Believe it or not, food has a huge effect on your moods. Think about chocolate just as an example. So many people run to chocolate when they are upset, mad, depressed. This is because our brain knows eating chocolate brings on a kind of euphoric feeling.
This is why so many people are addicted to chocolate. Yeah, that’s a thing and it’s real.
There is also an emotional aspect to food. Think celebrations, events, and entertainment-type gatherings. We have this emotional tie to food in these situations that just kind of finishes off the feeling we’re used to, the comfortable feeling or even the “at least there is food” feeling with you feel like you dragged to an event.
I think we’ve all seen a child throwing a fit in the cereal aisle or the candy aisle, or even at the checkout lanes.
Not sure about you, but I’ve never seen anyone throwing a fit in the veggies aisle because they wanted some broccoli or some carrots.
Why Does Food Affect Our Moods
People seem to instinctively crave comfort foods, stuff high in carbohydrates, which get converted into sugars, or they crave food very high in sugar content.
Eating and drinking processed and refined foods and drinks that have very high sugar content is nothing more than a blood sugar nightmare.
A lot of people think cooked starches like potatoes, rice, or even pasta are more healthy, but those starches are converted into sugars pretty fast too.
These types of food get us this false burst of energy and feeling better, but it’s very short-lived and sometimes has a nasty crash with it too.
Some call this ‘self-induced hypoglycemia.’
Foods That Increase Serotonin and Why They Affect Us
When we have those crashes it’s hard. Ever try and get some work done, be in a good mood, or focus, while you’re in the middle of a heavy caffeine crash.
It’s almost impossible!
when this happens, our bodies tend to crave the same thing that gave us that false boost of energy. You can probably see where our addictions come from.
The main function of most anti-depressants being given out is to increase serotonin levels, this is the “feel good” hormone if you will.
When serotonin levels are low, we crave carbs and other comfort foods to give us that fake energy boost and make us “feel better“.
BUT, if we learn how to eat and how to have a nourishing diet, we can see better brain health and more real energy without the harsh crashes or pounding our bodies with sugars.
What Kind Of Diet Will Help With Better Moods?
I don’t eat this way, but I have thought about it quite a bit. But a raw vegan diet would be a good recommendation for better living, real energy, better moods, and more focus.
One of the reasons a vegan raw diet is best is because there are no toxins in the food you eat. No added substances, no artificial ingredients, and no more processed foods.
Another benefit of a raw vegan-type diet is that they are loaded with fiber. This helps keep your intestines and the intestinal tract in top shape and clean.
If your colon is overloaded with waste, it starts to get recycled into your bloodstream and throughout your body. How healthy and peaceful does that sound?
Eating foods that are high in fiber and natural sugars also removes the crazy rides you get from processed foods, processed sugars, and carbs. These foods also help in decreasing our serotonin levels as well.
Detoxing From The Bad Foods That Affect Your Moods
I’m not going to get too far into detoxing, that’s a whole different topic by itself. But the basics are there for anyone to start with.
Remove processed foods, cut down on carbs, no more processed sugars, and lots of fiber.
I’d recommend looking into detoxing before you try it.
After some time with a good detox, which can be a very hard thing to deal with at times because we’re also detoxing our moods and emotions.
You’ll also notice it’s easier to focus, and you have a clearer mind altogether. All of this will also bring on a better outlook on life, help you deal with stresses better, and you’ll also find that you’re much happier.
When you move to a more raw diet, you’ll also most likely start to drop a few pounds, your skin might clear up or you can just feel better all around. This helps us to be more cheerful and in much better moods more often.
On a raw diet, your mind becomes more clear, your brain works better, your senses are sharper, and you begin to see the brighter side of things.
