Foods Influence Mood  

Foods have an amazing ability that can either energise, or turn you into a couch potato. 

Health is the measure of the condition of our being. In the past a person’s health was defined as the absence of disease.  “Our health and wellness are outcomes of many and complex interacting factors” Professor Felicity Allen, Health Psychology. There’s no doubt that we live in exciting, fast paced times. Never in history, has society offered so many kinds of comfort and convenience.  But the world we have created is filled with levels of stress, anxiety and frustration that our distant ancestors could never have imagined, much less coped with. Now it seems more and more people are looking for answers to the multitude of health problems that we face in our modern lives. There seems to be a growing feeling that medical science doesn’t offer all the answers. And people want to prevent illness, rather than just have it treated once they are suffering its effects.  

One of our challenges is that as the weather gets chillier and the days are short and dark, it’s so easy to become sluggish. A high-energy day means high-energy foods are necessary. This can be achieved in two ways. One by providing nutrient rich ingredients such as plenty of complex carbohydrates, (low G-I foods) plus good protein sources lean meat, cheese, tofu and fish which provide sustained energy. Second, food is more exciting and makes you feel more energetic when it’s rich with satisfying flavours, spices and herbs. 

Many protein-rich foods produce neurotransmitters that can excite you. Seafood is one of the highest alertness-increasing foods that have a positive effect on your mood. Seafood contains tyrosine, which boost the brain’s ability to concentrate.  

Including protein for breakfast gets your juices flowing in order to beat midday fatigue and also to get you “up” for business meetings. Drinking water keeps the brain hydrated and by eating fish and veggies you will be more alert and able to negotiate. A perfect meal to carry you through a busy afternoon would be a Caesar salad with grilled chicken or salmon with light dressing and only a few croutons.  

Carbohydrate-rich foods like pastas and bread without the protein will calm you down and make you sleepier. 

Foods that have the ability to increase energy and sharpen mental focus include fish, blueberries, milk, nuts, bananas, broccoli, cocoa powder, and oranges. Bananas, for example, are high in potassium which lowers blood pressure, while the whey protein in milk soothes stress and anxiety.  

Even snack foods can be consumed very occasionally but be aware of foods that make you feel “sluggish” like fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and candied yams. Choose natures way instead by using natural plants rich in minerals and the power of our own amazing bodies to prevent illness and have maximum energy.