Food makes you happy, enhances your mood, you are well aware that just the smell of baking bread can lift your thoughts. You are probably aware if you ate the entire loaf of bread you’d feel pretty bad afterward as well. Food holds the power to affect your mood either in a good way or bad. Nutritious food will also positively affect your mental health. Balance your mood with easy and surprisingly helpful top tips on how to boost your mental health.
1. Hangry?
Hangry is a common term for feeling both hungry and angry at the same time. In terms of your nutrition, it means that your body is craving its next sugar boost. You have been on the glucose train and your body is used to metabolising glucose for energy. And when your glucose levels drop too low because insulin has been released your body signals for more glucose. Glucose is the compound that your body uses for energy and comes quickly from fast releasing carbs like pasta, bread, biscuits. You know the drill. Your blood sugar levels have dropped causing you to feel irritable and ready to kill. It can directly affect your mood.
Eating slow-releasing carbs is the standard guidelines, but if you really want to sustain your energy and your mood then eating more protein and fats is the answer.
Read more: What are beige carbs and why are they making you fat
2. The mood boosters
Omega-3 fatty acids are gradually emerging as a promising remedy for depression and mood-related disorders. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for a well-functioning nervous system. These fatty acids are readily found in food sources like fatty fishes like salmon, tuna, and mackerel, as well as walnuts, flaxseeds, and pumpkin seeds.
3. Happy hormones
Serotonin is a happy neurotransmitter that is secreted in your brain and creates that wonderful feeling of happiness, satisfaction and optimism.
Eating foods that boost serotonin levels is a great way to boost your mood Make sure to include happy foods like – yoghurt, almond, banana, and eggs.
4. Iron Deficiency
Iron deficiency can lead to a host of problems in the body including anaemia, mood disorders, irritability, and depression. It can also decrease your cognitive abilities and reduce concentration levels.
Optimum iron levels will make you feel energetic, focused, and keep you in a good mood. Some great iron-rich foods include dates, nuts, seeds, spinach, and lentils. A great snack is nut butter with dates – yummy
5. Happy gut
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that lifts your mood and 90% of serotonin is secreted in your gut. Consuming food that helps to promote your gut-friendly bacteria will increase your happiness. Keeping your gut in good health is essential.
Disruption in gut serotonin will make you unhappy and affect your mood. Keeping your gut healthy will mean you will avoid constipation, bloating, acidity and diarrhoea. Your daily mood food should contain both pre and probiotic foods. Probiotics foods include like kefir and kombucha. Have you tried either of these? How about sauerkraut?
Also read: how to improve your gut health
Transformational change
Creating a long-lasting ‘relationship with yourself’ that is loving means change that adapts to you, create confidence and the results lead to long term transformation change.
I’d love to chat about your transformation change, using nutrition, mindful exercise and personal coaching I would love to offer you space and time to find out what you want to see happen in your life let’s chat, book a time that suits and lets work together how to bring your teenager onside and become the best version of you, it is your time
Get Gorgeous is a journey together – yours and mine.
PS. Gorgeous! is your insight into great health and vitality Gorgeous! how to look and feel fantastic every day. Click here to download your FREE chapter of Gorgeous!
