How food affects your mood

I don’t even recognize the women I was 4 years ago. 

I was exhausted, miserable, and unmotivated to change.  I was at my heaviest weight, and that weight manifested in more than pounds.  I was carrying around a weight on my soul. I wasn’t enjoying my life or motherhood, and I felt so much guilt about that.  I had to function and be present for 3 beautiful children. I literally felt like my life wasn’t my own, and my mood had never been so low.  I knew something had to change. I took the first step toward a different life the summer of 2015.

In the summer of 2015, we had to start taking gluten and dairy out of my son’s diet due to digestive issues.  I figured that since we were dramatically changing my son’s diet, we might as well try it ourselves. I had heard about the Whole30 (which is a paleo-based elimination diet).  I got my husband on board, and we started the Whole30.  

A month of removing inflammatory food was the best thing I could have done for not just my physical body, but for my mental state. 

While I lost 16 lbs., that wasn’t the most exciting results. 30 days in, I felt more energy than I had for years. I also felt the first shift in my mood.  I felt a slowly rising twinkle of happiness starting to take hold. For the first time, I felt the ability to start digging my way out of the depression that had set in.  Changing my diet was the start of changing my life. Seeing how food affects my mood was eye opening and a game changer for me.  

So, what about a healthier diet can make us feel happier? 

Well, it has to do with the gut-brain connection and while it can be complicated, here is a simple way to understand it.  

What we eat affects our gut. 

If we are eating a highly processed diet heavy in grains and sugars, our gut suffers.  We get inflammation and a leaky gut. If we eat lots of nutrient dense foods, it feeds our gut in the best way and supports gut health.  So why is gut health important for our mood? Because studies have shown that having a healthy gut with lots of beneficial bacteria (aka the good guys) support emotional wellbeing and a positive mood.  When they flourish, we are happy! There are more and more findings that show how interlinked our guts are with our brains.    

You may be wondering what you should eat to support your gut health, and ultimately, your mood.  A diet rich in organic vegetables and fruits, unprocessed meats and seafood, eggs, some nuts and seeds, and healthy fats is a great start.  That is where an elimination diet can be a great tool. The power of an elimination diet is that it removes all the worst offenders, and when you reintroduce, you figure out exactly what works for your body.  Nutrition is an individualized tool, no one thing works for everyone.  

So, what can you do if you want to improve your mood with food? 

Below, I offer two routes you can take: the “easy-does-it” way and the “I’m-ready-for-change-NOW” way.  This is a choose-your-own-adventure (remember those stories?!? I loved those things). 

Easy-does-it: This is for when you want to start making better choices, but don’t have the bandwidth for an overhaul or you resist giving everything up at once.  Choose one inflammatory food to remove and see if you can feel a difference. Here is a list of the biggest offenders: gluten, sugar, refined grains, alcohol, and industrial seed oils (think corn, soybean, vegetable, cottonseed, peanut, etc.).  Take it out for a month and pay close attention to changes in your body or mood.  

I’m-ready-for-change-NOW: This is for those looking for an over-haul, need dramatic change, or who love a challenge!  Try a Whole30 or other paleo-based elimination reset. This is a program that removes all inflammatory foods. I have done many and they are life-changing!  30 days of no grains, dairy, legumes, sugar of any kind, alcohol, and additives. Just lots of nutrient dense, good-for-you food! Try it and watch the magic happen!!  

Either way, you are on your way to being a less moody mama (your family will thank you 😊). If you feel ready to clean up your diet, but don’t know where to start and want additional support and accountability, a health coach can help! Click here for a free 30 minute session with me!