07.12.10
Food and Mood, Part II
Read part II of Food & Mood by Janet McKee. You can also read the article online and sign up for Dr. Nancy’s whole eZine series! A year’s worth of tips to creating your Best Year Yet!
Janet McKee is a board certified Holistic Health Counselor and a certified member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.
“Well, at age 45, I have more energy, clarity of thought and evenness of mood and emotion than I ever had in my early 30s or even 20s. It was my own serious health challenge that led me to this most amazing discovery of how wonderful and easy it is to live a healthy and energetic life. I have discovered the secret to ageless health and vitality and am pleased to share some of those secrets with you. This article will illustrate how it’s possible to counteract the negative images bombarding our minds and bodies by fueling ourselves with healthful, mood balancing nourishment.
“Food choices have a profound effect on mood, energy, clarity and overall well being. Wise choices provide the body with sustainable energy, enabling it to better deal with challenges and opportunities. Poor food choices, on the other hand, often made when tired, grumpy, irritable or even depressed, “feed” the problem instead of helping to overcome it. These decisions can lead to a downward spiral of poor food choices and cravings and less than positive mood swings, fatigue and depression. Remember, food and mood go hand in hand.
“It may sound like a slow process of cycling between food and emotion; however the actual response is quite immediate. What you put in your mouth (or what you do not put in your mouth when you skip a meal, for example) can affect how you feel both physically and emotionally. The reaction begins almost immediately and can last for several hours.
“When you make the right food choices that support well being, you experience increased energy during the day, which actually promotes restful sleep at night. Living within a positive cycle of daytime energy and high quality sleep at night, generally helps to boost mood and overall fulfillment. You will notice that you are able to think more clearly and remain focused during the day without the afternoon fatigue that many experience. It is amazing how much better you handle stress when you are well rested and well nourished. Dr. Gabriel Cousens of The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center states that food is the foundation for healing both mind and body. By putting patients on a healthy plant based diet, he finds a 90% reduction in depression and anxiety and is able to move them off of anti-depressant medications.
“Your nervous system plays a significant role in balancing food and energy with emotional wellbeing. Everything you think and feel is a result of communication by your nerve cells through neurotransmitters. There are many chemical compounds within the body that regulate your body’s processes and can affect all aspects of what you think and feel. What you eat affects your neurotransmitters which in response will affect your energy levels and how you feel emotionally.
“Nutrients you get from food provide your neurotransmitters with what they need to do their job. If your diet does not supply the right nutrients or the right amount of nutrients to your neurotransmitters, it can adversely affect your energy and mental processes. By overdoing or under-doing any particular nutrient, such as fat, protein or carbohydrates, you can cause imbalances which may lead to erratic emotions, irritability, and difficulty in thinking clearly or even depression. The nervous system requires a balance of proper nutrients to keep it healthy and ultimately keep you happy!!
“Food additives such as artificial sweeteners, colorings, preservatives, flavorings etc… can dramatically alter the function of neurotransmitters and enzymes. All of these, especially if used over time, can negatively affect your clarity of thought and emotions, not to mention your physical wellbeing.
“One neurotransmitter closely regulated by diet is serotonin. Serotonin can affect both mood and food cravings. Studies show that eating a meal high in protein lowers serotonin levels because the blood is flooded with amino acids that compete for entry into the brain. Tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin, is blocked from getting into the brain where it is sorely needed at certain times of the day or evening. As a result, serotonin levels do not rise after a meal high in protein. Conversely, if a person consumes a carbohydrate rich meal, tryptophan easily enters the brain, is converted into serotonin, and mood and sleep patterns improve.
“Endorphins and other chemicals are produced in the appetite control center of your brain (hypothalamus) and release a group of appetite stimulating neurotransmitters that perk up your desire to eat. In addition to calming you during times of stress and creating feelings of euphoria, endorphins also result in a desire to eat creamy sweet foods. Satisfying these cravings only raises the endorphins in your body further creating a greater desire for more sweets. The stress hormone, corticosterone, also triggers these chemicals to rise which is why you likely crave foods like ice cream at the end of a stressful day.
“Which foods affect body chemistry most dramatically? Well, we know that when we eat foods that are high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, our bodies go through radical chemical fluctuations, throwing us into unbalanced swings of energy and mood. Conversely, when we eat foods that are complex in nature, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, or whole grains like brown rice or steel cut oatmeal, changes to our blood chemistry are slow and stable thus keeping us in balance. From a nutritional perspective, staying in balance is key. The goal is not to deprive yourself of tastes and textures that you enjoy and crave, but rather to make choices that satisfy your cravings while supporting your health and wellbeing at both the physical and emotional level.”
