How Eating Affects Our Moods

There are times when all the problems in the world seem to fade away, and it’s often thanks to one good meal. Food—good or otherwise—has a big impact on our moods. This has been proven by research and is universally accepted by health professionals. So how should we approach food and our eating habits in order to maximize its positive impact on us?

Eating healthy 

In general, eating healthier food is the right way to go. Not only does eating healthy help improve your mood, it will also give you the energy boost to go about your daily tasks more efficiently. 

While quitting less healthy food, especially junk food, should be our goal, it’s easier said than done. This is especially so where one tries to go completely healthy right away. Most people find that the change is just too abrupt. The proper way to go about it is to make gradual small changes, and take it step by step. Try first to replace one of your regular meals with a healthy one and see how your system handles it. Once you’ve become accustomed to the shift, you can see if you want to step it up.

Eat regularly 

A proper eating cycle is great because it gives your body a routine to get used to. Three regular meals a day is the recommended way to go, especially when they’re taken at the right intervals. There’s a lot of truth to the old adage that you should never miss breakfast. Beginning the day with a good meal gets you off to a great start. It certainly also helps if you intend consuming smaller meals for lunch and dinner. 

Also, make sure you drink sufficient water. Get those six to eight glasses down every day. This helps you stay hydrated and assists with digestion. If you’re a coffee lover, try to keep your caffeine consumption in check. Too much caffeine in a day can disturb your sleeping patterns, which then negatively affects your mood.

Healthy diets and mental health 

Nutrition-focused eating patterns or healthy diets have been shown to foster better mental health. According to some studies, consumption of fatty or high-in-sugar food increases the chances of anxiety or depression occurring in people.

The converse is also true 

We’ve discussed how food affects our mood, but there is a flip side to all this. Sometimes, we have moods that dictate what kinds of food we want to eat. While these cravings should be kept in check, especially for people who are on strict diets, moods can definitely influence our food choices. 

Indulging in a little junk food or having occasional cheat days is not necessarily a bad thing. It may even help you stick to your diet or fitness regimen, depending on how you offset it on other days. However, it doesn’t really pay to be at the mercy of your moods all the time. You need to learn to curb your cravings and discipline yourself, particularly if you’re aiming to eat carefully. Food is not a treatment for mood swings, although it does help on occasion. 

At the end of the day, eating healthy should always be a priority for everyone. The very least we need to aim for is to develop a good balanced diet. The result will be that you’ll feel better overall. That’s because consuming food that’s good for your body improves your mental state too. It reduces stress and negative feelings, helping you to become the happier person you’ve always wanted to be.