How Food Can Affect Your Mood

How Food Can Affect Your Mood

There are many ways that foods you eat can affect your mood, and if you are one of the 1 in 4 people that suffer from a mental health condition in the UK, this is something serious to consider. Taking a little bit of extra care with your diet can improve your mood significantly. Even if you do not suffer from a mental health condition, there are still useful tips you can follow to get the best mood from your food and keeping your immune system healthy.

How important is it to stay hydrated?

A lot of studies link dehydration to depression because 85% of brain tissue is water. Keeping hydrated will not only improve your overall health, but it will also improve your mood. If you feel you are drinking loads of water and not keeping hydrated, think about why?

Are you drinking other things like coffee that could dehydrate you? If you are taking medication for depression, this can also leave you dehydrated, so look at the patient information leaflet.

Will getting my 5 a day help?

Being healthy can sometimes be misconstrued as simply looking good, but eating healthy is the most important thing to help you feel good. The guidelines on getting 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day by the NHS are there to keep your brain balanced as well as your body. Specific fruits and vegetables can help boost your mood, and mixing vitamins is also good, because certain vitamins are good for you, and certain other vitamins help you absorb these ones. Dark, leafy green vegetables are especially good for mood boosting.

What foods will boost my mood and help with depression?

There are a number of different foods that are backed by scientific studies that will help boost your mood, but there are a few that are agreed on by most medical professionals.

Walnuts

Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, and there have been a large number of studies to show that these reduce depression symptoms by supporting brain function.

Avocado

Yes, there really is a reason avocado are so trendy. One of the main things you need to ask yourself if you suffer from depression is ‘do I get enough healthy fats?’. Avocado is rich in healthy fats, so much so that three-fourths of an avocado are healthy fats that are made from oleic acid. They also contain loads of protein, which is an incredibly good mood booster.

Salmon

Salmon again is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. It is also released a little bit slower than it’s omega-3 rich counterparts, so boosts moods for longer.

Can protein help my mood

There is quite a lot of proof that protein boosts moods. Amino acids, which are their essential building block, can include Tryptophan, which is then converted into serotonin in the body, which is the chemical that makes us feel happy and relaxed. Seeing if you are getting enough protein should be once of the first diet investigations you make if you find out you have depression.

Are you eating often enough?

Blood sugar levels play a massive part in mood, which is why being aggravated is one of the symptoms of someone with Diabetes who’s blood sugars are here there and everywhere. What a lot of people do not realise is that even if you are not suffering from diabetes, you seriously need to keep your blood sugars under control to boost your mood. Eaten rarely with no routine can make them swing from low to high really quickly, which makes you have a low mood. Eating often through the day keeps them at a ‘steadier’ level.