How Food Relates To Mood

28 Oct How Food Relates To Mood

Your mood isn’t always something you connect to the food you eat, but it is rather important to start paying attention to…

It is a fact that the mind and the body are interconnected. What we eat not only influences our physical well-being but also how we feel emotionally.

When you are anxious, you often don’t have an appetite.  When you go through a break up, you want to eat a whole pint of ice cream.  Emotions and food have a bond we can’t ignore.

We all want to feel light, energetic and enthusiastic pretty much 100% of the time. There is no better feeling!

Yoga has helped me notice how I feel throughout the day.  I say that without sounding super “Yogi Zen Master”.  No no, I am far from that!  It is really quite simple.  I breathe, I slow down, I start to notice thoughts and feelings in my body that I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.  The food I eat plays a huge role in this.  Every day I make sure to eat foods that make me feel my best so I can give my yoga clients my energy, time and 100% attention.

1. Food is fuel.

Just like a car stops when it is out of gas, we too need our fuel to keep going.
The fix: Aim to eat every 4 hours to avoid mood swings and to maintain energy.

2. Happy gut, happy you! 

Take a probiotic daily.  Probiotics balance out bacteria in your gut.  The brain and the gastrointestinal system are intimately connected so it also has an affect on your mood.
The fix: Take a high-quality probiotic supplement.  Probiotics have been known to potentially help relieve anxiety!

3. Avoid Overeating

Overeating makes us feel lethargic, dull and makes our digestive system go into overdrive, leaving us with not a whole lot of energy for anything else.
The fix: Don’t overeat!  Eat slowly and you’ll notice you’re full sooner.  (Hint hint: Thanksgiving!)

4. Avoid Oily Foods

Chips and foods that are high in saturated fat instantly make us feel sluggish because…they are harder to digest!
The fix: Avoid these foods and follow a well-balanced diet rich in protein, moderate in carbohydrates and low in fat since. This could generally improve mood and energy levels. (*Fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and legumes).

5. Chocolate, Anyone?

Yes, you can eat chocolate!  Dark Chocolate targets that feel-good feelin’. Dark Chocolate can increase serotonin levels in the brain, a mood altering chemical.

Yoga has been a huge part of being connected to how I feel on a day-to-day basis. I start to notice when I’m tired, confused or tense much quicker than I did before. So I guess you can say, that “high” you get from practicing yoga and eating well is pretty amazing and once you start doing otherwise, you definitely notice a difference!

Happy eating everyone!

About the author: Danielle Cuccio is a Private Yoga Instructor in LA and also teaches Yoga and Yoga Booty Ballet at Swerve Studio in West Hollywood. To learn more healthy habits to add to your life, take Private Yoga Lessons with Danielle at your home or in her private Beverly Hills studio visit CuccioSomatology.com

E-mail: info@cucciosomatology.com

Danielle’s Group classes: Swerve Studio 8250 W 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90048.  Instagram: @daniellecuccio