We are what we eat.
Or rather: Our health and mood reflect what we have or have not eaten.
It’s a scientific fact that we can be deficient in specific macro– (protein, carbs, fat) and micro- (vitamins and minerals) nutrients. And that these deficiencies can lead to symptoms associated with depression, fatigue, behavioral issues, mood, stress, and physical illnesses.
For example, what we eat can lower or raise serotonin, dopamine, or norepinephrine – neurotransmitters in our brain that control our ability to relax, resist food cravings, or have energy and alertness.
What we put in our mouths can also affect how well our red blood cells carry oxygen to our body, and how well we convert food to energy. Poor management of either will make us feel tired, weak, confused, or moody.
But deficiencies aren’t just from not eating the right foods. When we’re in a stressful situation, our body uses specific vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in much higher amounts, leaving us depleted. Without those essential nutrients our brain, muscles, and cells can’t function optimally. So neither can we.
Energy Eats
Foods to spark your energy!
B1 {Thiamin}
This vitamin is key in helping us convert carbohydrates into energy for the body, brain, and nervous system. When we run low, we can feel fatigued and weak.
Foods rich in B1 include: Sesame butter (tahini), Tuna fish, Pork Chops, Sunflower seeds, Pistachios, Pecans, Navy Beans, Black beans, Dried peas, Pinto beans, Lentils, Lima beans, sesame seeds.
Water
Most Americans walk around with chronic mild dehydration – and even just a 2% dehydration can lead to fatigue, poor performance, headaches, and “foggy thinking”.
How much to drink: Divide your weight in half: that’s the approximate number of ounces you should drink daily. {Example: 150 pounds/ 2 = 75 ounces fluid needs}. Don’t forget that tea, milk, and soups add to your fluids needs, as do fruit which are packed with water!
Your fluid needs increase with hot or dry weather, as well as with exercise.
Magnesium
This mineral is needed for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain nerve and muscle function, supports a healthy immune system, helps keep bones strong, helps regulate blood sugar, promotes good blood pressure, and helps convert food to energy. Now that’s a busy little mineral.
Foods rich in Magnesium: Green leafy veggies, (crude) Wheat bran, Almonds, Cashews, Soybeans, (crude) Wheat germ, Bran flakes, Oatmeal, Peanuts/peanut butter, Potatoes, Pinto beans, Black-eyed peas, Brown rice.
{Side note: refined grains are much lower in magnesium than whole grains.}
Calming Cuisine
Foods to calm the nerves, help with anxiety, and help you feel more serene.
Tyrosine
This amino acid helps synthesize Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps with the brain with movement control, emotional response, and ability to experience pleasure or pain. It also make us more focused, concentrated, and alert.
Foods rich in Tyrosine: Spirulina, Egg whites, Cottage cheese, Salmon, Turkey, Shrimp, Mustard greens, Chicken.
Produce
A study done by Harvard Medical School looked at over 13,000 women over 25 years and showed that those who ate relatively high amounts of fruits and vegetables had less age-related memory decline. Cruciferous veggies and leafy greens had the biggest effect.
Cruciferous Veggies {Brassicacae}: Cauliflower, Cabbage, Cress, Bok choy, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Kale, Collard greens, Kohlrabi, Turnip, Rutabaga, Canola/Rapeseed, Maca, Radish, Daikon, Arugula, Wasabi.
All others: Choose all different colored fruits and veggies to give your body a whole array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Choline
This is a water-soluble vitamin that is typically grouped with the B-complex vitamins. It’s used to make Acetylcholine in the brain, a chemical that allows us to learn, remember, regulate our mood, and control how well we move.
{We also need glucose from carbs to produce Acetylcholine}.
Foods rich in Choline: The yolk of eggs (it’s not a yolk!), Beef, Atlantic cod, Salmon, Whey (!), Turkey, Soy flour.
Diet Downers
Foods and eating habits that make us feel sluggish, tired, or anxious.
Refined/Processed Carbohydrates
When we eat foods high in refined carbs, our blood sugar spikes leaving us feel euphoric, but then it crashes leaving us feeling tired and moody.
Refined carbs to watch out for: Big bagels, pastries, donuts, cookies, some crackers and chips, candy, sugary drinks (juice drinks, soda, sports drinks), sugary cereals, and refined grains such as white bread (sandwich and french bread), etc.
Portion Distortion
After a big meal, more energy and blood is needed to help us digest, leaving us feeling listless and less alert. Some people call this a Food Coma, also known as Postprandial Fatigue or Postprandial Somnolence.
Other factors are at play here as well, but the best way to fight a food coma is small, frequent meals and snacks throughout the day.
Goal: Combination meals should be what you eat. Have small meals and snacks including lean proteins for lasting energy (low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese; poultry, beef, fish, beans, tofu, seeds, nuts, eggs) as well as whole grains for quick energy (Fruits, veggies, and whole grains).
Put in what you want to get out.
There are, of course, many other nutrients and foods that affect our mood. These are just a great way to start feeling more well-balanced.
With good food choices, you can tackle your day with more energy, alertness, and calm!
Sources
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. US Department of Health and Human Services. Ods.od.nih.gov.
Polianovskaia A, Jonelis M, Cheung J. The impact of plant-rich diets on sleep: a mini-review. Front Nutr. 2024 Feb 6;11:1239580. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1239580. PMID: 38379547; PMCID: PMC10876799.
Reyner LA, Wells SJ, Mortlock V, Horne JA. 'Post-lunch' sleepiness during prolonged, monotonous driving - effects of meal size. Physiol Behav. 2012 Feb 28;105(4):1088-91. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.11.025. Epub 2011 Dec 6. PMID: 22155490.
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