Does what I eat, and drink affect my mood?
YES!
Durning this festive season our regular daily diets and routine will change, and this may have a knock-on effect on our mood
The increase of alcohol consumption and more refined foods can have a knock-on effect to our gut, blood sugar and brain
Mood and concentration can be heavily impacted by how dietary choices affect blood sugar levels. When you eat carbohydrate your body digests it, converts it into glucose(sugar) and sends the glucose into your blood. Insulin is then produced by the pancreas to convert that glucose into energy.
When you eat lots of refined carbs (and at Christmas we tend to!) your pancreas sees a spike in blood glucose levels and releases insulin as quickly as it can to try to catch up. This can result in too much glucose being removed from your blood causing a blood sugar crash that can leave you feeling fatigued irritable depressed anxious and nervous
Your blood sugar levels are determined by the type of carbohydrate you eat.The ‘Wrong type’ (such as refined carbs and sugar- Christmas favourites!) will send you on a roller coaster ride that will give you a quick hit of energy followed by a crash that will leave you feeling low in energy lacking concentration and craving more energy-dense food. This is when you may want to reach for those celebrations or Roses to give you another boost of sugar-based energy.
‘Happy Hormone’
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to relay messages from one area of the brain to another and is believed to influence a variety of psychological functions. It’s known as the ‘Happy hormone’ because of its mood boosting qualities.
Gut bacteria manufacture about 95% of the body’s supply of serotonin. Interactions between our gut-brain axis and gut bacteria help us out with many essential functions not only in the digestion of nutrients but also our immune response and they may even be implicated in our mental health.
Things that affect our gut can affect our mood!
Alcohol plays its part! –
When we drink alcohol, we need to metabolise the ethanol component. This involves our gut microbe’s, liver detoxification pathways and mitochondrial systems. Excessive alcohol consumption therefore encourages dysbiosis and intestinal permeabilitybecauseof the involvement in the gut in the metabolising process
Controlling our alcohol consumption and eating the right type of slow-releasecarbohydrates such as vegetables fruit and whole grains however keeps you off the roller coaster leaving you feeling happier more focused and more energetic for longer.
Turkey can help! -Tryptophan rich foods such as turkey will help to boost your serotonin levels for a happier healthier Christmas.
This Christmas consume plenty of quality carbohydrates and proteins containing amino acid tryptophan such TURKEY!!, chicken, fish, tuna, milk, cheese egg, peanuts.
A healthy diet can do a lot to boost your mood and sense of wellbeing, in fact improving what you eat can lead to more positive feelings, clearer thinking, higher energy and calmer moods.
