Table of Contents
Last updated on February 22nd, 2024 at 09:05 pm
Are you feeling like you have low energy, low ambition, and a general lack of interest in many activities? If so, it’s common to have the desire to seek out the perfect “ good mood food” to perk up your spirits.
What if I told you the perfect food for mood includes:
- Getting enough to eat
- Properly hydrating
- Eliminating fears around food
- Including a wide variety of food choices
- Honoring both appetite and hunger
Spoiler alert: the power of “good mood good food” lies in a liberated diet. This diet should include sweet foods, savory foods, hearty foods and foods scientifically demonstrated to get the happy juices flowing in our brains.
You will NOT improve your mood by simply bulking up on foods shown to reduce anxiety and stress while restricting other types of foods. In fact, the pursuit of only the “healthiest food” is a key ingredient to making you feel downright awful emotionally.
This article will explore ways to liberate the diet to improve mood, specific foods to give you a happy boost, and why eating enough throughout the day is critical for your mental health and brain function.
The Truth Behind “Good Food Good Mood”
The best food for mood is eating enough food.
Did you know:
- Food restriction increases cortisol in the body which is associated with increased stress
- Extreme food restriction can shrink the size of your brain
- Shifts in hormones and neurotransmitters from low food intake lead to eating fast and overconsumption
- Inadequate carbohydrate and sugar intake makes it difficult to think clearly
- Not eating enough causes decreases the reward response in the brain
In other words, it doesn’t matter how many “happy foods” you eat if you are restricting food in any way. Your mood will not improve through food unless you are first eating enough of it.
Healthy Gut Microbiome and Mental Health
Did you know that over 90% of our feel-good transmitter serotonin is produced in the gut? It may surprise you to learn the number of nerves in the gut exceeds that in the spinal column.
Communication between the brain and the gut is a two-way channel. The gut usually takes the lead in sending signals to the brain. So it must be got the right communication equipment. Getting enough food, food often enough, and a wide variety of foods will ensure that you have enough food to keep your microbiome healthy and happy.
For a healthy and diverse microbiome try:
- Choosing fermented foods like kimchi or kombucha
- Choosing prebiotics to feed your gut bacteria like grains, soybeans, and garlic
- Choosing foods with probiotics
Supporting a healthy gut microbiome improves both digestion and brain health. The diversity in foods will ensure a diverse gut microbiome. A healthy gut microbiome is critical for proper digestion, metabolism, and hormone regulation.
What Foods Improve Mood
Once you are sure you’re getting enough food throughout the day, there are foods you can add to your meals and snacks for a little extra happy boost.
Folate Rich Foods
- Leafy greens
- Broccoli
- Lentils
- Avocado
- Beets
- Beans
- Legumes
- Citrus
Foods Rich in B Vitamins
- Whole grain bread and cereals
- Quinoa
- Bulger
- Legumes
- Steel cut oats
Fish Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Anchovies
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Albacore Tuna
- Herring
- Fish oil supplement
Plants Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Hemp Seeds
- Walnuts
- Flaxseeds
- Brussel Sprouts
- Algal oil
Vitamin D Foods
- Mushrooms
- Salmon with bones
- Fortified orange juice
- Fortified milk
- Fortified Soy Milk
- Egg Yolks
- White Beans
- Kale
- Collards
Even though these foods or shown to have positive mental health benefits, this does not mean we should elevate these food choices over others or swap out other foods we enjoy.
The foods listed above are not “better” or “healthier” than any other food. They simply offer a unique nutrition profile that when combined with a balanced diet can offer a brain boost. It’s important to practice food neutrality and understand that many foods can be important for overall emotional and physical well-being.
Food and Mood Chart
Let’s map out a meal structure chart to help you feel energized throughout the day. You will need meals and snacks at regular intervals throughout the day to keep you energized.
If you have a history of chronic dieting, getting in regular meals and snacks may take some practice. Here are some simple meal and snack structures that can help you keep a routine.
Meal Schedule Options To Improve Mood
- 3 Meals 3 snacks daily
- 6-8 smaller meals every 2-4 hours
- 1 larger meal and 4-5 smaller meals throughout the day
To optimize mood, you should be eating a meal or snack no more than 4-5 hours apart. Eating regularly throughout the day will prevent rapid spikes and drops in blood sugars throughout the day which will cause you to feel sluggish.
The number of meals and snacks that will energize you will vary greatly from person to person. Use a hunger scale to help you map out when and how much to eat and which routine helps you to feel your personal best.
You will also need more frequent and larger meals the more physically active you are.
Meal Composition Suggestions To Improve Mood
Getting a balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins throughout the day will help to regulate:
- Blood sugars
- Digestion
- Mood
Guidelines for meals and snacks include:
- Meals: Carbohydrate + Protein + Fruit/Veg
- Snacks: Pick 1-2 (Carb, Protein, Fruit/Veg)
These are not hard and fast rules but rather guidelines to keep your energy levels from spiking and dropping through the day and improve overall mood.
Honoring Emotional Hunger To Improve Mood
You cannot ignore the enjoyment factor when it comes to food if you’re looking to optimize your mental health. Denying yourself foods you simply enjoy eating will likely cause a spike in both physical hunger and head hunger.
To reduce anxiety and guilt around food which will undoubtedly cause your overall mood to plummet, it’s critical to honor all types of hunger. This can mean eating when cravings strike even if you’re not physically hungry.
Honoring all types of hunger might include:
- Eating dessert first
- Enjoying food at a social gathering even when you’re not physically hungry
- Eating a food you are craving
- Soothing a stressful event with your favorite food
- Eating something now because you won’t have time later
- Enjoying your favorite treat on a regular basis
What Will Not Help My Mood Around Food
We are taught from a young age that:
- There are good and bad foods
- You should limit how much of certain foods we have
- You should only eat when physically hungry
- You should avoid high body weights at all costs
- You should feel guilty after eating bad foods
Following any of these guidelines from diet culture will immediately spike anxiety around food and potentially lead to depression or even eating disorders.
Choosing foods that will nourish the body and mind often involves letting go of body expectations and even grieving the thin ideal.
To improve overall mood and relationship with food we need to:
- Eat enough food throughout the day
- Balance out meal and snack structure
- Honor emotional and physical hunger
- Get rid of food guilt
- Include a variety of foods including those shown to improve mental health
All of these healthy eating habits are essential if we are hoping to get a mood and energy boost from food. Without one or more of these variables, we are likely to suffer in our relationship with food and mood.
- Help, I Feel Like I Don’t Deserve To Eat - September 7, 2024
- 8 Reasons Food is More Than Fuel - September 5, 2024
- Intuitive Eating For Eating Disorders: What You Should Know - September 3, 2024