TW: this article may be sensitive to those recovering from disordered eating
Do you ever feel cranky, annoyed, or just downright not in the mood for any and everything? It may be due to what you’re eating. It has been found that poor nutrition is a huge cause of experiencing low mood, and that improving diet may help to protect not only physical health, but mental health too. But often we find ourselves consuming copious amounts of junk ‘pick me up’ foods to lift spirits – but these foods may in fact be making you feel worse. Here are different ways that food affects our mood:
- Processed foods
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Long-term exposure to unhealthy eating habits and diet is a risk factor for depression, as found in a 2014 study in Plos One. Foods such as those high in sugar, and processed food trigger the same pleasure centres in the brain as addictive drugs do – the cause of that sudden ‘spike’ in energy. Eating foods like fried food, refined cereals, sweets, high-fat dairy, and processed meats lead to you feeling more anxious and depressed. Instead, a ‘whole foods’ diet including fibre-rich grains, fruits, vegetables and fish can help keep your mood more stable.
- Refined carbohydrates
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While sugars occur naturally in complex carbs like fruits, vegetables, and grains, it is also found in refined foods like pasta, breads, cakes, and sodas. These simple sugars contain too few complex carbs for blood sugar levels to remain stable – hence the sudden energy, and then fatigue. Eating too many refined carbs leads to promotion of inflammation in our bodies; loss of appetite, change in sleep patterns, and a heightened perception of pain (physical and mental). Now, sugars aren’t the devil – sugars like those in complex carbs are more nourishing, while sugars like those in refined carbs are less so. Opt for eating more nutritious sugars like those in fruits for a snack, but also know it’s ok to have sweets once in a while. What’s important is to control our intake and recognize what is better for us.
- Sugary drinks
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We know the issue that sodas and concentrated drinks pose to our blood sugar levels – we’ve heard it many times before. But even though we’ve been told that fruit juice is ‘healthy’, it also negatively impacts our blood sugar levels. While whole fruits contain fibre that fills you up and helps slow down how your blood takes in energy, fruit juice does not always have that fibre content. This means that your body is producing insulin at a faster rate, meaning you get ‘hyped up’ and quickly come crashing down – much like with refined carbs. Not only does it affect your metabolic rate, but because you will be left feeling “hangry”, it may also affect your feelings of anxiety and depression. Instead, try to drink mostly water with meals and throughout the day to keep your body hydrated instead of other beverages – but having a milkshake or drinks is also good now and then.
- Whole foods
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The best meal you can afford your mental and physical wellbeing, is a ‘whole meal’. This kind of meal (or diet) includes eating non-processed, non-refined ingredients i.e., natural, and complex foods. Complex carbs (sweet potatoes, rolled oats, beans, quinoa) and high-protein foods (fish, lean beef, chicken, eggs) help to increase our serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine; brain chemicals that are affecters of motivation, concentration, and mood. Consuming a diet of whole, unrefined foods with enough protein, healthy fats (nuts and seeds) and fibre helps stabilize blood sugar after meals – meaning less insulin production, leading to better mood instead of the sudden ‘high’ and then crashing ‘low’.
- Gut health
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A recent explanation as to how food affects our mental wellbeing, is the effect of diet on gut health. The gut microbiome (bacteria, viruses, archaea etc.) uses neural, inflammatory, and hormonal signalling pathways to interact with the brain, so if this microbiome is compromised, so is our mental health. Other than genetic factors (and exposure to antibiotics) the effects of Western diet results in this compromise e.g., conditions such as “leaky gut” is the result of a diet low in fibre and high in saturated fats, refined sugars, and artificial sweeteners. However, consuming high-fibre and unsaturated foods promotes good metabolism to be anti-inflammatory – meaning the gut microbiome communicates better with our brain. Probiotic supplements have also been found to improve both gut health and depression in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and that they help to support health by keeping the gut ecosystem balanced. So, probiotics equal happy gut, which equals happy emotions.
- Emotional eating
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Sometimes we’re in such a low mood, or it just hasn’t been our day, week, month or even our year, so we turn to food as comfort. Often (if not always) these foods are high in sugar. Eating these high-sugar content foods to escape a bad mood or emotional state, is called emotional eating. Reasons for why we binge/do emotional eating, is because often negative emotions leave us feeling ‘emotionally empty’, making food the way to fill that void. This enables a false feeling of
“fullness”, especially when we do not understand how to better navigate and support our emotional wellbeing.While an emotional difficulty, one way of helping ourselves is mindful eating – taking the time to ‘focus’ on our meals; eating slowly, no distractions and savouring the experience of healthy foods. When these mindful practices are applied, studies have shown that people practice less binging and emotional eating. However, if you do experience excessive emotional eating or binging, it is best to seek emotional support to help with feelings of low self-esteem or negative self-thoughts.
Food is great – it keeps us alive; it keeps us energized. Some foods are better than others, and some foods do things to our bodies that aren’t favourable, but what’s important to remember is that when we view food as fuel, we learn to not be afraid of it. Learning healthy eating habits and recognizing what is good for our bodies and what we should keep under control helps in understanding our emotions. While ‘junk food’ may seem like the bane to our existence, it is okay to indulge occasionally, but it is also important to remember to do everything in moderation.