The Food Mood Connection

We’re exploring the connection between what we eat and our emotions

 It's no surprise that our mood influences what we eat, but can what we eat actually influence our mood? Our food choices go far beyond calories, protein and what we feel we “should” and “should not” eat for our physical health and wellness. We have a strong emotional connection to the foods we eat, and our emotions often overpower our brains’ attempts to make rational food choices. Everything from happiness to sadness to boredom are powerful forces that can disrupt the body’s goal to maintain nutritional homeostasis.

 What does this mean?

It means if you’ve ever felt the internal struggle to sustain healthy nutrition habits during periods of increased stress, grief, or even happiness - you’re not alone. We don’t experience our emotions in a vacuum. What we feel has ripple effects that cascade into many of our relationships. Everything from our relationships with other people to our relationship with food can be affected.

 So if you’re willing to go on a little journey of nutrition self-discovery, the first question we need to ask ourselves is not WHAT we eat, but WHY. Focusing on learning to be more in tune with what our bodies really need allows us to better understand when emotion may be interfering with our best efforts to sustain healthy lifestyle habits.

 It's a pretty common shared experience that we eat outside of hunger - emotions like sadness, stress, anxiety, boredom, and happiness can have us reaching for food. And when emotions influence our food choices, let's just say it doesn't usually result in reaching for a salad. We tend to grab foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates, and there's a hormonal reason for that. These foods send tryptophan to the brain, which is an amino acid that helps to make serotonin. Serotonin is a mood-boosting hormone, so it's no surprise that eating that chocolate typically gives us a quick mood and energy boost.

 But that good feeling doesn't last long as blood sugar may spike and then quickly drop. What we eat can have more long-term effects as well. Foods high in sugar, refined carbs, and saturated fats activate inflammation, which is linked to depression. Here's a breakdown on some foods that can influence mood in a positive or more negative way:

1.     Foods high in refined carbohydrates and added sugar raise blood sugar quickly for a quick mood and energy boost, but this is not long-lasting and they are linked to inflammation over time.

2.     Fruits, veggies, whole grains, high fiber foods, and unsaturated fats combat inflammation (a few examples are below).

3.     Fermented foods that contain probiotics (some yogurts, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, etc.) help build the healthy bacteria that live in your gut. A healthy gut microbiome has been linked to good mood.

4.     Bananas are high in fiber, natural sugar, and vitamin B6, which helps synthesize serotonin and dopamine.

5.     Oats are high in fiber, which slows digestion and keeps blood sugar levels stable.

6.     Berries have high levels of antioxidants, which fight cell damage and inflammation.

7.     Nuts and seeds contain unsaturated fat, fiber, and plant-based protein. They are high in zinc, selenium and tryptophan (helps produce serotonin).

 The first step toward embracing mindful eating is to reflect on which emotions you know influence you to eat outside of hunger. What is that emotion? What do you reach for? How do you feel after? Take some time to pay attention to any type of emotional eating - whether it be in response to a positive emotion or a negative one. Once you’re able to realize those emotional triggers, write them down. Allow yourself to feel those emotions, and at the same time, come to terms with how they might shift your food choices in a healthy or not-so-healthy direction.

 Ultimately we are striving to develop a positive and emotionally healthy relationship with food. So before you start diving into dissecting nutrition labels and calorie contents, take a deeper dive inward to the influence of life events and emotions - you’ll find many of the nutrition answers you’ve been seeking lie there.

 Kelly Ciovacco, MS, RD, LDN, CPT is a freelance registered dietitian who has a passion for helping people achieve their nutrition goals through adopting healthy lifestyle habits.