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Writer's pictureDiane Feeney

Food and Mood – Eat Well to Feel Well!

After eating your favourite takeaway meal, you may very well discover that the initial rush of excitement has worn off and you are feeling bloated and uncomfortable. There is scientific evidence that what we eat affects our mood.

It has been documented in studies that depression and anxiety can be caused due to high processed foods unlike the Mediterranean diet.


So, it is important to Eat well in order to feel well!

Try to eat colours of the rainbow and as much as you can. It will not only be healthy for your body but make you feel good seeing a colourful plate in front of you. Eat high protein foods and the right kind of fats. Oily fish, nuts chicken, milk, yogurt cheese and eggs.


Plan ahead to cook ahead but keep it simple: If you plan your meals in advance, then you will know the ingredients you will need to buy, and it won’t be stressful trying to think what to cook each and every night. It’s really that simple - plan ahead. Alongside this you can also cook ahead. Cook one night remembering to double up portions and then eat the same food the next night. You will find that this saves time, buying, preparing, washing up and on energy bills.


Stress, weight gain and emotional Eating: When we are nervous or stressed, we can tend to eat more and want a quick fix and eat food that is readily available to quell our uncomfortable feeling rather that planning a meal out. When levels of cortisol are increased then this nervous vigour can have an effect on what you want to eat and more than you would normally.


Don’t forget to exercise: Even if it is just a walk around the block and don’t skip meals. This can often happen when we are busy with work, family life, study or looking after a relative. Don’t skip breakfast again think ahead and make a list of different alternatives to keep your first meal of the day a time to look forward to.


Do engage in mindful eating: So slow down when you eat and perhaps it might be an idea to keep a food journal so you can be a detective in working out what tiggers things from your diet.


Bear in mind what you are drinking: It’s not just alcohol that can add on the pounds but drinking fizzy drinks or endless cups of tea/coffee with sugar. Try drinking more water if you can and an ideal way to keep it cool is to use an aluminium flask. Alternatively, try some fruit teas… you never know your tastebuds might have changed and you surprise yourself how you now take a liking to them. Drinks that contain caffeine such as coffee and fizzy drinks can may you feel jittery, increase your heart rate and cause you sleeping problems.

Check out this video below and get ready to make a note of any useful tips that appeal to you. Just one change can make all the difference.




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