Feeling good through diet

In today's society, many people are unaware of the massive impact diet has on our lives. It can affect our physical, intellectual, emotional and social well-being which is why a poor diet can equal poor mood and so on.

What should you be avoiding?

Foods containing caffeine, sugar and alcohol provide a false pick me up for the body. They lift a persons mood suddenly by spiking blood sugar before falling dramatically causing low energy and low mood. Not only this, eating a processed diet provides no nutritional value meaning the body will lack essential macro and micro nutrients. This lack of nutrients can therefore cause poor digestion, brain fog and many more symptoms, resulting in extremely poor mood.

Moving forward, a diet rich in nutrient dense foods can provide a mood boost, as well as aiding physical and intellectual ability.

Let's firstly look at Omega 3, an essential fatty acid needed in the body. This type of fatty acid cannot be made in the body, therefore it is necessary to consume this through diet. Various studies have shown that a chemical within the acid can help boost feel good hormones in the brain. This can be found in salmon, sardines and trout.

Vitamin B. Low levels of vitamin B folic acid can be linked directly to low moods and depression. A study showed that people taking an SSRI (anti-depressant) paired with folic acid had a further increase in mood compared to those just taking the SSRI. This is thought to be because vitamin B helps to produce brain chemicals that boost good mood.

Tryptophan. This is an amino acid, essential for serotonin production. Serotonin is a chemical released in the brain which regulates mood, hunger, digestion etc. Low levels of this can therefore cause low mood, as well as poor bodily functions.

Balancing blood sugar. As I previously mentioned, having a blood sugar that is constantly being spiked can cause also cause your brain activity to spike and suddenly drop. When carbohydrates (especially simple carbohydrates) are broken down, the body produces glucose which is what the brain is powered by. This sudden release of glucose can cause these uneven spikes in mood.

While there are other factors that effect mood, like grief, having a poor diet can contribute to feeling low which is why a nutrient dense diet is so important!