How to support your mood #4: what to eat.

I always start with food when working with clients with a mood disorder because you cannot make any progress in dampening anxiety and depression if there is a pattern of blood sugar instability.

What does blood sugar stability mean?

It means that there is an adequate, consistent supply of fuel to your brain. You (& your brain) will be more resilient, better able to cope when stressed or in a challenging environment (loud noise, bright lights, crowds), better able to concentrate at work or school, and better able to gate your emotions and not fly off the handle, if the fuel supply to your brain is reliable.

If there isn’t an adequate, consistent supply of fuel to your brain:

-          Serotonin manufacture is inhibited. Serotonin is your feel good hormone.

-          Dopamine manufacture is inhibited. Dopamine is your pleasure and motivation hormone.

-          GABA manufacture is inhibited. GABA is your keep calm and carry on hormone.

-          Your brain’s frontal lobe will not have enough fuel to kick into gear and dampen the amygdala (your fight or flight centre which disables rational, measured responses to triggers).  

How do you ensure that you have enough fuel to manufacture these hormones and support your frontal lobe?

You have to work out the quantities of protein + healthy fats + fibre that provide the right amount of fuel for you.

Start with breakfast. Experiment with how you feel after a breakfast of (a) a 3 egg mushroom omelette, or (b) a piece of toast or a bowl of cereal, or (c) no breakfast at all. Check in with yourself at 11am. What’s your mood like? How’s your concentration? How are your energy levels?

Over and over again, I see the difference that putting protein + healthy fats + fibre in at every meal makes to my clients. If you don’t believe me, try it out and let me know how you get on.

Over on Instagram, I am posting photos of high protein supermarket purchases to make this as easy as possible for you. As a rough guide, aim for 20g of protein per meal. I’m currently enjoying soup for breakfast – try it on a chilly morning, you might be surprised!

Check the nutritional information on the side of the fancy, expensive boxes of granola. Look at how much you would have to eat to hit a 20g of protein target. It’s usually about one third of the packet! Why not make your own with a variety of raw (plain) nuts and seeds?

Yes, of course, there are cases where we would need to dig deeper and do more to see a significant change in your quality of life, but I always put food first with my clients because you have to eat, you don’t have to take expensive supplements, and changing what you eat might just be enough.

Any questions, please post them below.

If you would like to talk about working with me, please book a free Zoom call:

Sources:

Aucoin, M. and Bhardwaj, S. (2016) “Generalised anxiety disorder and hypoglycemia symptoms improved with diet modification”, Case Reports in Psychiatry, 7165425.

McNay, E. (2015) “Recurrent hypoglycemia increases anxiety and amygdala norepinephrine release during subsequent hypoglycemia”, Frontiers in Endocrinology, 6:175.