JOE WICKS ON THE LINK BETWEEN FOOD & MOOD
► Do you notice a positive shift in your mood when you have a day of healthy eating? Have you ever wondered why it makes you feel good – not just physically but mentally? Feeling more energised is obvious because we know that the food we consume is fuel for our bodies, but did you know about the link between the gut and the brain?
► When you hear the word “serotonin” you might initially think of the feel-good chemical that is released in the brain after physical activity. You may be surprised to learn that 90 per cent of serotonin is actually produced in the gut. I couldn’t believe this myself and only found it out very recently. Knowing this, it’s easy now to see just how
much the food we eat can affect our mood and mental health, both positively and negatively based on the choices we make. ► In my personal experience, whenever I have a proper blow-out and just eat everything in sight, I feel the physical effects almost immediately. Things like fizzy drinks, tubs of ice cream and deep-fried foods probably do me in the most. I usually become super bloated, feel really lethargic and sometimes can even get cramps and diarrhoea in the night. I feel absolutely no guilt emotionally when this happens because I love my food and think it’s nice to have treats from time to time. However, they serve as a reminder as to why I want to eat better and put good healthy food in my body most of the time. It gets me back into the kitchen the next day to prepare a nutritious meal, that’s for sure, and I get back on track.
► Ultimately, no one has a perfect diet 365 days a year, but it’s good to have the ability to control the way we feel and give ourselves a chance to boost our mood with good food and exercise.
► We eat nutritious foods so that our bodies can grow, repair and function well, but our brain needs it too, accounting for about 20 per cent of our daily energy requirements. When we choose nutritious foods, we’re providing our bodies and brains with what we need to be at our best.
► A big part of having a healthy diet is eating a variety of different plants. Eating more fruit and vegetables, as well as being good for your body, has been linked to lower rates of depression, so it’s good for your mood, too.