Happy Plates, Happy Minds: The Impact of Nutrition on Mood.
Posted on Friday, March 8th, 2024
Did you know that March is Nutrition Month? We have so many fun things planned to celebrate nutrition this month, so make sure you are following us on social media to stay up to date on all the happenings!
This month I want to talk about Food and its relation to your Mood. This can refer to how our food impacts how we feel, and also how our mood impacts our food choices.
‘Healthy’ food can refer to many different things and depends on what your definition of ‘healthy’ is. I like to think of this as food that gives you all the nutrients you need to stay healthy, feel well, and have plenty of energy to support your lifestyle. Foods can also hold religious, economic, and cultural significance that will affect how you feel eating them, which is also part of health.
When you picture a ‘healthy’ plate, this can vary depending on your upbringing, culture, dietary restrictions/needs, and economic status etc. Canada’s Food Guide is a great guideline to use to ensure you are getting all the necessary nutrients and practicing healthy food habits. When you don’t eat enough nutrient-rich food your body may lack important vitamins and minerals which can affect your energy, mood, and brain function.
In some circumstances, if you are not getting enough of certain nutrients through your diet or have an underlying condition, supplements could be beneficial. For example, iron supplementation if you have Anemia or B12 for those following a plant-forward eating pattern. I recommend speaking with your doctor about this if you feel it may be beneficial for you.
On the other hand, there are many ways that how we feel influences what foods we choose. Have you ever felt down and wanted to eat lots of carbs and sweets? Some mood and food effects are due to nutrient content. For example, serotonin is a chemical messenger in the brain that improves our mood and how we feel, it is made with a part of protein from the diet called tryptophan. Eating carbohydrate-rich foods may help more of this get into the brain but there isn’t enough research to really show that eating a lot of carbs can support mood improvement. On the other hand, perhaps not eating enough of these could lead to low moods? Food for thought!
However, most of this is due to our existing associations of food with pleasure. For example, the belief that chocolate is a reward vs a diet may be associated with plain/boring foods. Eating chocolate when feeling down is likely because it is thought of as a reward and a comfort food, rather than any proven scientific effects of cocoa.
At the end of the day, it’s important to consume a well-balanced diet and be mindful of how it makes you feel both physically and mentally. Everyone is different!
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