Mood Enhancing Foods: How Food & Health Affect Your Moods

During times of stress, we need all the help we can get to stay on point and not be derailed off our purpose in life.  However, unbeknownst to most, the food, overall health and function of our body’s organs have a tremendous affect on our mind and our moods.

Eating the right foods and ensuring your body’s well-being will help you handle stress gracefully, endure extended periods of physical or mental activity and help you stay chipper and light.  It will transform you from someone who can’t get out of bed in the morning to someone who jumps up and out, ready to take on day.

From a scientific point of view, it is important to know that our moods and emotions are in fact directly related to the state of our physical body (since they are one).  From that standpoint, in essence they are generated by chemical messengers in the brain and body.  Now, different foods will stimulate the release of different chemical messengers; some resulting in alert, focused states while some keep you relaxed and calm.  Knowing the difference and which foods result in which is the first step to taking back control of you moods.

Calm as a River

There is a reason why most people tend to crave pasta or sweets when they are stressed.  This is because carbohydrates are mood enhancing foods that result in greater levels of serotonin in the body.  Serotonin, also known as the “feel good” chemical, will help you feel even, smooth and calm.

However, in those times of trouble, most people tend to reach out for simple, refined versions of carbs like donuts, chocolate and pasta.  While they may boost us in the short term, these empty calories leave us vacant and will eventually cause us to crash.  Instead, choose the healthiest versions of carbohydrates in those moments when you need a dose of calm.

Eating carbohydrates alone will result in the quickest boost of serotonin so snack on an apple, some rice cakes or a delicious sweet potato sprinkled with cinnamon.  Leave out the protein and fats as they’ll slow down digestion; never a bad thing, but in this case, slowing digestion will delay the serotonin affect you are looking for.

Focused Liked a Hawk

What is worse at work then needing to give a post-lunch presentation and feeling drowsy or like you just need a nap.  However, this testament to the food-mood connection can be avoided!  With the right food choices, you can avert the crash and enhance your focus and mental state.

The first thing to consider is that digestion is the process in the body that takes up the most energy.  Thus, if you know you will be needing energy and to stay alert, it will suit you best to eat lightly at the meal before so that your body doesn’t give the much wanted focus and energy to digesting it.

Secondly, eat mood enhancing foods that promote mental acuity and enhance alertness.  Unlike carbs that relax, proteins result in the release of norepinephrine and dopamine, hormone-like substances that keep us sharp, focused and clear.  Thus, a moderate sized, high-protein, low-carb meal is your best choice when you want to impress the boss.  Try mood enhancing foods like chicken with a side salad or some sushi without the rice.

Long Term Solutions

While the above suggestions can help us feel calm or focused just at the right time, the body-mind connection and its relation to our moods should be taken much further than that.   If you are finding yourself moody, depressed or low energy more often then not, in addition to seeking the underlying mental-emotional basis, know that the health of your organs may be at the root of it as well.

The function of our adrenals, liver and thyroid for example can all lead to mood swings, sluggishness and lack of enthusiasm overall.  Trouble getting out of bed in the morning, for example, may signal a sluggish liver.  Chronic mood swings may signal an underlying hormone imbalance.

Getting these organ systems checked out by a holistic health professional that will seek to discover and eliminate stressors to these organs in order to bring it back to optimal function verses masking the symptom with a medication is highly suggested in these cases.  Getting these organs back to optimum health will not only result in better moods but you’ll find yourself energized and with increased enthusiasm and love for life all around.

Tweet This