Good mood food guide

We know how to eat for our physical wellbeing. But what about our mental wellbeing? Our mood can be changed by the food we eat – for the better or worse. 

It's all about choices. So before you fill your trolley with frozen meals and mi goreng on your weekly shop, here's some food for thought. 

There's a brain in your belly.

Millions of different bacteria live in our stomachs. They're called microbiome and they play many different roles, like connecting our gut with our brain. They start in our mouth and travel through our digestive system. And since everything we eat passes through the stomach, it makes sense that our food impacts our mood. 

Some foods raise serotonin levels through different enzymes. So to maintain a hearty sleep, a healthy appetite and a happy mood – fuel yourself the right way. 

Feeding your feels.

Some bacteria's good, some bad. That's not news. But different foods feed different bacteria in our stomach. So if your meals are high in salt, fat, sugar, are highly processed or filled with sweeteners, you're feeding the bad bugs. The ones that won't communicate serotonin to your brain, but rather the opposite. 

Plus, if your diet's fuelling the bad bugs, you stop the good bugs from growing. So if we want to feed the good bugs, we've got to eat good foods. But which kinds?

Food for thought.

Now that we understand what's fuelling what, we can dig into the kinds of food that will actually make us feel good:

Eat your eggs

Since they're so high in protein, eggs can boost the blood plasma levels of tryptophan – an essential amino acid that can't be produced by the human body but it is key to our cognitive health and mood. 

Fuel up on fish

Any foods high in Vitamin D, like fish, have been proven to reduce depression. But it's the fatty oils of salmon that make it the star of the species. The oil is filled with omega-3 – perfect to combat the blues. 

Get your greens in

After years of pushing brussel sprouts around the plate, it's time to grow up. Leafy greens like spinach, kale and bok choy are packed with folic acids to stabilise energy and protect your long-term mental health. 

Chow-down on cheese

Gouda, cheddar, camembert, whatever your go-to cheese is, it may not be as unhealthy as we once thought. In moderation of course. It's also loaded with trptophan, along with milk and yoghurt. 

Boost ya bean intake

Any member of the legume family will help you stay fuller for longer and keep your blood sugar stable. That makes it easier to burn energy, which we all know is essential for our mental health.