Don’t Get Moody!
One does not need rocket science to know that the type of food affects your mood.
We’ve been taught from a young age that eating whole, natural foods is beneficial for our health. In today’s wired world, getting food for sustenance needs to be a fast, no-brainer means. We’re just too busy to prep our meals so the quickest way is to purchase store-bought food or just order in. Sometimes, the stress of work compels you to order a caloric-rich dish just to pamper yourself while you type away at your keyboard. It’s that “instant reward” that our palate and brain need to feel satisfied – comfort food. In addition, our gut is scientifically recognised as our second brain.
Types of people and their food cravings
Do you remember a time where your better half wanted a breakup and immediately you didn’t feel like eating anything? What ensues is a mental block on food but as time passes on, you get hungry and you get over your ex. However, in that moment, you indulge in some sinful food to erase all the memories of your former partner.
Even cravings are a way our brain controls our appetite. For some individuals, a sugary treat is what they crave – think sinful doughnuts dipped in chocolate or simply glazed; while other individuals head for a savoury pursuit, often a bag of savoury crisps rewards the palate with an umami overload, sending you into overdrive… and all at once that bag of crisps are gone. There are even those who have a liking for a specific type of food at an ungodly hour! The chase for the illusive, vinegar-flecked Bak Chor Mee (Teochew minced pork noodles) at 2am means a drive to several food centres to see if they are open for business. Once the stall is found and the springy noodles combined with the savoury sauce hits your palate, the culinary perfection gives a golden embrace with your mind and gut, then only you reach satiety when the last bit of sauce is relished.
Even for the health-conscious individual who has a religious approach to working out and eating healthy, superfoods can become a craving, too. These individuals’ daily rote of prepping meals consisting of chia seeds, avocado flesh, poached eggs, to name a few, help them to feel mentally “wired up”. The reward of eating their healthy meals after a pump gives them a pat on the back.
Brain Chemicals
It’s important to know how two chemicals work in the brain that regulate our moods – serotonin and dopamine. These critical chemicals are basically neurotransmitters closely linked to feelings and moods. Seratonin is recognised for mood management while dopamine is that chemical that gives your brain the “reward”. So, if you really want to be more “in tune” with your brain’s needs when it comes to food, there are certain foods that allow one to give your mood a much-needed boost.
Meet Serotonin
Let’s talk about serotonin first. However, to create serotonin, it needs an essential amino acid called tryptophan. This chemical is not produced by our body hence it must be obtained from our diet. Foods that are rich in tryptophan include eggs, salmon, spinach and seeds such as pumpkin seeds and walnuts, to name a few. Once serotonin is created by the body with the help of tryptophan, then only is it able to help transmit information across the nervous system and has a vital role in brain function. In fact, tryptophan has a big influence in healthy sleep – after all, a restful sleep helps with brain repair. In truth, serotonin gives the brain a positive mood and an overall positive sense of wellbeing. People with depression suffer from low serotonin levels.
Salmon – the fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids vital for eye function, healthy skin and strong bones. Also rich in vitamin D that aids in strong bones, teeth and muscles.
Eggs – Instead of frying an egg in fat, opt for a poached egg for a light meal which is rich in tryptophan.
Spinach – another rich source of tryptophan, this dark leafy vegetable is bountiful in iron to help the body make red blood cells while giving you energy.
Seeds – pumpkin seeds and walnuts are rich in tryptophan and these can be added to meals such as a topping for a salad. You can also add them to your morning cereal, or choose breads baked with seeds, or enjoy a homemade seed-based bar using honey, coconut oil and a bunch of crunchy seeds.
Soy – soy in all its derivatives are a rich source of tryptophan and these include tofu, soya milk and soya sauce.
Don’t forget dopamine
Your brand constantly needs a reward and dopamine is that important chemical messenger giving one a sense of motivation. Dopamine is like a natural drug, creating feelings of pleasure and motivates you to repeat a process. Low levels of dopamine are closely linked to decreased enthusiasm that would otherwise drive most people to be excited about it. Here is a list of foods that help with dopamine production.
Meat up – Yes, a protein-rich diet – lean chicken, beef or pork – is where one can absorb up to 23 types of amino acids. The key amino acid is called tyrosine where dopamine can be produced. Such protein-rich foods can be found in eggs, beef, dairy products, even legumes such as soy.
Avoid the fat – saturated fat found in butter, full-fat dairy, coconut oil, palm oil and most animal fat is a known disruptor of dopamine production. So, if your diet is high in such foods, your dopamine production can be stalled or depleted as your body is going through inflammation.
Probiotics – while the study of probiotics and its link to dopamine production is relatively new, some small independent research revealed that a healthy gut fed with the right probiotics – beneficial bacteria – helped to produce dopamine. We all know the gut is the “second brain” (i.e. you get that dreadful feeling when your better half wants to breakup with you and you lose all mood and appetite).
Mood-booster meal
So, a quick fit to get your serotonin and dopamine can be made into a meal-to-go:
- Salmon steak 150g, with sprinkling of black pepper and salt, then pan-fried skin side down with some olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes on high heat.
- Serve with dollop of yoghurt, topped by a fistful of fresh baby spinach and sprinkling of pumpkin seeds.
- A side dish of two poached eggs.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is of course the best means to a healthy body and mind. Do eat the foods that support the production of dopamine and serotonin, so your feel-good mood spurs you to take charge of the day!
Did you know Workwell.sg offers more than 100 types of wellness programmes and Food and Mood is one of these classes to empower you with more knowledge? For details on the programmes, pls contact natalie@workwell.sg with the following info and we will contact you within 3 working days.
