Food for Mood

You have probably already heard that your body and mind go hand in hand and influence each other. Did you also hear about the food for mood?

The food you eat is directly linked to three areas of brain function. The first is your capacity to focus, think, plan, and remember. The second is emotional regulation. The third is your ability to power through a deadline and control anxiety.

Together, these factors influence your discretion, reasoning ability, thinking and decision-making capabilities, mood, and happiness.

Make your brain work better by eating the right food for your mood.

To improve your brain’s functionality with your diet, you should ensure your daily diet includes the right food for your mood. You do that by following these four basic rules.

RULE 1: Be aware of the unhealthy processed food you eat often.

Processed foods are groceries processed in factories, adding new ingredients and handling them to be easier to buy and consume. Not all processed food is bad for your mood and health. Unhealthy processed food contains too much sugar, salt, fat, and unhealthy sweeteners.

Many types of sugars, like glucose, fructose, and lactose, occur naturally in foods and drinks. However, our bodies need one kind of sugar, glucose, to survive. It is the number one food for the brain and the fuel for the body.

However, many groceries also include added sugar, which is not naturally occurring but is added to improve the taste. You should be wary of these sugars because too much sugar contributes to the shrinkage of key brain areas involved in mood regulation.

Salt is essential for your mood and body; your body must balance its Natrium-levels. However, too much salt in your diet can increase blood pressure, cause the body to release adrenalin into the bloodstream, and make you anxious. If the situation continues, especially if you have genetically high blood pressure, a too-salty regular diet can harm your brain and lead to hypertension and heart problems. 

Unhealthy processed foods include sugary beverages, frozen pizza, snacks like chips, cookies, crackers, cereals, sausages, microwave meals, cakes, and biscuits.

RULE 2: Crave for fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Plant foods contain the minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients that we could call the Essential Elements of Happiness. Your brain needs these for optimal functioning. Power yourself with a couple of daily cups of coffee, eggs, fatty fish, omega-3 oil products, and walnuts. They are all proper food for mood and body.

RULE 3: If you eat animal products, prefer grass-fed products whenever possible.

Compared with typical grain-fed animal products, grass-fed products contain more omega-3 fatty acids. These acids are crucial for mood, the elements of happiness, because they promote the formation of new brain connections.

RULE 4:  Enjoy the variety in food for mood.

The more extensive the range of whole foods you consume, the broader the content of brain-boosting nutrients your diet will contain and the sharper, happier, and more energized your mind will be.

Sources:

Diet Tips: Eat Foods That Boost Your Mood | Prevention. 

Science Daily: Surprising Findings on how salt affects blood flow in the brain

Medicalneedstoday.com: Does the body need sugar? How much to consume