FOOD, MOOD AND ENERGY: 7 Key Strategies for Creating a Healthy Eating Plan

Nutrition is among the most crucial

 yet often overlooked 

factor in mental health. 

One of the first signs of imbalance in the body is low energy. Dips in energy within the 24-hour circadian cycle are normal; however, it is preferable that these occur at the end of the day in preparation for slumber, rather than during hours of productivity. 

  Energy is key to productivity and well-being. 

Gut health is a key driver of energy. 

Eat for Energy

Your brain operates 24/7 without taking a break. Always "on duty"  whether asleep or awake, it requires a constant supply of fuel, or food, to perform its intricate duties. The quality of the food matters. Food choices rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are brain and body protective. Good nutrition balanced with restorative sleep, adequate exercise, fulfilling relationships, and a deep sense of purpose help keep the immune system humming and stress levels managed. 

When we feel better, we think better and do better. We have more energy! And everything comes down to energy. Both mental and physical health are about energy, as are time-management, productivity, efficiency, relationship building, learning, attention and concentration. A solid stream of energy is essential to power up your day and ultimately expand your potential. Your brain consumes approximately 20% of your total body's energy. 

What are some energy zappers? 

• physical under- or over- exertion
• long periods of emotional stress
• lack of restorative sleep
• boredom
• addictions
• grief
• poor diet
• certain over-the-counter or prescriptive medications
• too much caffeine
• dehydration
• procrastination 

Let's spend some time on PROCRASTINATION.

Procrastination

The act of procrastination or, more aptly, the inaction behind procrastination, is a catch-22. With low energy, it's likely you will be putting off important tasks; however, when you habitually put off these tasks, over time, your energy will plummet. 

Without a plan to overcome procrastination, it will spiral out of control, resulting in stress and fatigue. Chronic procrastination is an act of self-sabotage. 

Getting out of one's own way and getting to the root of this unhealthy behavior will single-handedly help align a misaligned path in significant ways. 

The solution may be as simple as making physical changes to your environment that invite clarity and efficiency. For example, de-cluttering and organizing physical space has profound effects on your visual system, mood, and executive functions (which are your brain's key cognitive control command center). If the behavior runs deeper than a simple restructuring of living and working space, then digging deeper and getting to the bottom of this self-defeating behavior will be your BEST next move. 

Mental health challenges, such as anxiety, depression and seasonal affective disorder are also contributing factors to low physical and mental energy and will require consulting with your health professional. An emerging field of medicine is Nutritional Psychiatry and its popularity is due  in part to the growing awareness of the mind-gut connection. Whereas the combination of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and psychopharmacological intervention is the established gold-standard in the treatment of a plethora of mental health maladies, it certainly is not a panacea. 

The growing scientific research is supporting moving in the direction of further understanding the food and mood connection in order to enhance mental health treatment planning. 

What we eat and how we eat matter. Research pertaining to the gut-brain axis (GBA), which is the bidirectional communication between your brain and trillions of microbes living within your digestive tract, continues to support nutrition's role in how you feel and think. Described as the "brain in your gut," it is here that we locate the enteric nervous system (which is serving to revolutionize medicine; including psychiatry). 

NUTRITIONAL PSYCHIATRY

Nutritional psychiatry is an accelerating field that incorporates food and supplements in the treatment of psychiatric or mental health conditions. 

It is not unusual for individuals with depression and/or anxiety to report appetite and digestive disturbances and gastrointestinal imbalances. 

It is interesting that this is considered a "new field" when the concept of nutrition (such as through the use of herbs, for example) in medicine has been around since Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. 

Immune Functioning

A sub-optimal diet lacking in key nutrients can hinder the production and activity of immune cells and antibodies, resulting in increasing the propensity for illness and decreasing available resources of energy. 

The immune system's CHIEF FUNCTION is to prevent or limit infection. 

As long as it's running smoothly, we give our immune system little consideration. It quietly and efficiently does its job, recognizing and neutralizing harmful substances from the environment and fighting disease-causing pathogens and other body changes that can potentially lead to its permanent breakdown. Without it, we would have no way of warding off these harmful invaders. 

A significant threat to our immune system is the advancement of highly processed, sugar-rich, and nutrient-deficient foods. Unfortunately, the 21st century has observed major transitions in dietary habits, with a significant decrease in the consumption of nutrient-dense foods.  

Diets high in sugar, fat and processed foods have been linked with depression or depressive feelings, anxiety, low energy, foggy brain, and an overall negative feeling. These foods should be limited in your diet, comprising ideally less than 5% of consumed foods. 

Beware the Sugar

Sugar, in its various and clever forms, is a simple carbohydrate that your body converts into glucose for energy use. It is unfortunately disguised in so many of the processed and packaged foods in our local supermarkets. 

Refined sugars are processed, and extracted from natural sources. They are  found in everything from baked goods to snack foods, candy, and the list goes on.  Raw fruits, on the other hand, provide natural sugar and are excellent sources of essential nutrients, such as potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate. 

Sugar provides a short energy boost, and then an energy plummet or crash. Over time, the consumption of sugar will create havoc on your body's immune system. For sustained energy and focus, it's best to remove sugar from the diet, with the exception of moderately consuming nutrient rich fruits that are ripe and in season. 

Stress Eating is Real

Research connecting stress with health reveals the role the release of cytokines play, which are small proteins, released by cells (especially those of your immune system). When your body is physically or emotionally stressed, it releases epinephrine (adrenaline) and this signals the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. 

Your body efficiently and appropriately releases these in response to infection or injury so as to destroy germs or repair tissue damage, Unfortunately, your body also releases pro-inflammatory cytokines when stressed. When the stress is chronic, their expression may be the cause of inflammatory diseases. 

         Stress serves as an anti-nutrient. 

Eating while stressed affects your body's ability to effectively digest and absorb food.  

Anything you do to manage your stress levels will strengthen your immune function. 

In the long-run, the chronic consumption of these foods creates a habit-loop in the brain, meaning you will gravitate toward  them automatically (without any signal of hunger) in order to temporarily feel  better. 

Unfortunately, many turn to eating, especially comfort foods, which are typically foods high in sugar, salt, calories and carbohydrates, to pseudo-manage stress. Comfort foods trigger dopamine, which delivers a feel-good sensation. 

The long-term health consequences unfortunately include, but are not limited to, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. The good news is that there are healthier ways to mitigate the negative effects of stress. 

THE PLAN

To eat with health, energy and mood in mind:

1. Consume fresh, whole foods as close as possible to their natural states. I believe best-selling author, Michael Pollan sums up eating in these 3 key points: 

• Eat real food. 
• Moderate your portions. 
• Make sure your plate has lots of greens.

Dietary supplementation may be helpful, and is individual to each person's specific needs. Real foods are single-ingredient foods. As the number of ingredients increase, the whole-ness or natural-ness of the food decreases. 

2. Keep a Food Mood journal. What we pay attention to grows. Journaling enhances this attention. Become intimately familiar with the foods that love you and not necessarily just the foods you love. We all know what our favorite foods are but do we know which foods love us back? 

Keeping a food journal provides accountability and functions as a  mindfulness tool that creates space for you to check in before, during, and after eating. Logging your meals and snacks, and identifying your associated energy and mood will help you see patterns that may have historically eluded you.   For many, this awareness alone is all that was needed to make targeted dietary changes.  

3. Hydrate. Hydration is the replenishment of body fluids lost through sweating, exhaling, and waste elimination. 

By drinking plenty of water and consuming foods that promote hydration, you will  keep your immune system and energy levels humming.  It staves off infection and naturally eliminates toxins from your body. Foods high in water content include leafy greens (among other vegetables) and most fruits. Dehydration can affect your mood, and can also trigger feelings of hunger when, in fact, you're just thirsty.  

If flavoring your water will help you drink more, then add lemon, mint, or cucumber. Even mild dehydration can have a negative effect on your mood, energy level and cognitive processing.

4. Eat mindfully. Bring your presence and awareness to each meal. Appreciate your food. 

A mindfulness practice, in your day-to-day life, will help manage stress and slow you down to conscientiously make better nutritional choices.  Mindful eating combined with gratitude enhance feelings of satiety and digestion, while rushed, mindless and on-the-run eating often results in indigestion and stress.  

5. Manage stress levels.  Anything you do to keep yourself healthy and energized is self-care and therein lies the path to stress management. While few would disagree the importance of self-care, it is often not prioritized in our lives. Unfortunately, it is the first to go when experiencing stressful circumstances. 

A meditation practice, connecting with friends, and engaging in a hobby are just a few, highly effective stress relievers. Also, one of the best stress busters is exercise. This does not have to be a 1-hour weight lifting session or a 5 mile beach run. It can be as simple as performing some sit-ups and push-ups, or a short walk around the neighborhood. 

Just start and do something!

To quote tennis legend, Arthur Ashe: 

Use what you have. Do what you can. Start where you are. 

  

A 20-minute stretch can be so restoratively soothing to both your mind and muscles. 

Another well known stress buster, often associated with stretching, is the physical practice of yoga, which can be viewed as a moving meditation, connecting breath with movement. Pranayama is the formal practice of managing the breath, and a steady, rhythmic breath is central to yoga and stress management. Its consistent practice yields compounding results, meaning each and every time you participate in this moving meditation, you're decreasing the negative effects of stress. 

6. Connect and share. Whenever possible, enjoy your meals with others. We are social beings. As humans, we are hard-wired for connection. This includes introverts, extraverts, and ambiverts. Social distancing, as a  result of COVID, created its unique set of challenges in coming together and enjoying meals. However, with today's advances in video technology, many have creatively overcome the feelings of isolation and have shared meals from across the screen and across the miles. 

Schedule a virtual get-together, even if just meeting for coffee, and enjoy the camaraderie of shared time.   

7. Delay your gratification. Focus your attention on long-term health versus short term reward or satisfaction. The secret to success is the ability to delay gratification. When you can delay your rewards, life just exponentially becomes easier. 

Taking time to plan your meals as opposed to grabbing what you can or hitting a drive-through will yield energy and health benefits. 

Preparation is key to nutrition. Stock up on key ingredients and organize them into easy-to-see and easy-to-access containers. Washing fruits and vegetables and preparing them as grab-and-go items will remove most hindrances to eating well under the pressure of a busy schedule, BUT, it requires taking the time to plan and prepare now so that it will be easily accessible and available later. 

Delay of gratification is also about mindfully questioning, "Do I need to snack on this cookie now or could I wait until dinner time to fully enjoy satiating my body with a delicious meal?" When we don't delay gratification, we are choosing to impulsively accept the treat now, but unfortunately pay for it later. In essence, healthy, mindful, and disciplined eating is an act of self-love, self-respect and  self-care.

Start today to make one small shift or change at a time. Long-term success is generally built on small habits, practiced consistently. 

HEAL   THY   SELF

HEALTHY SELF

REFERENCE

Pollan, Michael. In Defense of Food : an Eater's Manifesto. New York :Penguin Press, 2008.

The information presented in this blog is intended for general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Individuals with medical and/or eating disorders (or suspect there may be an underlying concern) are encouraged to seek professional consultation and  follow the recommendations outlined by their clinical team. 

If you enjoyed this article and would like to read more, then let's connect:

FACEBOOK: Marie Therese Rogers

Atlantic Behavioral Health Professionals

Life in Focus

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 LINKEDIN:  Marie T. Rogers, Ph.D. 

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