Discover foods that may help boost your mood and combat stress, including options rich in healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and key vitamins, alongside foods to avoid, like sugar and caffeine.
Feeling Down? Here’s What to Eat (and What to Avoid!) to Boost Your Mood
Following a healthy diet isn’t just good for your body, it can seriously affect your mood too! The right foods can have a positive impact on your mental wellbeing. Some foods are like a comforting hug for your brain, boosting your mood and fighting off those blues.
There are specific types of foods that can help combat feelings of anxiety and depression, while also increasing energy and boosting your daily morale. Here are some of the best:
Foods Rich in Healthy Fats
Unsaturated fats are fantastic for boosting your mood. They’re one of the best foods to help improve your brain function because they improve mood by lowering cortisol levels (the stress hormone).
Here are some great foods that fall into this category:
- Olive oil
- Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds
- Fatty fish, like salmon
- Flax seeds and chia seeds
These are all rich in Omega-3s, which are a type of unsaturated fat that’s incredibly important for the body.
Complex Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates can become your best friends in your fight against anxiety and depression. They act as an amazing alternative to sugars.
Here are some foods rich in complex carbohydrates:
- Whole grains
- Brown bread
- Brown rice
- Freekeh
- Bulgur
- Oats
These foods help regulate blood sugar levels and stabilize them. They slowly release energy, which helps minimize mood swings and keeps stress and anxiety levels in check.
Chocolate
Dark chocolate, which contains a high percentage of cocoa, is a great choice. As long as it’s low in added sugars, it can be a real mood booster!
The reason? It’s all thanks to the phenol, which acts as an antioxidant and plays a significant role in boosting your mood.
Certain Types of Herbs
Some herbs can help improve your mood and reduce stress. For example, chamomile, lavender, and ginseng are known to help calm your nerves and reduce feelings of stress.
You can easily prepare herbal drinks to reap the benefits of reduced stress and protect the body from illnesses.
Certain Types of Fruits
Some fruits are great for fighting anxiety and depression, like grapes, strawberries, and citrus fruits. They’re rich in Vitamin C, which plays a big role in producing the happiness hormone, serotonin.
Foods That Can Worsen Anxiety and Depression
Some foods can actually worsen feelings of anxiety and depression, so it’s best to limit or avoid them whenever possible. Here are some examples:
Sugar
It’s important to avoid foods high in processed sugar and artificial sweeteners, as they can quickly raise blood sugar levels. This often leads to a subsequent crash, which can cause feelings of irritability and trigger anxiety and depression.
Maintaining stable blood sugar levels can help reduce the release of stress hormones, especially cortisol and adrenaline.
Here are foods high in sugar to avoid: sweets and soda.
Salt
Salt consists of chloride and sodium, and sodium generally contributes to raising blood pressure. This can cause stress on the heart, so when fighting anxiety and depression, avoid excessive amounts of salt.
Caffeinated Drinks
Coffee, tea, energy drinks, and sodas all contain caffeine, which has some negative side effects on the body, including causing:
- Increased heart rate
- Elevated blood pressure
- Stomach problems
- Sleep disorders
Some people have a higher tolerance for caffeine compared to others. However, for those with a high sensitivity to caffeine, even small amounts can trigger anxiety and depression. Therefore, it’s important to moderate caffeine intake when fighting anxiety and depression.
Alcohol
Some people believe that alcohol is linked to feelings of calmness and relaxation, but that is inaccurate. Alcohol can actually have the opposite effect, including the following:
- Affecting how the brain processes different emotions.
- Leading to a reduction in pleasure and joy, as alcohol hinders the production of the happiness hormone, serotonin.
- Altering sugar and water levels in the blood, and can affect emotional processing, leading to increased stress and anxiety hormones.
- Causing sleep disorders and anxiety.
Therefore, it’s best to avoid alcohol altogether or consume very little of it to help ease stress.
Food Additives
When fighting anxiety and depression, you should avoid foods containing food additives, as they can lead to:
- Increased chances of developing anxiety, depression, and irritability.
- Disrupting the function of the nervous system.
So it’s best to reach for fresh and healthy foods that are free of any additives.
Fast Food
Fast food is characterized by the following:
- High calories
- Low nutritional value
- High amounts of sugars, artificial and processed fats, and sodium
All of these factors can contribute to increased weight gain and reduced energy. They can also interfere with emotional processing, adding to feelings of irritability, anxiety, and depression.
Therefore, it is recommended to replace unhealthy fast-food meals with healthy options that contain complex carbohydrates, vegetables, and lean proteins that are low in fats.
Testimonials
Life felt like a constant uphill battle, but once I started incorporating more Omega-3 rich foods like salmon and flaxseeds into my diet, it was as if a weight had been lifted. It’s not just about the physical health; it’s the mental clarity and improved mood that have truly transformed my everyday life. It’s a simple change, but one that brought an incredible sense of well-being and joy back into my world.
FAQ
Can food really impact my mood? Absolutely! Food is fuel for your brain, and certain nutrients can influence neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which play a key role in mood regulation.
Is it just about avoiding bad foods? Not at all! While limiting sugary, processed foods, and excessive caffeine or alcohol is important, it’s equally vital to focus on incorporating nutrient-rich foods that support brain health and positive mood.
Myth: I can eat whatever I want as long as I exercise Although it is important to stay active, exercising alone won’t be enough to counteract the effects of a poor diet, in fact the two together will result in great health.
