Food for Mood!

The World Health Organisation states that having a healthy diet protects you against many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars and saturated and industrially-produced trans-fats, are essential for a healthy diet.

Over recent years, there has been an increase in interest regarding how what we eat affects our minds and moods too! Knowing what is good for you and controlling what you eat can be difficult, particularly for parent carers.

In this article, we look at food that can improve your mood, your immune system, and your overall health!

Foods that influence our mood

What you eat not only affects your physical health, but studies now show that diet impacts your mood and mental well-being.

A healthy diet can help improve your memory, and your ability to concentrate; it can even increase your level of optimism and protect you from depression!

In contrast, eating too many highly processed, fried foods, or sugary food and drinks has been shown to increase the likelihood of anxiety and increase the risk of developing depression.

There’s no single super-food that boosts mood – it’s about having a varied, healthy diet. Below we look at foods and nutrients to help improve your mood!

Water

Not drinking enough water can leave you feeling tired and on edge with difficulty concentrating. Try and drink 2 litres of water across the day to stay hydrated. This can include water infused with fruit and herbs e.g. lemon, mint or herbal teas.

Caffeine

Although tea and coffee contain healthy compounds such as calming theanine (in tea) and antioxidant polyphenols (coffee) to protect against ageing and disease, excess caffeine can amplify feelings of anxiety and nervousness and can also cause sleep issues. Reduce your number of cups to two a day and drink these before lunchtime so that they don’t impact your sleep!

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is produced when skin is exposed to sunlight and low levels can have a significant impact on mood and energy. You can increase your vitamin D intake by eating oily fish and eggs, but generally, it’s difficult to maintain adequate levels, especially during the winter. The NHS advises taking daily supplements during the autumn and winter months.

B vitamins

Good levels of vitamin B are important for energy and for relaxation, especially B6 which is key for female hormone balance. These vitamins are commonly found together in whole-grain foods such as wholemeal breads, brown rice, brown pasta, beans, and peas. Regularly eating large amounts of processed foods may mean that you become low in B vitamins.

Magnesium

Magnesium has a general calming effect and will also keep your energy levels up and improve your sleep quality. Our need for this mineral increases during difficult times, so boost your intake by regularly eating plenty of green leaves such as kale and spinach and enjoy a couple of squares of dark chocolate here and there! Also, take a magnesium-rich relaxing Epsom salt bath a few times a week.

Remember to balance your blood sugars

Eating too many carbohydrates, processed foods and snacking can throw your blood sugar levels out of balance and lead to an increase in stress hormones like cortisol and lows and highs in energy levels. The key is eating in moderation, reducing snacking, and avoiding sugary foods that spike your blood sugar levels.

Click on the yellow box for a list of foods known to help improve your mood!

Foods that support our immune system

We rely on our immune system to fight off infections. This is particularly important when we are run-down, tired, and looking after other people! There are a number of foods and nutrients which help strengthen our immune system:

Vitamin C
One of the best-known nutrients for fighting infection and supporting your immune system, there is extensive research to support vitamin C’s many effects on health.

Zinc
Shown to support our immunity, multipurpose zinc is involved in numerous body functions, but many people especially the elderly are deficient for reasons such as low soil levels, stress and poor digestion.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a hormone produced when skin is exposed to sunlight, but factors such as weight and skin colour can affect our production and at least 1 in 5 of us have low levels, which can impact our immunity, mood and energy levels.

Selenium
Another mineral we often find ourselves low in due to diminishing soil levels is selenium, which plays a key role in our defence against viral infections.

Nutrient Dense Foods

Think fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, good fats such as olive oil and oily fish – then mix it all up! Don’t eat the same meals every day, enjoy a variety of flavours and colours from purple beetroot, orange mango, and green kale to diversify the nutrients you take in.

Smoothies are a great way to pack nutritious foods into your day in one easy move. The golden rule is to aim for 2/3 vegetables and 1/3 fruit. Try a nutrient-rich green smoothie made of spinach, cucumber, almonds, kiwi and apple or a purple health-promoting concoction of berries, beetroot and celery to support blood pressure.

Click on the yellow boxes for a list of foods to support your immune system and a very tasty smoothie recipe!

Healthy Eating V’s Diets

If you would like to lose weight, be kind to yourself and don’t set yourself up to fail by embarking on a new weight-loss diet.

Dieting has been found to do more harm than good by starving your body of the nutrients it needs, which consequently slows down your metabolism and actually encourages weight gain in the long term. Frustratingly, this makes it even more difficult to lose weight in the future.

Instead, aim for health, with sustainable and achievable goals. This will ultimately support weight loss, but in a less drastic fashion, that won’t leave you feeling hungry.

Start by adding in some healthy foods gradually, rather than cutting out the foods that you know aren’t so good for you and build on your success with an extra addition each week.

Top Tips:

• Eat one extra vegetable a day- The NHS recommend you eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day which is a great target to begin with.  If you aren’t there yet, start by adding one extra vegetable a day which can be fresh or frozen. Try and choose a different colour each time; eat the rainbow to get as many vitamins and minerals as possible, for example, red peppers, orange carrots, purple beetroot, and green broccoli. Potatoes don’t count because they are high in starch.
• Eat 2 pieces of fruit a day – Choose fresh or frozen fruit for snacks or dessert for essential nutrients that are often undereaten including vitamin C for skin healing and joint health and potassium for maintaining blood pressure. Fruit juices don’t count as they are high in sugar and contain little or no fibre and can cause problems with blood sugar management. Grab a banana or apple before you leave the house ready for when you get hungry.
• Eat a whole grain food once a day – These foods include brown bread, rice, pasta and oats and you could also try quinoa and bulgur wheat. Whole grain foods contain the entire grain kernel which means there are good levels of fibre to help with digestive problems such as constipation and irritable bowel syndrome, whilst iron and B vitamins help maintain energy levels.

Click on the yellow box for an example of a healthy meal plan:

If you have any comments, ideas, or suggestions about this article, please contact us at [email protected]

Please don’t forget to leave feedback by clicking the smiley face!