How To Boost Your Mood With Food
If you turn to sweets or salty foods when you feel stressed or upset, you know how immediately satisfying some comfort food can be. However, these comfort foods don’t help for long, and instead, you end up feeling irritable all over again after a sugar crash. Some foods can have a negative impact on your mood, but recent research shows that some foods can improve your mood and your well-being. Here are some of the best foods and eating habits that can help you to lift your mood.
Foods can be used to boost your mood in many ways by helping you lead a healthier life, and there are lots of great ways to add mood-boosting foods to your diet. There are hundreds of recipes online to get you inspired, where you need ideas for cooking some oily fish or aren’t sure how to use lion's mane mushrooms.
Eat Foods Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
There is more and more evidence suggesting that omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in oily fish like sardines, salmon, and mackerel, could have a role in aiding brain function. In fact, it’s thought that a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids could be linked to mental health problems.
A study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, where researchers analyzed 26 studies that explored the connection between the risk of depression and the consumption of fish. Their analysis of all these results found that the people who are the most fish were less likely to experience symptoms of depression.
These results suggest that it’s well worth more rigorous clinical trials to explore the role of omega-3 fatty acids in depression and mental health.
What To Eat
If you want to get more omega-3 fatty acids into your diet, you can aim to eat more foods including:
Wild Alaskan salmon
Sardines
Anchovies
Mackerel
Oily fish
Walnuts
Flax seeds
Chia seeds
Canola oil
Purslane
As well as whole foods, there are some other good sources of omega-3 including fish oil, flaxseed oil, and echium oil. If you’re pregnant, nursing, take any medication or have any health concerns, you should speak to your doctor before making a change to your diet.
Get More Probiotics
Probiotics are known for playing a role in digestive health, but there is more research starting to suggest that the bacteria in the gut also sends and receives signals to the brain. Several studies seem to show some positive effects of probiotics on the symptoms of depression, although more study is required for definitive results. Results do seem to be promising, although some studies note a wide variation in results depending on the strain of probiotics, the dose, and the duration of the treatment. Further studies are needed to really test their effectiveness.
Taking a probiotic supplement will improve both gut symptoms and depression in those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome.
What To Eat
You can take a probiotic supplement, or get more probiotics from some foods, including:
Yoghurt
Kefir
Buttermilk
Sauerkraut
Korean kimchi
Miso
Tempeh
Pickled vegetables
Probiotics are safe for most people, however, you should be aware that it is possible for someone who is immunocompromised to contract an infection, either fungemia or bacteremia, from taking probiotic supplements. If you are at all immunocompromised, you should talk to your doctor before you start taking a course of probiotics.
Eat More Whole Grains
Whole grains are a very important source of B vitamins. B vitamins are nutrients that are vital for brain health. Thiamin, for example, or vitamin B1 plays a part in turning glucose into energy. Pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5, is used to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is involved in learning and memory. Vitamin B6 helps to convert the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin. Vitamin B12 is used to produce the neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which help to regular your mood.
What To Eat
Look for grains that can be eaten in the whole form, including:
Steel-cut oatmeal
Quinoa
Brown rice
Amaranth
Millet
Bulgur
Wild rice
It can be confusing to try and work out what foods are whole grain and which aren’t. If you’re getting yourself confused, then a good rule of thumb to help you when you’re reading food labels is that for every 5 grams of carbohydrate, a food should have at least one gram of dietary fibre for you to be able to consider it a whole grain. Get used to reading food labels so you understand what you’re buying and eating, and to help you make more informed choices about what you put into your body.
Always Eat A Nutritious Breakfast
Eating breakfast on a regular basis is linked to experiencing fewer symptoms of depression, according to some researchers. A study from 2017 analyzed survey responses of over 200,000 people aged 20 years and over and found that the responders who seldom or only sometimes are breakfast had higher depressive symptoms than those who always ate breakfast.
This association doesn’t yet prove that depressive symptoms can be caused by skipping out on breakfast, but it does suggest that a regular breakfast does have a link to mood that should be explored further. If nothing else, a nutritious breakfast sets you up for the day, helping you to stay in a better mood.
What To Eat
For your healthy, nutrition-packed breakfast, choose foods that are rich in fibre, nutrients, and healthy fats. Oatmeal is a good choice, as it is rich in soluble fibre, which helps to smooth out blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of sugar into your blood. A bowl of steel-cut oats is a great breakfast. Other good foods to include in your breakfast are citrus fruits, strawberries, apples, whole grains, and nuts.
Load Up On Leafy Green Vegetables
Spinach and other green vegetables contain the B vitamin folate. Low folate levels have been linked to depression in some research. People who struggle with depression often have lower blood levels of folate and lower dietary intake of folate compared to those who don’t experience depression.
A deficiency of folate may impair the metabolism of serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline (which are neurotransmitters that are important for mood), but more research is needed to fully understand this link.
Some studies have shown that eating more fruits and vegetables is associated with a decreased risk of depression.
What To Eat
Try to get more folate-rush vegetables into your regular diet, including:
Spinach
Edamame
Artichokes
Okra
Turnip greens
Lentils
Avocado
Broccoli
Folate is also found in lentils and beans. In fact, you can get 90 per cent of your recommended daily allowance in just one cup of cooked lentils.
If you want to take a folic acid supplement, speak to your doctor first. In some cases, these supplements can have adverse effects and some people are at higher risk, such as those who have had cancer or colon polyps.
Enjoy Caffeine In Moderation
Caffeine triggers the release of some important brain chemicals, including dopamine, which is very important for mood and performance. Coffee and tea can gave a positive effect on the risk of depression.
For most people to get the benefits, you need to consume about 400ml of coffee a day. However, too much coffee can have the opposite effect and heighten your feelings of anxiety, so make sure you enjoy it in moderation.
Caffeine affects everyone a little differently, so if coffee has a tendency to make you feel jittery, irritable, sad, unable to sleep, or has other negative effects, then avoid drinking it. Instead, you should choose a lower caffeine option like black or green tea, or caffeine-free drinks like rooibos tea.
Another good choice is chai. Chais is an Indian drink made with black tea and spices like cardamom and cinnamon. The spices add some natural sweetness to the tea, which can help you to use less sugar or sweeteners.
Enrich Your Diet With Foods High in Vitamin D
Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin. It is made naturally in the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D can increase levels of serotonin, which is one of the most important neurotransmitters for influencing mood. A vitamin D deficiency can be linked to some mood disorders, such as seasonal affective disorder.
Older adults can also be at a higher risk of depression if they have a vitamin D deficiency.
Some people are at a higher risk for a vitamin D deficiency and may need to take extra steps to make sure they get enough. Darker skin tones have more melanin, which blocks ultraviolet rays. If you work indoors all day, live further from the equator, or live in an area with more air pollution you can also be at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency.
What To Eat
Eat more foods that are rich in vitamin D, including:
Canned salmon with bones, such as Alaskan pink salmon or sockeye salmon
Cheese
Egg yolks
Foods that have been fortified with vitamin D, such as milk, soy milk, or orange juice.
