Mind Guide To Food and Mood
Mind Guide To Food and Mood
B rain chem icals (neurotransm itters such as serotonin, dopam ine and
acetylcholine) influence the w ay w e think, feel and behave. They can be
affected by w hats been eaten.
Low levels of vitam ins, m inerals and essential fatty acids can affect
m ental health, w ith som e sym ptom s associated w ith particular
nutritional deficiencies. For exam ple, links have been dem onstrated
betw een low levels of certain B -vitam ins and sym ptom s of schizophrenia,
and low levels of the m ineral zinc and eating disorders.
H igh levels of certain toxins in the environm ent, such as lead from an
excess of traffic pollution or m ercury from leaky am algam fillings, can
also affect the proper functioning of the body and brain.
isnt there a psychological com ponent to our relationship w ith food?
It is generally accepted that how w e feel can influence w hat w e choose
to eat or drink (m ood to food); w hat is less w ell know n is how w hat
w e eat can affect our m ental functioning (food to m ood). The use of
caffeine is one exam ple of w hat is a com plex relationship. C affeine,
found in tea, coffee, cola drinks and chocolate is probably the w idest
used behaviour-m odifying drug in the w orld. W e often choose to drink
it if w e are feeling tired and irritable because it gives us a boost and
helps us to concentrate. H aving a cup of coffee or tea also has a lot of
positive psychological associations. W e m eet a friend for a coffee and a
chator give ourselves a break by sitting dow n w ith a cup of tea,
and these things are very im portant. B ut too m uch caffeine (w hich is a
different am ount for each of us) can cause sym ptom s such as anxiety,
nervousness and depression. A ny exploration into food and m ood
needs to take into account this tw o-w ay relationship and include the
psychological aspect behind w hat w e are choosing to eat.
how do I find out if food is affecting m y m ental health?
B efore investigating the specific foods that could be affecting your
m ental and em otional health, its w ell w orth having a look at w hat you
are already eating and drinking. U sually, the m ost reliable w ay of doing
this is to keep a food and drink diary every day for about one w eek. It
seem s to w ork best if you can carry a notebook around w ith you and
w rite dow n w hat you eat and drink, at the tim e you have it.
food and mood
The m ore inform ation you include in your diary, the m ore useful it is
likely to be. For exam ple, you could also note dow n the tim e and the
approxim ate am ounts you consum e. People are often surprised
w hen they look back over w hat they have eaten. G reater aw areness
is the im portant first step tow ards m aking changes.
w hat should I look for in m y diet?
A fundam ental thing for you to consider w ill be: is there any one food
or type of food that is being eaten nearly every day or in particularly
large am ounts? The basis of a healthy diet is about achieving a balance
betw een a w ide variety of foods, w here the variety instead of being
cram m ed into one day is spread out over a num ber of days. Som e
foods perhaps because they are generally considered healthy to eat
are often eaten on m ost days by m ost people. U nfortunately these
can be the very foods that are having a disguised yet disabling
influence upon your health.
It is often a com bination of eating too m uch of som e foods and not
enough of others w hich m ay be contributing to sym ptom s such as
depression or anxiety. A n essential part of m aking changes to your
diet involves m aking sure you are not going w ithout the nutrients
your body requires on a daily basis, so if you cut dow n on one food
you w ill usually need to substitute som ething sim ilar to eat instead.
w hich foods affect w hich m oods?
The precise cause-and-effect relationship betw een different foods and
m oods has yet to be scientifically established, but people often find
that they can associate certain foods w ith m oods. The m ost com m on
culprits are:
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artificial additives,
flavourings and
preservatives
chocolate
coffee
corn
oranges
soya
sugar
tom atoes
w heat products
(cakes, pasta etc.)
yeast
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The sym ptom s or illnesses w hich can be m ade w orse include:
w hich foods do I need to eat in order to feel w ell?
A diet that contains plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables w ill contain m any
nutrients that are essential for good m ental health. It is recom m ended
that w e eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day and
that doesnt include potatoes! C hoosing unrefined organically grow n
w holefoods w hich have been left as unprocessed as possible is a good
idea. This w ill reduce the possibility of sym ptom s associated w ith a
build-up of toxins from the environm ent or from the body reacting to
artificial additives and preservatives. These w holefoods w ill also contain
vital m inerals, vitam ins and essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids,
particularly the om ega 3type, are especially im portant as they have
been found to be at low er levels in people suffering w ith sym ptom s such
as depression. These essential fats need to be included in the diet and
are found naturally in oil-rich fish such as m ackerel, sardines, tuna and
salm on, or in linseed (flax) oil, pum pkin and hem p seeds, and w alnuts.
how can I go about changing m y diet?
Probably the best w ay is to find a healthcare professional, such as a
nutritional therapist, w ho is experienced in treating m ental health
problem s this w ay. U nfortunately, nutritional therapy is not often
available through the N H S. N evertheless there are changes that can be
m ade by individuals w orking alone w hich are quite safe to m ake as
long as you proceed slow ly and carefully. R em em ber that how a food
affects you m ay not be the sam e as for som eone else.
food and mood
anxiety
autism
behavioural disorders
concentration difficulties
depression
eating disorders
fatigue
hyperactivity
m em ory difficulties
m ood changes
panic attacks
schizophrenia
sleeping difficulties
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The effect of changing w hat you eat can som etim es be quite dram atic
especially if youve been used to eating the sam e sort of foods for
m any m onths, or possibly, years. A t other tim es, it is only w hen you
look back on how things used to be that you can appreciate w hats
changed. There are necessarily som e costs associated w ith m aking
changes, but these are usually rew arded by significant benefits to
m ental and physical health.
If you are w orking alone on your diet, it is also a lot easier if you start by
m aking changes slow ly, and one at a tim e. C hanging w hat you eat takes
a certain am ount of effort and tim e; trying out new and different foods,
for instance, m ay m ean you need to shop at unfam iliar places. H opefully,
you w ill enjoy m aking these changes and find them to be a positive
experience. Sm aller changes introduced one at a tim e are easier to
m anage, and to sustain, should you find them beneficial.
If you m ake m ore than one change at a tim e then you w ont be able to
tell w hat is having an effect! Som e changes m ay even be unnecessary,
although you w ont know until you try. This step-by-step approach can
be broadened out later.
Som etim es a change to the diet produces for the first few days only
som e unpleasant side effects. If people suddenly stop drinking
coffee, for instance, they m ay get w ithdraw al sym ptom s (e.g.
headaches), w hich then begin to clear up after a few days w hen they
start to feel m uch better. Sym ptom s such as these can be reduced if
you cut dow n gradually, rather as if you w ere w eaning yourself from a
drug. It also helps to drink plenty of w ater (a m inim um of eight glasses
throughout the day is recom m ended).
w hat about nutritional supplem ents?
The best source of vitam ins and m inerals is from a diet containing plenty
of fresh fruit and vegetables. H ow ever, you m ay need certain extra
nutrients. It is im portant to get the correct balance betw een different
vitam ins and m inerals and to avoid taking any one nutrient in excess. A
nutritional therapist can recom m end a supplem ent program m e designed
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to m eet your individual needs. If its not possible to get this
help, m any people benefit (quite safely) from taking a good-quality
m ultivitam in and m ineral supplem ent. Regularly taking a fish oil and/or
linseed (flax) oil supplem ent containing essential fatty acids is also often
found to be beneficial. H ealth food shops or pharm acists sell nutritional
supplem ents or you m ay get som e supplem ents on prescription.
can foods interact w ith m edication?
Som e people like to try herbal alternatives such as St Johns W ort
(H ypericum perforatum ) or Kava Kava (Piper m ethysticum ) w hich
can help sym ptom s of depression and anxiety and often w ith very
good results. H ow ever, if you are already taking any m edication it is
essential that you first consult your doctor for guidance prior to trying
these herbal rem edies. It is very unw ise to suddenly stop taking any
m edication and if you continue w ith som e drugs w hilst also taking
herbal rem edies the com bination can create unpleasant side-effects.
It is also recom m ended that people consult a m edical herbalist about
using these herbs, w hich dont necessarily suit everyone.
The M A O I (m onoam ine oxidase inhibitor) type of antidepressant can
interact w ith a naturally occurring substance in som e foods called
tyram ine. This can cause dangerous rises in blood pressure w hich
m ay be signalled by a throbbing headache. Foods containing particularly
high levels of tyram ine include:
A s the action of bacteria on protein produces tyram ine, if you take
M A O Is you are advised to avoid stale food or food w hich m ay be going
off. This is particularly relevant for protein-rich food such as m eat, fish
or chicken; gam e m eats should be avoided com pletely. A full list of
tyram ine-containing foods can be obtained from your doctor, dietitian
or nutritional therapist.
food and mood
beans
yeast extract
m eat extract
m ost cheeses