Hangry: a clever amalgam of hungry and angry invented to describe the feeling of being irritable and grumpy when severe hunger sets in. Hunger is a normal, physiological feeling we all experience. As anyone who has ever been hangry can attest, our food choices, both good and bad, can affect our mood drastically. This link works in more than one way, as food affects our mood as much as our mood will affect our food choices. Being hangry can lead to making impulsive food choices, which more often than not are not the healthiest, as we grab quick and easy, high-energy foods.
According to Monique Piderit a registered dietitian at Nutritional Solutions, the science of how food can affect our mood centres around how chemicals in the brain change depending on what we eat. These chemicals, called neurotransmitters, regulate and control our mood, as well as other important brain and psychological functions such as appetite control, sleep, memory and learning, temperature, and muscle contraction. Poor dietary choices can alter the levels of these chemicals, consequently influencing our mood and behaviour.
To boost your feel-good neurotransmitters for a happy and elated mood, here are some basic nutrition tips to follow.
Keep the carbs
Our brains need twice as much energy as other cells in our body. Glucose is the only fuel that can be used directly by the brain, which is why carbohydrates (which supply glucose) play a role in nourishing the brain. After eating carbohydrate-rich food, there is an increase in levels of serotonin, the “feel good” neurotransmitter with the ability to impact mood, anxiety, and happiness, among other functions. The resulting increase in brain serotonin promotes the feeling of calmness, improves sleep, increases pain tolerance, and reduces food cravings. For this reason, including healthy carbohydrates in our diet may help in modifying our mood.
Rolled oats, wholewheat pasta, wholegrains (corn, barley, pearl wheat, wild/brown rice), fresh fruit, and vegetables are all good carbohydrate choices. However, not all carbohydrates have the same effect on our mood. High GI, low fibre carbohydrates, which raise and drop blood sugar levels very quickly, have been associated with mood disturbances such as anxiety, irritability, lethargy, and frustration. Be sure to limit highly refined carbohydrates such as sugar, honey, sugar-sweetened drinks, and all products made from white flour, which can do the opposite, increasing hunger signals in the brain.
Get the gut healthy
A significant amount of research has found that the gut and the brain are intimately linked. The human gut represents an ecosystem within the body of the highest complexity, with over 1 000 species of microbiota calling the gut home. Through several physical and biochemical communication networks known as the gut-brain axis, it has been suggested that gut microbes may profoundly influence brain function, mental health, depression, and mood. Further to this, as much as 80% of the abovementioned serotonin is made in our gut, meaning that a healthy gut is linked to a healthy mood.
Consuming fermented foods such as yoghurt and maas, which contain gut-healthy live cultures, in addition to high-fibre foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, can support healthy gut microbiota and benefit overall gut health. The consumption of plain, low-fat yoghurt has also been shown to play a positive role in stress management and depression.
Be wise with water
Despite water constituting 60–80% of the human body, its significance is often overlooked in how it keeps our moods elevated. Our brains, too, are mostly made of water. As a result, when we are dehydrated, functions of the brain are affected, including mood. Our mood state can be positively influenced by simply drinking more water. You should aim to consume 1 to 2 litres of water per day.
Remember to keep a water bottle on hand to sip through the day. Add chopped fruit such as berries or apples or herbs such as mint or ginger to infuse plain water or sparkling water with flavour. Make homemade sugar-fee ice tea using Rooibos tea or your favourite herbal tea flavour. Make it a large jug or store it in grab-and-go bottles for school or work.
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