We all know the saying ‘you are what you eat’, but did you know that your food choices not only affect your waistline, but also your mood, concentration and brain power?
In fact, your mood affects your food choices and your food choices affect your mood, so if you make sure you eat the right mood-boosting foods, you’ll always be eating with a smile on your face!
Below we've got some suggestions on what foods you should dine on to feel energised, happy and switched-on.
Go low GI
Opt for foods with a low Glycemic Index (GI), such as wholegrain bread, wholemeal pasta, low-fat yoghurt, basmati rice and cool-climate fruits, such as apples, which help to keep your blood sugars steadier throughout the day, in turn preventing mood highs and lows. You can further help manage your blood sugars by eating low GI foods with protein-rich foods, such as fish, meat, tofu or eggs, because the protein slows down how fast your body absorbs the sugars.
Feast regularly
Don’t skip meals if you want to feel more energised and focused. Three meals daily, plus snacks, help to keep hunger at bay and boost your concentration and energy levels. This includes having breakfast!
Eat more fish
Eating oily fish has been found to aid memory, attention and concentration, but now it could improve your mood, as well as your mind. Research shows that a lack of omega-3s (the oils which are concentrated in oily fish) compared with omega-6s (found in cereals) could increase the chances of depression. Australians currently eat around 25% less than the recommended dietary amount of omega-3s.
Non-fish omega-3-rich foods include walnuts, flax oil and flax seeds.
Boost your iron
Eating plenty of iron-rich foods, such as red meat, poultry, oily fish and dried fruit and pulses, helps to reduce tiredness and prevent anaemia, of which young women are especially at risk.
Your body will absorb more iron from your food if you take a source of vitamin C with meals, like raw and lightly cooked vegetables. Citrus fruits, berries and capsicum are especially rich in vitamin C.
Don’t banish the carbs!
Serotonin, which controls mood, appetite and sleepiness, is made from a protein called tryptophan and this is absorbed more quickly into your brain after eating a carbohydrate–rich meal.
If your serotonin levels are low, you might lift your mood by boosting the carbs in your diet, but this won’t happen if levels are normal. Opt for quality carbs such as wholegrain bread, brown rice and fruit. Exercise is a great way to boost endorphin levels, too.
Avoid sugary foods
Sugary foods can give you a lift but it is only temporary. When the 'high' from chocolate, cakes, biscuits, ice creams and lollies wears off, you can find your mood swinging all over the place. Eating too many of these foods causes a surge in blood glucose and prompts the release of extra insulin, a hormone which tries to keep sugar levels to within narrow limits, and the result can actually be a blood sugar crash, together with low mood.
Focus on protein
Protein-rich foods like eggs, low-fat dairy, lean meat and poultry, such as turkey and chicken, can all help your brain to produce the neurotransmitters that keep you alert and focused. So, if you want to avoid post-lunch snoozes, eat good quality protein with your midday meal.
Reduce the fat
As well as being high in calories, a fatty meal will stay in the stomach longer, diverting blood from your brain and muscles to aid digestion, which can make you feel sluggish for hours afterwards. Fat is an essential part of your diet and experts recommend that no more than 30% of your daily calorie intake should come from fat. You can use the diary's nutrition summary to monitor your fat intake.
Make a rainbow
Rich in vitamin C, fruits and vegetables energise your body and mind by supplying natural sugars. They contain antioxidants that help to neutralise free radicals, which can damage body cells (including brain cells) and wear away at your memory. Choose a rainbow of fresh produce every day to get the full benefits – that’s fruit and vegies that are red, green, orange, purple...
Eat more nuts and seeds
Stress hormones can deplete your body's supply of minerals like magnesium, cutting your ability to cope with stress and even raising your risk of developing high blood pressure. A lack of the mineral selenium has also been linked with feeling low. Sesame seeds and Brazil nuts are great sources, as are most nuts and seeds. So treat yourself to a handful of raw, unsalted nuts and seeds a few times a week.