When you hear the phrase good food = good mood what do you think of?
Is it a mouth-watering burger and fries? An indulgent chocolate brownie accompanied by a hipster flat white? Or do you picture a plate of chicken accompanied by a rainbow of veg and some brown rice? A bowlful of berries, yoghurt and oats?
Good food = good mood
When I was researching the idea of nutrition and wellbeing or mood and food, the phrase good food = good mood popped up in lots of places. There are so many different memes, thoughts and smile inducing quotes out there about indulgent foods; Barbara Johnson’s ‘a balanced diet is a cookie in each hand’ and ‘the only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook’ from Julia Child.
And whilst they do make us smile, there is something to be said for the link between mood and food. When I feel anxious, I feel it in my stomach. There’s an unsettledness that I carry there and it affects my ability to consume certain things, especially caffeine.
Do you ever notice that? Or do you ever find that when you eat or drink certain things they affect your mood?
The Gut-Brain Connection
In recent years there has been ground breaking research into the gut-brain connection. This research has shown that ‘the bacteria in our digestive tract activate neural pathways which influence anxiety levels, perception of stress and mental outlook’ [1].
So good food – and by that we mean putting the right things in to our body; the food our bodies need to be healthy, to heal, to grow and thrive – can literally lead to a good mood.
How does it work?
Research by Harvard University has discovered the following…
The brain has a direct effect on the stomach and intestines. For example, the very thought of eating can release the stomach's juices before food gets there. This connection goes both ways. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That's because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected. [2]
So what we eat can have a direct impact on our mood and stress levels in the same way that anxiety or stressful situations can affect our ability to consume certain foods.
Nutrition and Wellbeing
This week, as we think about nutrition and how it can have a direct impact on our wellbeing and resilience, we’ll be sharing some handy tips and thinking about the emotional side of wellbeing and our relationship to food. But let’s begin with a question…
As we head into this week, how would you define your relationship with food?
The Background
1. https://www.superwellness.co.uk/why-is-nutrition-a-must-for-your-mental-wellbeing-strategy/
2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-gut-brain-connection