How does food affect your mood?

As well as eating for physical health, what we eat may also affect the way we feel.

If you eat a sweet snack, you’ll get a spike of energy, soon followed by a crashing low.

There’s more to mood maintenance than eating the right foods.

Good mood food intake begins with implementing some basic nutrition strategies:

1. Eat often – If your blood sugar levels drop you may feel tired or irritable. Eating slow energy release foods often will help keep blood sugar levels steady.

2. Stay hydrated – Lack of fluids can affect your ability to concentrate or think clearly.

3. Eat the right fats – Your brain needs fatty acids to keep it working well. Eat the important ones such as Omega -3 and -6.

4. Manage caffeine intake – A stimulant which can give quick bursts of energy, but can also disturb your sleep if consumed before bed.

Some of the best foods to eat to stay healthy and happy:

1. Protein can help slow the absorption of carbohydrates in your blood and increase the release of dopamine and norepinephrine, which improves mood and energy levels for several hours after eating.

2. Fibre slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream and increases serotonin, the “feel good” chemical, both of which decrease mood swings.

There’s a clear relationship between food and your state of mind.

When you combine strategies for eating regularly with foods that may have a positive effect on your wellbeing, you can plan meals that may help you to feel better