037 | Does Food Affect Your Mood?

Join me in this extra vulnerable episode. I talk about my depression and how I’ve been dealing with it. I started looking into nutritional psychiatry because I was curious if my crap diet could be contributing to my moodiness.

Turns out: It could be.

In this episode, I talk about some of the things that stood out to me as I dug into this topic and what some of my takeaways were. 

My key takeaways:

• Nutritional psychiatry and the research around nutrition and mental wellness is still pretty new and nutritional research has largely been focused on the physical effects on the body. 
• The general style of eating that supports mental health is one that is rich in whole, unprocessed foods. 
• In a 2017 study in particular, weight loss was not a factor. Participants did not lose weight, but their mood did improve.
•  In that same study, the foods participants ate were generally affordable and accessible.
• Unsurprisingly, the greatest physical and mental health benefits come from an all around healthy lifestyle, including exercise, quality sleep, managing stress, and not smoking.
• In one article, Dr. Drew Ramsey, a psychiatrist and assistant clinical professor at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, is quoted saying that some people can eat and exercise exactly right and still struggle with their mental health.
• One of the reasons that what we eat affects our mental health is because of what is referred to as the gut-brain axis or the gut-brain connection.

What this means for me is that I am going to be more intentional about writing down what I’m eating and how I feel. I’ll look for any trends while I prioritize more whole foods.

Want to learn more? Check out these resources:

• “Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food,” Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard medical School
• “Evolution of Well-being and Happiness After Increases in Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables,” NIH National Library of Medicine 
• “How Food May Improve Your Mood,” The New York Times 
• “Diet and Mental Health: Can What You Eat Affect How You Feel?” Healthline.com 
• “The Gut-Brain Connection: How it Works and The Role of Nutrition,” Healthline.com
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), Mayo Clinic
• 2023 Mood Tracker Planner

Join the conversation!

What is your biggest takeaway from this conversation? What have you noticed about how what you eat affects your mood? Is this your first time considering this? I want to hear from  you! Connect with me:

• Facebook group: Badass Is the New Skinny
• Instagram: @sa.brina.brina
• Email: hello@sabrinabrina.com
• The original blog where it all began: badassisthenewskinny.com