important staples in Mexican cuisine as well and also happen to be incredibly healthy foods that you can and should include in your diet. 

Variety is the spice of life! So don’t limit yourself by thinking there’s only ONE way to approach anything, especially your diet. 

Here are a few more ways you can use food to help support a healthy mood:

FEED YOUR MICROBIOME 

Your gut is sometimes referred to as your “second brain”, because of the important role it plays in producing neurotransmitters like serotonin (a.k.a. Your happy neurotransmitter). 

The really cool part . . . your gut is almost always communicating with your brain by regulating the production of signaling hormones and neurotransmitters that influence your mood. 

An easy way to keep the good bacteria in your gut happy and healthy is to include more fermented foods like kimchi and sauerkraut into your diet.

EAT THE RAINBOW

Macronutrients like protein, fat, and carbs get all the attention, but phytochemicals (think powerful compounds that give fruits and veggies their vibrant colors) help to decrease inflammation, improve your mood and prevent a whole bunch of chronic diseases too! 

Here are a few of my favorite mood boosting foods to add to your diet: watercress, broccoli sprouts, avocado, spirulina, berries, walnuts, eggs, ginger, olive oil, hemp seeds, cacao, functional mushrooms, green tea, turmeric, and rosemary. 

DECREASE INFLAMMATORY FOODS 

No need to be extreme but minimizing your intake of inflammatory foods like refined sugar and carbs, trans-fats, and ultras processed foods can have a BIG impact on your mood as well! 

LIMIT CAFFEINE 

If you’re someone who struggles with anxiety, it may be helpful to breakup with caffeine. Or at least cut back a little. Sorry, but matcha doesn’t count as a meal, even if you added collagen. . . 

Your sex hormones, stress hormones and your blood sugar are all very dependent on one another and overdoing it on caffeine is a sneaky way you may be sabotaging your mood! Not to mention your hormones and metabolic health. 

Pay attention to how much caffeine you’re consuming daily and how you feel afterwards. You can still enjoy your coffee (or matcha), just try not to use it as a meal replacement or an IV drip all day long!

You may even consider taking a break once in a while to help you reconnect to your body’s natural energy patterns and to soothe your adrenals.

Just like Hippocrates said all those years ago, Food really is medicine!

But, it’s not just the food you eat that’s important to your mind-gut connection, being mindful of your stress levels and practicing more simple self care are important practices that support a healthy mood too! 

So eat lots of vibrant fruits and veggies, legumes, nuts & seeds, and plenty of healthy fats  and quality proteins to feel nourished and grounded but don’t stress when you eat less than “perfect.’

Prioritize simple daily practices like breath work and meditation to support your parasympathetic nervous system, (aka your rest and digest system), and help you to feel like your best self. 

Remember, it’s about nourishment, not restriction!

For simple and healthy recipe ideas to get started, be sure to check out my cookbook nourish and thrive!  Because healthy really doesn’t have to be hard!