After seeing many patients that are beginning to think that they are going nuts because they know certain foods cause adverse moods and no one seems to listen, I am posting this for them.
I have spoken with parents that see changes in their child’s handwriting and concentration after certain foods, not just beloved sugar, are consumed. I listened to patients discuss their mood swings due to food sensitivities and ‘nonsensitive’ foods (according to labs). Most doctors do not validate this concept, therefore people feel as if they are loosing the plot. I am very pleased that Dr. Gregor posted this article by Dr. Ciprian- thank you! At last an article speaking beyond the well know “happy neurotransmitters” that chocolate elicits.
Food affects Mood
Food affects Mood. What you eat can affect the way you feel
Food and Behavior. What you eat can cause mood swings, depression, anxiety and more.
Have you ever eaten something and shortly after you didn’t feel well. Maybe you felt a bit spacey, irritated, short tempered or anxious. Maybe you haven’t eaten in several hours and were hungry and you’ve would have mood swings or depression. These can all be related to the way you eat.
What you eat directly affects the way you feel. I think that anyone who goes through any type or counseling, therapy or psychology/psychiatry treatment should have their diet evaluated. I evaluate the diet of every single one of my patients. And if they have a down turn in their health I bring up the question of what they are eating again and reinforce it’s importance.
One theory about emotions deals with “neurotransmitters” that balance brain chemistry (ex: Serotonin, GABA, Melatonin, Oxytocin, Epinephrine, etc…).
Most neurotransmitters are made in the gut (thus the phrase, “I have a gut feeling”). The Food you eat affects the gut also and thus can affect the emotions. Sugar,Wheat, Corn, Dairy, Soy and trans fats or rancid oils are the the biggest types of things that you eat that can cause emotional problems form the gut to the brain’s neurotransmitters. These foods cause imbalances and problems in the gut and in turn can upset the production of the neurotransmitters. This is one reason why eating right is important for your emotional health.
Are you eating good healthy meats and good healthy fats daily? Vegans and vegetarians can actually have more anger and people who have cholesterol that is too low can gravitate toward violence. The amino acids and good healthy fats are needed in the production of neurotransmitters.
Another factor affecting your emotional well being that is related to the way you eat is your blood sugar balance. We know that there is an enormous diabetic problem in the US. There are also many people who have functional blood sugar type problems that are not considered pathological or at the state of disease yet. The thing is that even though some people’s blood sugar levels are in the “normal” ranges and may not be in the diabetic state, they may be causing other problems that are not diagnosable. When our blood sugar surges up and down, or keep going up and down like a roller coaster, it causes fluctuations in our metabolism and biochemistry and cause many emotional problems. This can lead to depression, anxiety, mood swings and more. This is why it is important to eat right, avoid Sugar,Wheat, Corn, Dairy, Soy and trans fats and rancid oils, and to snack often through out the day.
Eating smaller meals, more often during the day and waiting to eat when you are hungry has also been shown to improve your state of emotional well being.
Now please realize that when you are stressed and feeling emotional, you will gravitate toward eating things that are not good for you. This is the worst time to do it. When you are stressed or emotional your body is not in a stable place to deal with foods that will really screw you up. When you eat when you are stressed and emotional, it makes the problem much, much worse.
If you are going to eat something that you know is not good for you (there are holidays, birthdays, special occasions and traveling to Italy of course), make sure that you are feeling happy and healthy. Your body can handle the stress of it much more this way. And make sure that you eat a good meal before and after you have something that is not good for you.
To hear more about food and behavior listen to the May 6th, 2011 Get Fit Now Radio show with Eleni K. and Me by clicking here now: http://getfitnow.cascadia.fm/?p=479.
To feel better emotionally make sure that you are eating right, avoid Sugar,Wheat, Corn, Dairy, Soy and trans fats and rancid oils, and to snack often through out the day. Even for people who have severe emotional health issues, eating right can work wonders in conjunction with professional treatment.
If you are not feeling like life is fulfilling, it may just be that you diet is not fulfilling. Try eating right and see what happens!
Health, Happiness and a bit of the Mystic 
