Did you know what you eat can also affect your mood and how you feel!
A balanced diet is really important for you to stay well, support your immune system, provide you with energy and keep you strong.
The Eatwell Guide shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet; it looks like this:
The Eatwell Guide divides the foods and drinks we consume into five main groups. Try to choose different foods from each of the food groups to help you get a wide range of nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy and work properly.
These food groups include:
- fruit and vegetables
- potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates
- dairy and alternatives
- beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins
- oils and spreads
The proportions shown in the Eatwell Guide are representative of the food you eat over a period of a day or even a week, not necessarily at each meal time.
Foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar are placed outside of the Eatwell Guide as these types of foods are not essential in the diet and should be consumed less often and in small amounts.
We should also aim to drink 6-8 glasses of fluid each day. Water, lower fat milk and sugar-free drinks including tea and coffee all count.
Eating well can be easier said than done.
With so much advice out there it can be difficult to know what to listen to. Our easy tips could help you to stay on track.
Food and mood
So, let’s explore how what we can eat can also affect your mood and how you feel! Click on the titles below to explore how each of the tips can make a positive impact on your mood.
For tips on healthier snacking, Healthy eating when out and about, and reading food labels please click on the BNF links below:
Healthier snacking – British Nutrition Foundation
Carbohydrate = Glucose = Brain Power
To be able to concentrate and focus your brain needs enough energy, which comes from blood glucose. In fact, the brain uses 20 per cent of all the energy your body needs.
Eating regular meals can help your brain function at its best. Your brain relies on a steady supply of glucose as its primary source of fuel. This comes mostly from starchy carbohydrates. Aim to eat three meals a day or 4-6 smaller meals a day, to keep your mood at its best.
Although glucose ensures good concentration and focus, once your blood glucose is within the normal range, you cannot further boost your brain power or concentration by increasing your glucose levels. If you are eating some carbohydrate foods, additional sugary ‘energy’ drinks are not needed and are not helpful.
Our brains are made of around 50 per cent fat, and our cells need fats to maintain their structures. So, you need a good supply of fats to keep your brain healthy.
Try to keep a moderate intake of unsaturated fat and omega-3 in your diet, to ensure your brain is well nourished. Olive oil or rapeseed oil are great for cooking. Add nuts and seeds, and use olive or nut oil dressings on salads.
Try to decrease trans-fats as these appear to be harmful to brain structure and function (as well as heart health). Trans fats are found in processed and packaged foods, such as processed meats, ready meals, pre-packed cakes and biscuits. Try to minimise these foods and use fresh foods whenever you can.
Wholegrain cereals, peas, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables are rich in a range of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function well. They also digest slowly, helping to provide a slow and steady glucose supply to your brain and body.
When you don’t eat enough nutrient-rich foods, your body may lack vital vitamins and minerals, which may affect your energy, mood and brain function. You should aim to get your vitamins and minerals from eating a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
Wholegrains are also rich in B vitamins (including folate) and zinc. Recent evidence suggests that these nutrients are important in managing depression. Try to eat at least five different fruits and vegetables daily to get a range of different vitamins and minerals.
You can read more on how Include more fruit and vegetables in your diet with the BDA’S Fats- Food Fact Sheet by clicking here.
Protein contains tryptophan. Research suggests that consuming it may help with depression. Good sources include fish, poultry, eggs and game, some green leafy vegetables (such as spinach), pulses and seeds. Eating protein as part of a ‘little and often’ eating plan can also help prevent overeating.
Some researchers think that omega-3 oils, found in oily fish, may also help with depression and help to reduce low mood states in adults. Aim for at least two portions of oily fish per week. Oily fish include salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, pilchards and trout.
Even slight dehydration may affect your mood. Since we know that a healthy brain contains up to 78 per cent water, it makes sense to drink plenty. Aim for around six to eight glasses (about 1.5 – 2 litres) fluid per day to stay well hydrated.
Caffeine can affect your mood. It can also lead to withdrawal headaches and to low or irritable mood when the effects wear off. Caffeinated drinks, such as coffee, cola, energy drinks, tea and chocolate, should be limited. Other non-caffeinated drinks, such as fruit squash, lemonade or herbal teas are good alternatives.
Drinking too much alcohol can cause dehydration and can lead to B vitamin deficiencies, which may make you more depressed or anxious. Limit your intake to no more than two to three drinks on no more than five days per week. It is however important to remember that alcohol itself is a depressant and may contribute towards depression or make your symptoms worse. This is because alcohol affects the chemistry of our brain and also affects other aspects of our life including relationships with others and routines. It may be best to avoid alcohol altogether and instead choose some of the other drinks mentioned above.
Serotonin a messenger chemical in the brain improves mood and how we feel. Serotonin is made with a part of protein from the diet (tryptophan), and eating carbohydrate-rich foods may help more of this get into your brain.
This suggestion has been used to explain ‘carbohydrate craving’ – eating sweet, comfort foods to boost mood. There is not enough research to show that eating lots of protein foods containing tryptophan or eating a lot of carbohydrates can really support mood improvement in humans. But it may be that not eating enough carbohydrate can lead to low moods.
There is some current interest in links between mood and the gut microbiome (the trillions of bacteria resident in the human colon). Consistent research outcomes are needed before any valid claims can be made about this. Watch this space!
Daily tips that can help you allow your brain to work as best as it can.
- Feeling good comes from a diet that has enough healthy choice carbohydrate at regular times to keep blood glucose levels stable,
- Eat regularly throughout the day to make sure your brain has a steady supply of energy. Include starchy carbohydrates, protein and vegetables or salad at each meal.
- Between meals include snacks such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, yoghurts, and oatcakes or crackers with low fat cheese, meat or fish.
- Aim for around six to eight glasses (about 1.5 – 2 litres) fluid per day to stay well hydrated.
- Choose wholegrains, pulses, beans, lentils, and fruit and vegetables. Minimise processed/packaged foods and instead eat a variety of the items listed above to get a range of different vitamins and minerals.
- Eat a good balance of healthy fats to maintain the cell structure of your brain. Include oily fish (omega-3 fatty acids) and unsaturated fats in your diet.
- Start your day off with breakfast, such as wholegrain cereal with milk and fruit, multigrain toast with a poached egg, or fruit with yoghurt. Have no more than 150ml of fresh fruit juice or smoothie to drink.
As a rule, plenty of fruits and vegetables and wholegrain cereal foods, with some protein foods, including oily fish, will support a good supply of nutrients for both good health and good mood!
Changes to your body can sometimes affect your mental health. Some medications can affect your appetite and a change may help you to manage your weight. Have a chat with you doctor to see if any medicines you are taking can be reviewed.
If you have unplanned weight loss, you may be at risk of malnutrition. Speak with your GP to ask to see a dietitian for further advice.
Alternatively, if you are worried that your eating habits have shifted from a healthy interest in what you eat, to something more worrying, speak to your GP. Problems with your eating can cause you to feel anxious and depressed, and have a big effect on your life. Your GP will be able to advise if an onward referral is required.
Other helpful resources
Older person's mental health
People often think that as they get older, they don’t need to eat as much because they are not as active. However, eating well is important at any age. For information on what we need to eat to keep our bodies functioning well in older age, click on the PDF files below.
