Food and mood

Yep, an apple a day might just help keep the doctor away. Healthy eating is known to reduce the chance of getting lots of physical illnesses, like cancer and heart disease, and it can also help improve your mental health – it can give your brain functioning a boost and give you more energy.

A survey by the Food and Mood project found that of 200 people who took part, 88% said that changing their diet significantly improved their mood or mental health.

Munching your way through crisps, chocolate or sausage rolls can give you an instant food high and satisfy your food craving, but eating too much of this sort of stuff to make yourself feel better can often end up making you feel worse in the long run.

You’ll quite often feel a real drop in mood and energy once they wear off. You may end up criticising yourself for eating so much crap… and end up feeling crap.

But be realistic: cutting them out altogether can backfire and make you want them even more!

Maybe you’ve stopped eating. It is common for depression to affect your appetite but not eating enough can have an equally bad effect on your physical and mental health.  It can become a vicious cycle where you don’t eat because you’re depressed, which makes you more depressed.

Your body needs certain amounts of nutrients and vitamins each day to be able to function properly. Not eating will make it difficult to concentrate or focus on the things you have to do and restrict your energy levels so it’s harder to get through all the activities and deadlines you have.

Even if you aren’t hungry or don’t have the energy to cook big meals, eating small amounts of healthy food will help steady your blood sugar levels and your mood.   

Here’s a few tips, but download our food and mood factsheet for more information:

  1. Oats, wholegrains and protein (eggs, cheese, meat, fish, nuts and seeds) will fill you up and keep your blood sugar steady to improve irritability, poor concentration and fatigue. 
  2. Oil-rich fish such as mackerel and sardines, linseed (flax), hemp seeds, avocado and fresh fruit such as bananas are good for the brain and for lifting mood. 
  3. Coffee might be a good quick-fix when you are feeling sluggish, but too much can get you hooked and has been found to worsen anxiety, depression, insomnia, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
  4. Breakfast is honestly the best way to start your day. If wakens up your brain and studies have shown that people who eat breakfast are better able to concentrate during the day. If you find it hard to eat first thing in the morning take a banana with you to eat mid-morning, or leave a box of cereal at work at eat it once you get there. Fags and coffee don’t count!
  5. Drink at least 2.5 litres of water and non-caffeinated drinks each day. Caffeine is a dehydrator, so these drinks don’t count, but herbal tea, fruit juice and milk are all good.

Write down what and when you eat and how you feel emotionally and physically. This will help you see if particular foods aren’t helpful for you.

Food stressors – things to avoid or cut down on

  1. Sugar 
  2. Caffeine 
  3. Alcohol 
  4. Chocolate 
  5. Some wheat-containing foods that have high sugar content like white bread, biscuits, cakes and some cereals. 
  6. Additives such as E-colourings found in many processed foods
  7. Saturated fats found in food like bacon and other fried items

Food supporters – the good stuff

  1. Water
  2. Vegetables, particularly veg like carrots, broccoli and swede.
  3. Fruit 
  4. Oil-rich fish such as salmon, herring, pilchards, mackerel, rainbow trout, sardines, pikchards, shrimp, crab and fresh tuna. 
  5. Wholegrains such as brown, seeded bread or wholegrain pasta and noodles.