Do foods affect your mood?
Yes. Simple as that. Foods affect your moods.
Combatting Hanger
When you haven’t eaten in a while, your blood sugar decreases which can lead to many emotions such as hunger (obviously), anger, irritability, and other unpleasant moods. One way to combat this is… snacking on healthy foods.
I personally am very sensitive to my blood sugar and I get hangry when I haven’t eaten good foods in a while. I have learned which foods will raise my blood sugar – and keep it up – and make me feel better. Here are a few of my go-to’s:
- a spoonful of peanut butter
- an apple
- a glass of milk
- strawberries & grapes
- a small piece of dark chocolate
Foods with natural sugars and protein will have you feeling better right away! Try to stay away from only carbs or dessert-sugars, like potato chips or M&Ms. They taste delicious and you will feel less hangry – but only for a little bit. Look for something with a longer-lasting impact.
Moving Past the “Blah”
Being hangry is an example of something that can be fixed quickly by something we eat. However, there are many other problems that can also be fixed by what we eat, over a longer period of time. Eating only unhealthy snacks or deep fried meals with little protein leaves you feeling sluggish and tired. When you are not getting the protein you need, you are also not getting the iron you need. Iron is essential to the human body because it is the atom within hemoglobin that carries oxygen around your body! When your iron is low and you can’t get oxygen where it needs to be, you will feel very “blah”. An easy fix to this problem is to start eating healthier snacks and meals that give you a good balance of protein, iron, and carbohydrates that leaves you feeling satisfied, full, and ready to take on the world.
The food you put into your body is a good representation of how you will feel after you eat it. If it is colorless, lifeless, and lacking in nutrition, your mood will reflect that. Make smart choices about what you put in your body, and remember that everything is good in moderation. Don’t eat only red meat, don’t eat only lettuce, and don’t eat only candy. Some of it all is a great plan.
Amber Leigh Sands
Student Worker
College of Health Science