ginger & pickles nutrition
  • Home
  • About
  • Nutritional Therapy
  • Fees & Contact
  • SHOP
  • Testimonies
  • Blog
  • Food intolerance
  • Genetic testing

BLOG

Mood Foods

2/11/2016

3 Comments

 
Picture
Good nutrition isn't just important for the health of our bodies but  essential for our mental health.

With the news this week that childline has been inundated with anxiety calls as children express fears over global events, its more important than ever that we understand mental health and the role of nutrition both for ourselves and the next generation. Stress and anxiety play a crucial role in health and can have long term effects and influence the course of a chronic illness. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2568977/)

I work on a holistic basis meaning I view the entire body as interconnected and can only be viewed as whole rather than just one part. When I look at someone's health, I take into consideration mental and social factors not just the symptoms a person may be expressing. 

Recent evidence shows that food plays an extremely important role in the development and prevention of specific mental health problems such as depression, ADHD, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Nearly every chemical that controls the brain has been identified in the gastro-intestinal tract. Interesting? Scary? We really are what we eat...
 
NUTRIENTS TO HELP IMPROVE MOOD:
 
IRON: Lack of iron in the diet can leave us feeling tired and lethargic and increases the risk of anaemia. Include a good supply of iron rich foods such as red meat, poultry, fish, tofu, lentils and pumpkin seeds. Avoid drinking tea with meals and try and include a vitamin C rich source of food (e.g. broccoli, oranges and strawberries) alongside meals to help increase absorption of iron.

OMEGA 3: Omega 3 from fish has been studied in terms of the positive effects on mood and lowering the risk of depression. Fish highest in omega 3 include salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring.
 
SELENIUM: Too little selenium in the diet may leave us feeling depressed or low. Brazil nuts, legumes, lean meat, seafood, seeds and wholemeal bread are good sources of selenium.
 
VITAMIN D: More and more we are learning about how crucial this vitamin is to our mental health and well being. Our body is able to synthesise vitamin D from exposure to the sun but for the majority of people living  in Northern Europe, this isn’t always possible year-round. A few foods contain vitamin D so good to include in your regular diet: fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel; eggs and beef liver are the highest sources.
 
B VITAMINS: Lack of B vitamins can result in irritability, tiredness and feelings of depressed mood. The B vitamins are crucial in how energy is produced in the body and can be found in a wide variety of foods. Folic acid (folate) and vitamin B12 are particularly important for older adults in preventing mood disorders and dementias and can be found in liver, green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, broccoli and beans.
 
TRYPTOPHAN: Although research is on-going into the effects of this amino acid, it is known that tryptophan helps make serotonin (‘the happy hormone’). So including it in your diet is certainly a good idea. Food rich in this include bananas, walnuts, brown rice, sunflower seeds and animal protein rich foods such as turkey, eggs, chicken and fish.
 
FOODS THAT CAN GIVE YOU A LOW:
ALCOHOL: It might seem strange but alcohol is a depressant and can result in lowering your mood. 
 
SUGAR: Sugar and refined foods tends to cause an initial ‘high’ which we find pleasurable. However, that soon wears off as the body increases its insulin production, leaving you feeling tired and low.
 
CAFFEINE: Although caffeine is known to give us energy bursts, caffeine raises Cortisol levels in the body (known as the stress hormone). Best avoided if you are feeling under stress anyway.
 
LIFESTYLE:
Don't underestimate the power of a few lifestyle changes which can make all the difference to mood and anxiety. Exercise is well known for its stress relieving abilities. It doesn't have to be high intensity running or exercise classes if that isn't your thing. Yoga, pilates even just taking a walk in the park can do immense good. Finding an activity which you find relaxing - gardening, cooking, reading the paper whatever it is find your 'thing' and enjoy it!

Lastly, for those of you who want to try something new. A technique known as 'earthing' or 'grounding' where quite literally a person takes time to reconnect with the Earths surface electrons by walking barefoot outside. This advocates a general feeling of well being and even reports of physiological changes including reducing pain, stress and improving sleep.

Sound a bit woo-woo? What have you got to lose - plus there is actual scientific research behind this: 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3265077/ 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378297/



SOURCES:
Diet and Mental Health (2015) Available at: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health-a-z/D/diet/
 Food and Mood (2014) Available at:
https://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/foodmood.pdf

3 Comments
tanya
4/11/2016 09:49:05 am

love this!

Reply
Jose link
17/6/2017 10:16:05 am

Very informative article. <a href="http://www.thehomeremedies.net/foods-that-are-rich-in-iron/>iron rich foods for vegetarians
</a> Thanks for providing Us this wonderful article.

Reply
convert IRA to gold link
1/1/2025 12:24:25 pm

"Discover the benefits of converting your IRA to gold, a strategy that offers protection against market volatility and inflation while securing your retirement savings with a tangible, stable asset."

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Louise Cullen

    Archives

    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016

    Categories

    All
    Anxiety
    Artichoke
    Autumn
    Bone Broth
    Breakfast
    Childrens Health
    Digestion
    Earthing
    Elderberry
    Food Tips
    Grounding
    Health
    Health Tips
    Herne Hill
    Holistic
    Immune System
    Immunity
    Lifestyle
    Liver Health
    Liver Recipes
    Mental Health
    Nourish
    Nutrition
    Nutritional Therapist
    Nutritionist
    Omega 3
    Probiotics
    Protein
    Recipe
    Recipes
    Sambucol
    Stress
    Supplements
    Vitamin A
    Vitamin C
    Vitamin D
    You Are What You Eat

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About
  • Nutritional Therapy
  • Fees & Contact
  • SHOP
  • Testimonies
  • Blog
  • Food intolerance
  • Genetic testing