10 Ways to Boost Your Mood with Food
by Dana Burnett
Are you in a bad mood? Are you feeling pulled in too many directions with the stress at home, work, and even play? Stress, anxiety and fatigue can have a significant impact on your mood. Furthermore, the food you eat, when you snack and what vitamins you take can impact how you manage stress and affect your mood. Try to implement the following food suggestions into your day and see how it can improve your mood.
Eat Breakfast
Choosing to skip or eat breakfast can affect your mood for the rest of the day. If you choose not to eat breakfast, your mood will most likely be down for the entire day. You do not need a five-course meal, but be sure to include protein (eggs, yogurt, etc.) and complex carbohydrates (whole-grain bread, mixed grain cereal, fruit, etc.) to sustain your appetite and positive mood.(7)
Mini-meals more often
To maintain a happier disposition, try eating mini-meals and snacks every four to five hours. This can help you maintain blood sugar levels and decrease your susceptibility to mood swings. Be prepared by having energy and mood boosting snacks on hand (complex carbohydrates, multigrain bread with peanut butter, etc). Your mood can drop at various times in the day such as mid-afternoon or early evening.
Choose sweets wisely
Around 2 pm your stomach starts growling and you reach for a jar of chocolate treats. Don’t do it! Don’t snack on sweets when your stomach is empty. The simple sugars quickly metabolize, leading to mood swings. Choose to eat sweets after a meal, when your body can process the sugars slowly. The protein, fat and complex carbohydrates you consume from a meal will slow down the breakdown of sugar.
Eat colorful fruits and veggies
Eating six to eight servings each day of bright, colorful fruits and vegetables will increase your antioxidant consumption. This can improve cognitive thinking and memory, which impacts your mood.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Consume more fish to increase your mood. Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids can increase your mood by boosting serotonin levels in the brain. Also, add flaxseed oil to a salad dressing mix. Flaxseeds contain alpha linolenic acid, one of the essential omega-3s.(3)
Just say no to sugar
It may be easier said than done, but removing sugar from your diet can improve mood and reduce depression. The effects can happen in just a few days, especially if you are sugar-sensitive. If you find that eating a cookie or brownie makes your energy rise quickly and fall dramatically, you are more sensitive to sugar. Look for sugar in hidden products, such as canned fruits, drinks, condiments, salad dressings, etc.(1)
Cut back on coffee and wine
If you are feeling down, brewing a cup of coffee won’t necessarily make you feel better. Caffeine interferes with the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin. Too much caffeine can make your mood even worse. Don’t have more than two cups of tea, soda or coffee each day.(5,6)
Additionally, alcohol can lower tryptophan levels in the brain. It dehydrates cells, suppresses the nervous system, and reduces omega-3 fatty acid levels that boost your mood.(4)
Complex Carb Boosters
Are you more likely to turn to a gallon of ice cream or chocolate-covered donut when you are in a bad mood? To elevate tryptophan levels in the brain, you may find yourself reaching for a carbohydrate-rich, nutrient-deficient treat that will elevate your energy for a short amount of time, but leave you feeling worse in the end as blood sugar levels fall. You can control the cravings for sugar-laden treats by adding complex carbohydrates to every meal.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydration can cause fatigue, which decreases your mood. Drink at least eight glasses of water each day to stay hydrated and replenish your energy.(2)
Vitamins & Minerals
Most Americans do not obtain the recommended daily dose of vitamins and minerals, which effects physical and mental health. A good multivitamin should be taken to help your body get a little bit more of the sufficient nutrients it could be lacking. Furthermore, vitamin B6 can boost your mood by helping serotonin production. Eating more green leafy vegetables, fish, and chicken can increase your levels of vitamin B6. Supplementing with a vitamin B complex is also a good way to get enough B-boosting nutrients.
References
1. Christensen, L. The Role of Caffeine and Sugar in Depression. Nutrition Report. 1991 Mar; 9(3):17-24.
2. D’anci KE, Vibhakar A, Kanter JH, Mahoney CR, et al. Voluntary dehydration and cognitive performance in trained college athletes. Percept Mot Skills. 2009 Aug; 109(1):251-269.
3. Da Silva, TM, Munhoz, RP, et al. Depression in Parkinson’s disease: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study of omega-3 fatty-acid supplementation. J Affect Disord. 2008 May; 111(2-3):351-359.
4. Davidson KM. Diagnosis of depression in alcohol dependence: changes in prevalence with drinking status. British J of Psychiatry. 1995; 166:199-204.
5. Luebbe AM, Bell DJ. Mountain Dew or mountain don’t?: A pilot investigation of caffeine use parameters and relations to depression and anxiety symptoms in 5th- and 10th- grade students. J Sch Health. 2009 Aug; 79(8):380-387.
6. Martinsen EW, Raglin JS. Themed Review: Anxiety/Depression. American J of Lifestyle Med. 2007; 1(3):159-166.
7. Widenhorn-Muller K, Hille K, Klenk J, Weiland U. Influence of having breakfast on cognitive performance and mood in 13 to 20 year old high school students: Results of a crossover trial. Pediatrics. 2008; 122(2):279-284.
