It’s no news flash that our moods affect our food choices. I haven’t known too many people that don’t start reaching for the chips or sweets when they’re stressed out! But how do we get control over that? I want to share my thoughts with you on dealing with our moods so we don’t totally screw up our health!
Anyone trying to be healthy realizes that making the right food choices is one of the biggest hurdles. And we know that making the right choices depends a great deal on our moods. So if we can understand what’s affecting our moods and fix those things, then we’ll have a much better chance of making healthier choices.
In this article, I first want to identify the most common things that affect our moods. Then I’ll share with you some of my own strategies for dealing with each of them along with some resources that might also help you. So be sure to click on some of the underlined links for more information!
Getting better control over our moods is just one more tool we have to reach a higher level of health and well-being. But that starts with first being aware of how our moods are affecting our choices! So stop and think about the impact your emotions have on your actions as you’re reading. And if you need to, stop and think about how you’re feeling every time you reach for some junk food!
What affects our moods?
1. Stress
We all know that stress affects our moods. It makes our muscles tense, giving us headaches, anxiety and even digestive problems, to name a few. And when we feel like that we tend to start reaching for things like junk food, alcohol and binging on things like screen time (aka, sitting on our butts!).
Unfortunately, all those reactions are just temporary distractions that don’t do anything to solve our problems. But they do have potentially long-lasting negative effects on our bodies. Which is why we need to get some control over them.
Our moods make us give in to our food cravings because it’s an easy (and learned) reaction. We’ve always used food for comfort in our culture. Processed (already made for us) foods in particular don’t require any effort or thought, making them easy choices when we’re not feeling good mentally.
Plus, they’re full of sugar, salt and fat that are known to be addictive and make us feel temporarily content. But after those calories are quickly burned off, or most likely stored away, we lose our energy and grab more junk. It becomes a vicious, unhealthy cycle that’s hard to break.
2. Poor Sleep
The results of poor sleep aren’t much different than being stressed when it comes to the way our moods affect our food choices. If you’re anything like me, when you’re tired all you can think about is a quick pick-me-up for more energy. That leads to reaching for simple carbs or caffeine to help. And we all know they work! But again, temporarily.
However, the cause of being tired isn’t a lack of processed sugar or caffeine in our bodies. We’re tired because we’re not sleeping long enough or well enough. But there’s another reason. It could be that we’re not fueling our bodies with the right foods for long-lasting energy and good brain function.
To complicate matters even more, caffeine is so addictive it’s hard to get off of it once we get started. And it’s the same with sugar! So it’s also a vicious cycle.
3. Hormones
It’s well-known that sex hormones affect our moods. Most women can easily see the mood patterns that coincide with their monthly cycles. Hormones also affect men, although in a much more subtle way. They become even more of a health concern as we get older and our levels decrease leading to physical problems in addition to moodiness.
But there are other hormones, unrelated to sex, that also affect our moods. Those are the “feel-good hormones”: serotonin, dopamine and endorphins. When our bodies aren’t making enough of them we can feel depressed, unmotivated or anxious. So finding ways to increase these hormones is a huge benefit for improving quality of life
4. Nutrient Levels
Many people are unaware that if they’re not getting enough of the right basic nutrients in their diets it can also affect their moods. Mental Health First Aid points out that “Low levels of zinc, iron, B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids are associated with worsening mood and decreased energy”.
Unfortunately, it’s often due to our poor food choices that we’re low in nutrients in the first place. The more junk we eat, the worse we feel because we’re not getting the vitamins and minerals we need for good health. And the worse we feel, the more junk we eat to try to make us feel better. It’s a two-way street.
So how do we solve these problems?
1. Stress
When it comes to stress the obvious answer is to lower it. Duh! Easier said than done though, right? One of the ways I’ve learned to reduce stress is through exercise (I can feel eyes rolling here!). But that’s not just a personal observation from years of stressing over life. It’s been backed by many studies proving that exercise reduces stress.
Other options for reducing stress include:
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- Getting out in nature
- Listening to music
- Learning to say no
- Meditating
- Getting together with friends as opposed to sitting at home alone.
- And if all else fails…talking to a counselor to get a different perspective.
I’ve learned to combine strategies for the biggest impact. If I go for a hike or walk, I can get my exercise, outdoor time, and either socializing or meditating done all at once. I rarely walk when it’s cloudy out because the sun makes such a big difference in my mood. Clouds just make me mad!
When it’s not nice outside, getting on my elliptical and listening to music or a podcast while I exercise helps me to recharge. And when you need it, there are so many videos on Youtube to make you laugh!
I’ve also learned that exercise stimulates my brain and helps me solve problems that have been nagging me! In fact, the CDC confirms that exercise is good for brain health. It can even reduce your risk of developing dementia later in life.
In case you didn’t notice, screen time was nowhere on that list! It’s actually known to cause stress and anxiety, not help it! It helps me to ask myself what I’m getting out of my screen time. If I’m being honest, beyond seeing what my loved ones are up to on Facebook, it’s not enriching my life. It’s mostly a time-waster and great for when I’m procrastinating!
Related article: “Life lessons I learned while hiking.”
2. Poor Sleep
One way to lower our stress is to get better sleep. Cedars-Sinai tells us that “Lack of sleep can lead to higher levels of stress, frustration, depression and anxiety.” Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder in the U.S. and “depression is the leading cause of disability in the world”.
So how do we get better sleep? Start by following all the sleep hygiene rules. And you’ll notice that a big one on that list is reducing screen time before bed! The blue lights from our screens lower melatonin production (the hormone that helps us feel sleepy!).
But you can use your phone in a good way to help you sleep! There are quite a few “sleep apps” to try that really do make a difference. I tried one a while back called “Sleepiest” which really helped me. Many of them have free trials or a free version, so you can test them out first.
You can also try meditation to keep your mind focused on relaxing rather than your worries. These days you can even look up some free sleep meditation videos on Youtube to help you out. You’ll never know what will work unless you try. And keep trying until you find the answer that’s right for you.
I never recommend sleeping pills because of some of the strange side effects that have been reported! But most drugs are only temporary fixes anyway, so finding other solutions may be better in the long run.
Related article: “The many health benefits of meditation.”
3. Hormones
The incidence of mood disorders over the lifetime of a woman is almost twice that of men. And hormone imbalances can be a major culprit. So it’s a good idea to visit a doctor and get checked to see if hormones could be causing your problems. If so, they’ll probably offer you some pharmaceutical medications that might help.
But keep in mind that many doctors, like Dr. Michael Greger, can show you evidence that hormone problems can be treated with diet. Another one is Dr. Neal Barnard who wrote the book “Your Body in Balance”, which I highly recommend. He’s considered a leading authority on nutrition and health.
If you’re not a reader, check out his website PCRM.org and listen to his podcast on health and hormones while you’re taking your daily walk (preferably outside)!
Then there are the “feel-good hormones” that I mentioned above. Henry Ford Health explains them and provides an easy list of things to do to increase the release of these hormones. Their recommendations are simple and will inspire you to enjoy life more!
Related article: “You need a mental health day!”
4. Nutrient levels
Guess what?!
Depression, memory problems and irritability can all be caused by insufficient levels of vitamin B-12. We mostly get B-12 from animal products like meat, fish and dairy. It can also be obtained from some plant sources. But beware! Even meat eaters can become deficient in B-12 due to absorption problems which are very common as we age.
Zinc is a mineral that we don’t often think about but it’s also associated with depression and cognitive function. Good natural sources of zinc are oysters, meat, fish and poultry. Smaller amounts can be found in nuts, seeds and lentils. If you choose to take zinc supplements, be sure to do your research so you don’t do more harm than good!
We should all know that we need vitamin D for calcium absorption but it also has an effect on immunity, sleep and depression. You might think you get enough from the sun, but that’s NOT likely the case. If you’re tired of reading, Dr. Eric Berg has an excellent video explaining what you should know about this vitamin!
There are too many vitamins and minerals to mention when it comes to our moods. I’m hoping this short list gives you an idea about how they can affect us. I’ve got a great book called “What you must know about Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and so much more” by Pamela Wartian Smith (MD, MPH) that’s full of helpful information.
One way or another, educate yourself with plenty of research so you know what you’re doing before you leap!
Related article: “Are you getting enough nutrients for good health?”
My final thoughts
Our moods are obviously affected by a variety of things in life. And when we’re not feeling good for any reason it often negatively affects our food choices. And that makes it hard to get or stay healthy. So if you want to make better food choices then a huge part of that starts with controlling your moods.
Stress, poor sleep, hormonal problems and nutrient intake are all things we do have some control over. And by that, I don’t mean that they’re always easy problems to solve. But it is possible to minimize them. That in turn, will help us to look and feel healthier.
I hope you at least consider some of my personal tips for overcoming mood problems. But I really hope you click on the links I’ve provided to educate yourself more thoroughly with all the other great resources out there. Going through life thinking you’re a victim will leave you frustrated and unhealthy.
Let me know in the comments below if you’ve noticed how your moods affect your food choices and in what ways. Then share some of your own solutions to those problems.