Anxiety/Low Mood – Elsa’s Nutrition advice

Diet plays a crucial role in assisting our bodies to handle the stresses of modern life.
Prolonged stress or anxiety literally drains and depletes vitamins and minerals from our bodies which is why it is so important to eat regularly and well in order to replenish these stores. If you are prone to anxiety or low mood eating a diet high in ‘good mood foods’ and low in ‘mood zapping foods’ can go a long way to balancing how you feel both physically, mentally and emotionally.

 

The key to understanding the connection between the food we eat and our mood lies in understanding a little about how the brain functions. The brain communicates by chemical substances passed from one nerve cell to the next. These chemicals, called neurotransmitters, are made in the brain from the food we eat. One of the neurotransmitters that is most sensitive to diet and influential in affecting mood is serotonin, also known as the ‘happy hormone’. Our bodies produce serotonin from an amino acid called tryptophan which comes directly from food.

Serotonin is a calming and relaxing chemical. When produced, feelings of stress and tension decrease, and our sleep cycle is regulated. Women are three times as prone to low moods as men. Research suggests that the cause of this lies in the fact that women are more prone to low levels serotonin. A Serotonin deficiency can be brought on by many factors including hormone imbalances, stress, imbalanced blood sugar and nutritional deficiencies.

However, we can fight back! Below are some simple do’s & don’ts to help build your resistance to stress and take control over your mood:

Balance your blood sugar:

If you regularly crave sugar, caffeine or carbohydrates and feel you need them to keep you going there’s a good chance that you have a blood sugar imbalance. If you lose blood sugar control you can end up being trapped in a vicious cycle of sugar highs and sugar lows which can leave you feeling irritable, moody and constantly craving sugar or caffeine fixes. Balancing your blood sugar is one of the most important steps in regaining control over your mood. It can be easily solved by reducing the amount of sugar and refined carbohydrates in the diet. Caffeine also revs up stress hormones in the body so it’s vital that you replace caffeinated beverages with herbal teas such as Rooibos or chamomile tea.

Protein with every meal:

I recommend that you eat a portion of protein with every meal and snack. Not only does protein help keep blood sugar levels balanced, it also contains the amino acid Tryptophan. As mentioned above, Tryptophan, found in protein rich food is the building block for serotonin production which is known as the ‘happy hormone’ and helps us feel alert and content. Some foods high in tryptophan include turkey, cottage cheese and bananas. However, in order for tryptophan to be converted into serotonin, it requires several other vitamins and minerals to do so which are mentioned below.

Increase B Vitamins:

B vitamins play a crucial role in the production of serotonin. Studies have shown that a deficiency in B vitamins can lead to depression. Prolonged stress or anxiety can easily deplete our body stores of these vitamins leaving us open to low mood and anxiety so it’s important that we consume foods rich in B vitamins on a daily basis such as oats, brown rice, eggs and green leafy vegetables.

Omega 3

Rates of depression directly correlate with the amount of fish eaten. For example, the Japanese eat ten times more fish than we do in Ireland and they have ten times less depression! Oily fish are an excellent source of a particularly good fat called omega 3. Omega 3 naturally increases a potent mood lifting, anti-depressant neurotransmitter in our brain, called dopamine. It also slows the breakdown of serotonin. Dopamine makes you feel good, motivates you and helps you to deal with stress. Adding oily fish to your diet can also increase physical and mental alertness, focus and excitement! Aim to have oily fish about three times weekly or consider taking a good quality fish oil supplement.

Reduce alcohol

Excessive alcohol consumption has a profound effect on our mood for many reasons. It depletes B vitamins from the body, it interferes with our blood sugar balance and it alters the neurotransmitters which dictate our mood, sleep and wellbeing. Regular over consumption of alcohol is heavily associated with incidences of depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Avoid consuming more than 14 units of alcohol per week which amounts to about 7 good sized glasses of wine and avoid binge drinking.

Vitamin D

very few of us in Ireland achieve enough sunlight for our bodies to make vitamin D (which is made in the skin directly), or eat enough vitamin D in our diets and this is known to be a critical factor in boosting mood. Consider taking a vitamin D supplement during the winter months and eat vitamin D rich foods such as eggs, green leafy vegetables and oily fish. Increasing your exposure to daylight also helps, try taking your exercise outdoors as much as possible.

Food allergies

Most of us wouldn’t consider a food allergy as a potential cause for mood swings or anxiety yet it is well known that allergies to certain foods can adversely affect mood and behaviour in susceptible individuals. For example coeliac disease is greatly under diagnosed and a common cause of depression. If you suffer with low mood/anxiety along with digestive problems and/or sinus or skin rashes it may be worth investigating whether you have a food intolerance or at the very least keeping a food diary to monitor your food reactions.

Gut health

If you’ve ever had your stomach in knots before speaking in public, then you know the stomach listens carefully to the brain. In fact the entire digestive system is closely attuned to a person’s emotions and state of mind. Many scientists even refer to them as one entity; the brain-gut axis. Therefore, what affects the stomach will directly affect the brain and vice versa. There is a natural symphony of chemicals in the stomach region that balance our emotions, sleep, pain and energy. Our gut bacteria can also affect our mood. Keep your gut healthy by reducing the amount of sugar and alcohol in your diet and by eating plenty of pre-biotic foods such as garlic, legumes, onions or natural probiotic yogurt.

Top 10 Good Mood Foods:

• Turkey
• Cottage Cheese
• Eggs
• Bananas
• Brown Rice
• Oily Fish
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Spinach
• Berries

Sample ‘Good Mood’ menu

Breakfast: Poached eggs on brown soda bread
Snack: Handful of nuts with a banana
Lunch: Tuna and chick pea salad
Snack: Cottage Cheese with blueberries
Dinner: Stir fried turkey and vegetables served with brown rice

www.elsajonesnutrition.ie

Next Psychology by Allison Keating