Healthy eatingwith aisling murray from whelehans pharmacy
Mood Food:How’s food influence mood:Certain foods can elevate mood and make you feel more refreshed and awake. Eating a lot of processed or fatty foods can make you feel sluggish, as you are not getting the essential nutrients you require. It’s important to keep your blood sugars regulated and your gastrointestinal tract running well, this will help you feel good and energetic and can be achieved by eating a balanced diet. A “heart healthy diet” which is high in fibre and low in saturated fat will create a peak in your mood and make sure your body is functioning better.
1. Increase Fruits and vegetables
Try eating seven portions of fruit (2-3 portions) and vegetables (3-4 portions) daily, they are packed full of nutrients. Fruits and vegetables also have antioxidant phytochemicals, which directly contribute to your health. The best fruits and vegetables to boost mood include bananas, leafy greens and berries.
2. Get your intake of fish. Studies suggest that you have lower risk of having low mood and depression if you incorporate fish into your diet. Oily fish (mackerel, salmon, herring, tuna, etc.) in particular is high in essential omega – 3 fatty acid, these essential fats help to boost mood and memory they also protect against memory loss in old age.
3. Introduce selenium-rich foods into your diet
Selenium is a mineral that acts like an antioxidant in the body. Antioxidants help improve mood and mop up free radicals in the brain which are associated with mild cases of depression. Examples of selenium rich foods to include in your diet include nuts and seeds, beans and lean meat (chicken, turkey and fish).
4. Vitamin D:Time spent in the sun can make you feel uplifted. The sun’s rays allow our bodies to synthesize and regulate vitamin D. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked with SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and mood disorders. Fortunately there are foods which naturally contain vitamin D such as oily fish, cheese, egg yolk and fortified foods. Vitamin D supplements are also beneficial if you feel you are not getting enough through the sun or your diet. Adult D® is the most cost effective vitamin D supplement and is available in Whelehans pharmacy (costs only €3 per month)
Foods which act negatively on mood:Saturated fats promote heart disease and have now been linked with depression so should be reduced in the diet. Limit alcohol consumption as it’s a known depressant, affecting all nerve cells in the body and can leave you feeling down. Caffeine is also something that should be taken in small quantities as it can increase irritability and can cause energy crashes.
If you change the way you are eating and continue to have low mood over a long period of time its recommend to go visit you GP or speak to you pharmacist. There may be some underlying factors contributing to your low mood.
Whelehans Nutrition Service
Whelehans nutritional service is a private one to one advice service with our nutritionist Aisling Murray. Aisling’s areas of interest include weight loss management, nutrition education and food intolerance. Our nutrition service offers you the chance to change your life in a positive way by focusing on your overall wellbeing as well as the chance to follow up on your progress.
Aisling Murray has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and offers a one to one specialist nutrition service at Whelehans Pharmacy. Call Whelehans at 04493 34591 for an appointment
This article is shortened to fit within newspaper space limits. More detailed information and leaflets are available in Whelehans.