Food For Your Mood

As we are well into the winter months and the amount of sunlight continues to decrease, our mental health tends to be impacted. But did you know our food choices can play an important role on our mental health?

The relationship between what we eat and our mental health is complex. Certain foods and their nutrients help our brain make chemicals that impact our mood and focus. A healthy, well-balanced diet can help us think clearly and feel more alert. Talk about food for thought!

​​Micronutrients are required to organize many chemical messengers in the brain, also known as neurotransmitters. These chemical messengers also known as happy hormones include:

• serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins.

These 4 neurotransmitters help regulate our mood.  The chemical messengers are necessary for balancing the intensity of signals between neurons in the brain and the rest of the body. Low serotonin levels, in particular, have been linked with neurological disorders, anxiety, and depression.

To improve your mood, one of the best things in terms of eating is to consume a nutrient-dense diet on a regular basis.

What types of micronutrients are in a nutrient-dense diet?  The answer….many! Here are just a few:

• Essential B vitamins are important for the synthesis of those 4 neurotransmitters we just talked about.
• Choline is also a unique nutrient because it is not classified as a vitamin or a mineral but is required for the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is involved in both a person’s mood and memory.
• Other micronutrients such as folate, zinc, magnesium, iron, selenium, and vitamin D have been shown to have protective effects against mood swings, depression, anxiety, and irritability.

Many studies have shown that people with depression or other mood disorders often do not have enough in one or more of these micronutrients listed above.

How do we get these important micronutrients? The answer…a colorful plate of whole foods. Some great brain-boosting foods a person can eat include:

• Fish, such as salmon, trout, and sardines.  Fatty fish contain an abundance of omega-3 fatty acids, which benefit brain function.
• Walnuts are also an excellent source of protein and healthy fats that improve brain function.
• Dark chocolate is also a brain-boosting food because of its antioxidant effects. Dark chocolate contains cocoa, also known as cacao. Cacao contains flavonoids. Flavonoids are a type of antioxidant that is especially important for brain health in protection against oxidative stress.
• Fruits and vegetables such as oranges, kiwi, strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, and many more all contain vitamin C. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that has protective effects on our brains.
• Foods high in protein are also linked to positive mood. Protein consumption has been linked to higher dopamine and norepinephrine levels. Both are brain chemicals that play a significant role in our mood and concentration. Examples of high protein foods include eggs, chicken, tofu, and beans.

Food and mood are connected in an amazing and complex way. So just remember, the foods you eat can make or break your productivity, mental state, and overall physical health. A healthful diet, in combination with staying active, will support a healthy and happy mind.