Improve Your Mood With Food
When it comes to managing stress and anxiety, there are many factors at play. One integral factor in regulating mood is the food we eat. Nutrition plays an important part in managing stress by modulating neurotransmitters, balancing blood sugar and correcting nutritional deficiencies. During stressful or sad times, eating foods that support the body can help make positive shifts in the way we feel and the energy we have. Here are my 5 tips to improving your mood with food.
5 Ways to Improve Your Mood with Food:
1. Include Turmeric in your daily diet. The active compound in Turmeric, Curcumin is a researched anti-inflammatory known to down regulate depression and anxiety.
2. Eat your fruit and vegetables! Besides having essential vitamin and minerals, fruit and veg increase anti-oxidant levels in your body (anti-oxidants are the good guys that fight free radical damage) and are high in fibre which once ingested produce short-chain fatty acids known to alleviate stress.
3. Have regular meals to balance blood sugar levels. Balanced blood sugar creates even energy which is conducive to a balanced mood. Aim for 3 meals and two snacks daily.
4. When experiencing stress or anxiety, the body’s need for Magnesium increases. Equally, low levels of Magnesium make us more susceptible to stress. That’s why it is essential we receive adequate levels of Magnesium to help stop this stress cycle. Eating Magnesium rich foods can help meet our daily mag quota while keeping stress levels at bay. Magnesium rich foods include; cacao, leafy greens, almonds, almond butter, cashews, walnuts, brazil nuts, pecans, sea vegetables and pumpkin seeds.
5. Vitamin B6 is a well known ‘mood vitamin’ with low levels associated with panic attacks and anxiety. Great sources of B6 include chicken, tofu, beef, bananas, oats, sweet potatoes, avocados and pistachios.
If you need support to improve your mood and your gut health, book here for a 1 :1 Nutritional Medicine consultation.