Dietitian Heather Miller, who holds clinics in Balla, Castlebar, and Ballindine, this week talks about how certain foods affect our mood.
We all have good days and bad days; we all have foods we like more, or like less. But is there a connection between feeling fine and the foods we have eaten? Do some foods make us feel grumpy?
The ability to concentrate and focus comes from the adequate supply of energy – from blood glucose – to the brain. Glucose is also vital to fuel muscles. The glucose in our blood comes primarily from the carbohydrates we eat. Eating breakfast and regular meals containing some carbohydrate ensures you will have enough glucose in your blood.
Not having enough glucose in the blood makes us feel weak, tired and “fuzzy minded”. This may happen when we don’t eat enough carbohydrate-containing food, and is a particular risk for people with diabetes, and for athletes. It can also happen with people following very restrictive diets or with erratic eating patterns.
There are many ways that foods can affect how we feel, just as how we feel has a large influence on what foods we choose. Some of the mood/food effects are due to nutrient content, but a lot of effects are due to existing associations of foods with pleasure and reward (chocolate ) or diet and deprivation (plain foods ).
Feeling good comes from a diet that provides adequate amounts of carbohydrate at regular times to keep blood glucose levels stable, and that contains a wide variety of protein and vitamin and mineral-containing foods to support the body’s functions.
Heather Miller has clinics in Balla Medical Centre, Balla; 24 St Patrick’s Avenue, Castlebar; and Healthwest Pharmacy, Ballindine. If you want to make an appointment with Heather Miller call her on 087 172 3664 or email [email protected]
