Food and Mood

When we think of Nutrition we usually think of it’s relation to our physical state such as causing us to gain or lose weight.  But have you ever realized how you feel after eating certain foods?  Food can really affect our emotional health just as much as our physical health.  There is much that can be done using diet changes and proper supplementation to help such conditions as mood swings, constant fatigue and even mild depression.  Sometimes these conditions can come from a simple imbalance or single nutrient deficiency.

The sugar blues  

So how can proper nutrition help balance my mood?  By balancing blood-sugar levels.

This is the very first concept that grabbed my attention and got me interested in nutrition.  After reading about the symptoms and reading about the causes of a blood-sugar imbalance, I realized, “oh boy that’s me and I’ve definitely done this to myself.”  All types of sugar you eat (not just white sugar and candies, I’m talking breads, fruits, juice and even veggies like potatoes) get broken down in your body into the smallest type of sugar called glucose.  This glucose is used as fuel by your brain, and your body is always striving to keep a constant level of it in the body.  However, we usually make it difficult for our bodies to maintain this level by eating foods that are very high in sugar, simply not eating enough or often enough, experiencing constant stress (also affects your blood sugar levels) and using stimulants such as coffee and cigarettes. Although coffee and cigarettes don’t normally contain sugar (except for the killer combo iced coffee drinks that contain not only caffeine but up to 24 teaspoons of sugar) these stimulate release of sugar stores in your body. 

If you’ve been doing a lot of the above mentioned habits you will most likely be experiencing symptoms such as: headache, fatigue, anxiety or light-headedness when your blood sugar levels drop low.

What can you do to re-regulate your blood-sugar levels? 

It is most important to eat regular small meals or snacks.  I mean, every 3 hours or more if you feel you need it, just until your blood sugar levels are stable again as this is not the ideal way to eat for digestion.  Eating foods that give a slower release of sugar rather then a quick jolt is also important.  Avoiding coffee, alcohol, pop drinks, cigarettes and basically avoiding anything with sugar (check ingredients on all packages) even fruit juices and very sweet fruits can make a big difference in your mood and energy.  A nutritionist can help you choose the right foods and combinations as well as create a proper eating schedule to help you rebalance your blood-sugar levels.  

There is much more that can be done to help regulate mood using nutrition including getting enough good fats ( i.e. your omega 3s and 6s), getting enough of the vitamins needed for your body to make energy, and even reducing your daily toxin exposure can make significant differences. 

Sugar Blues