19 Aug Food DOES Affect Your Mood
The various ways in which our diet affects our mood and mental health has been well documented for a while now. It is super refreshing that mental health is now so widely talked about – and is accepted as a topic of conversation – but the effect of our diets on how we feel mentally isn’t fully appreciated yet. It’s therefore important that this issue continues to be kept in mind by food manufacturing companies, who have a responsibility to remain aware of such things.
There is increasing evidence that the food we eat can contribute to the way our brains function. Avocado, berries, leafy greens and walnuts are all linked to increased brainpower. Then there are the mood-boosting foods: oranges, bell peppers and strawberries for their high vitamin C content, and spinach, sweet potatoes and bananas for their vitamin B6 (good for serotonin uptake). (1) To save getting too technical, though, a good rule of thumb is simply: eating healthily allows you to feel better. Everyone feels a lot happier when they’ve eaten plenty of fruit and veggies, drunk a lot of water and kept sugar, caffeine and alcohol intakes to a minimum. Then of course there’s exercise; it is again proven that getting yourself to the gym, even for just half an hour, is a guaranteed mood booster thanks to the influx of endorphins that exercise releases. At least 75 minutes of vigorous intensity cardio (such as running) is recommended per week. (2)
Low-sugar foods continue to be a driving trend within the food and beverage industry, and rightly so! Sugar is severely inflammatory and spikes our energy levels. Several companies on the market have catered to the average consumer’s craving for sugar; Mr Kipling’s reduced sugar fruity slices are a nice option for when that mid-afternoon sweet tooth kicks in, and Volvic have a sugar-free watermelon flavour from their Touch of Fruit range. Then there’s the fantastic Tropicana Essentials range – made only with fruit, veg, vitamins and minerals, these drinks are designed to combat weak immune systems and fatigue by boosting vitality and vitamin power. All of the above are well deserved 2019 Product of the Year winners due to the companies’ awareness of the damaging effects of sugar.
With plenty of healthy, just-as-yummy alternatives to sugar-filled, processed foods on the market, it’s never been easier to go for the healthy options. And yes, these decisions might sometimes require a lot of willpower, but your improved mental health will thank you for it.
If your company has any exciting low/non-sugar or healthy/nutrients-based innovations, we would love to hear about them!
(1) https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/diet-recovery#1
Photograph by Ella Ollson – Lemon Ginger Vegetable Quinoa