Food For Thought: How to boost your mood through your diet

After eating your own body weight in cheese and Quality Street at Christmas, January is often the time when we think more about what we are eating. Usually, our thoughts tend to focus most on physical wellbeing goals such as weight loss and fitness. As a result, we often neglect to think about the effect that food can have on our mental health and wellbeing. Most of us have felt the mid-afternoon slump after a carb heavy lunch or maybe had a touch of ‘hanger’ if we have missed a meal but what we eat can have even more profound effects on how we feel emotionally and correspondingly how we then behave.

So here is a starter for 10 on how you can give your mental health the best chance this new year:

Eat enough

Your brain alone uses 20% of your total calories each day. Often when we are stressed or feeling low our appetite suffers and this can kick start a vicious cycle of increasing agitation, inability to concentrate, difficulty sleeping and low energy. Our brain needs a steady supply of nutrients to produce neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine which help regulate mood and motivation. Making sure you are eating regular meals everyday means you are more likely to be getting the nutrients and energy your brain and body needs. Try to plan meals ahead so that you have ingredients ready to go and batch cooking can be really helpful during busy times.

Eat a balanced diet

When your diet consistently lacks key nutrients or sends your blood sugar on a roller coaster, your mood may feel less stable as a result. Certain nutrients are especially important for emotional regulation: Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds are linked to brain health and may support mood stability. B vitamins, particularly B6, B12, and folate, play a role in neurotransmitter production. Iron helps deliver oxygen to the brain and low levels can contribute to fatigue and low mood. Low levels of magnesium can cause sleep issues which also affect mood. Vitamins D, C and E are all linked to mental well-being. Most studies suggest that it is best to get your nutrients from food rather than taking supplements so try to eat a wide variety of plant-based foods (ideally more than 30 different types a week), as well as healthy fats such as olive oil, eggs, avocados, nuts, seeds and oily fish. Try to limit eating meat to once or twice a week if possible.

If you are interested in learning more there are some really helpful podcasts about how to eat well on the Zoe Health and Nutrition website: https://zoe.com/learn/category/podcasts?srsltid=AfmBOoom9SLxfjKcUtMvZfFR7K8o2H9fJeC5AS2OD9GuKIltdYxx5Rf9

Eat less sugar

As well as causing weight gain eating too much sugar can interfere with the natural balance of key neurotransmitters such as dopamine, leading to irritability, low mood and cravings. It also causes spikes in blood glucose which can then lead to a sugar crash which also affects mood and energy levels.  Increased sugar consumption has been linked to negative effects on mental health across the board but you can kick the habit. If you cut sugar from your diet the most intense cravings will usually be gone in 3-7 days and most people notice that they no longer crave sweet things after a couple of weeks. It is thought that this is due to sugar hungry bacteria in your gut dying off or becoming less active because they are no longer being fed. In the early days of cutting back try going for a walk to combat the cravings as they tend to pass after 15 minutes or so.

Nourish your gut microbiome

There is a growing body of evidence that the microbes that live in your gut play an important role in maintaining your mental wellbeing. The gut-brain axis is the two-way communication between your brain and your gut via both the vagus nerve and various neurotransmitters. It is thought that your gut microbiome influences signals in your gut-brain axis affecting inflammation, digestion, nutrient absorption and the production and regulation of mood boosting chemicals like serotonin and GABA. There are both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria in everyone’s gut making up your individual microbiome. To increase the number of good bacteria in your gut try to eat foods that nourish them such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and pulses. Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut can also give your gut bacteria a big boost. Even less obvious things and more fun foods such as dark chocolate, red wine and aged cheeses are thought to be beneficial.

Cut down on Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF)

There is a growing body of evidence linking Ultra-Processed Foods to rising rates of depression, anxiety and cognitive decline. Ultra processed foods are not really foods but chemical concoctions that are created in a lab to resemble food. This ‘fake’ food is produced at a much lower cost to the manufacturer but seemingly there is a very high cost to us the consumers in the effects of UPF’s on our health, mental well-being and our environment. If a food contains ingredients that you wouldn’t find in a standard kitchen then it is likely that it is a UPF and you should try to limit these as much as possible in your diet. Ingredients to look out for would be artificial flavours, preservatives, emulsifiers, gums, colouring agents and thickeners. Yum!

If you want to learn more about the wide ranging negative impacts of  UPF’s I would highly recommend reading Dr Chris Van Tulleken book called ‘Ultra-Processed People'

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/451300/ultra-processed-people-by-tulleken-chris-van/9781529160222

How you eat matters too...

Eating mindfully, sitting down, taking time without rushing or distractions can really help aid digestion and increase how much you enjoy your food. Relish every mouthful rather than consuming it mindlessly doing other things. Small changes go a long way, so set some small, realistic goals and build on these over time. It’s all about trying to get balance and taking care of yourself as best you can with the time and resources that you have available just now. Be kind to yourself and try not to punish yourself through food, allow yourself to enjoy it, as it really is one of life’s great pleasures.

Food is not a cure all, but it is an important part of the foundations of good mental wellbeing. What you eat provides the building blocks your brain needs to function and recover. By paying attention to eating well you will be giving yourself the best chance of creating a solid foundation that supports both your physical health and your emotional well-being.

Susie Webster is a psychotherapist specialising in EMDR and CBT.

Visit www.cobaltpsychotherapy.com if you would like to learn how therapy with Susie could help you live well.