Mental Health Monday: How Food Can Affect Your Mental Health

When you open your pantry, what you look for can impact your mood.

We know that mood and food are definitely linked and that people use food and drink to manipulate their feelings, said Dr. Naomi Parella, chief of lifestyle medicine at RUSH University Medical Center. .

We often reach for comfort foods when we’re feeling stressed or sad, but Parella said sugary foods can do more harm than good. To combat unhealthy fluctuations in blood sugar, the human body pumps insulin.

Insulin helps lower blood sugar levels so that they remain stable. But when insulin is very high, it turns off your body’s ability to burn fat, Parella said. This means you don’t have access to your fat cells, which means you’re going to be on a roller coaster ride, because you don’t have enough fuel. And it can cause feelings of anxiety, depression, brain fog, and fatigue.

Sugar can also be addictive, creating the same dopamine rush found with other addictive substances.

Once you have this sugar addiction, you will constantly crave more sugar, but that can never be satisfied. So this roller coaster creates a lot of mental instability, as well as fatigue because you have this accident, Parella said.

In addition to limiting sugary foods, Dr. Parella also recommends watching what you drink. She says what your body and mind really need is water.

The brain lies in water. It’s made up of proteins and fats and uses salts and proteins to communicate with itself and the rest of the body, Parella said. So if you know this is what your brain needs and is made of, you need to make sure you provide it.

In addition to drinking water, Parella recommends eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and proteins, including amino acids from animal proteins or the supplemental equivalent, to fuel our mental health.

Protein, vegetables, drinking enough water, all of those would be important because your body needs those things, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, Parella said.

Parella says a low-carb diet can work for some people. Another option is intermittent fasting, when you limit your daily eating to a specific window of the day. For example, fasting for 16 hours and only eating within an 8 hour window.

If there is a period of time when you do not eat, your insulin levels may decrease. And again, this allows your body to self-regulate, Parella said.

When you’re shopping, you may not think about your mental health, but Parella says we should.

Many people feel like mental health is happening to them and it’s out of control, Parella said. We can really make a positive impact on mental health by making really good food and drink choices.