the whole nut

eat better, feel better

January 13th, 2010

“Eating well is easier than going to the gym, and tastes better than eating like crap.” Says my busy boyfriend the other night over text. Gym issue aside, I chuckled and wondered what prompted this “testimony” (as he called it). Might there be a connection between the things we eat and the way we feel? Of course, never wanting to be the bossy girlfriend, I sometimes let him make his own choices when it comes to food. But perhaps now he was making the connection for himself.

Though he can balk at my green smoothie and call me a “woodland creature” with a cupboard full of grains, there’s no denying how tasty quality food can be. The trick is being able to recognize how good our bodies feel when we eat healthy, wholesome meals. You eat better, you feel better, right? And it doesn’t stop there! Did you know the food you eat affects more than the way you feel?

We all know the wrong food choices can leave us with a tummy ache, heartburn, or a cavity. But aside from the obvious, food also affects our energy and mood! Whether it’s a positive or negative influence is up to you and your diet. You see, the food you eat goes into your bloodstream, which makes up the cells in your body, which makes up you! See? You really are what you eat!

So what does that mean? It means that every little thing you eat affects your mood, your balance and your mental state. Think about it. How do you feel when you have a fresh, crisp apple? And think about how you feel when you pick up a cheap, store-bought brownie, leftover in the conference room. What is your mood like? Which is more likely to leave you tired and irritable after 20 minutes?

Once you start connecting your food with your mood, you’ll lose the energy-depleting, bad-mood forming junk foods and go for high-quality foods that only enhance and give you a boost! Some of us are more sensitive than others, and some choices are just more obvious. As Joshua Rosenthal points out: “the most extreme examples are coffee or alcohol, which change your state of mind within minutes.”

So start making the connection with foods that aren’t so obvious. Try keeping a simple journal and jot down the way you feel after eating a meal or certain foods. Soon you may discover that your afternoon coffee isn’t the best choice for you. Or perhaps the sugary cereal in the morning only makes you want to crawl back into bed. Look out for foods that make you tense or anxious, and start bulking up on foods that help you feel energized, creative and focused.

At the end of the day, no one wants to feel or “eat like crap.” Simple solution? Pay attention to what you eat, and pay attention to the way you feel after each meal. Learn what feeds you best.

Can you think of a time you made a food-mood connection? Which foods have the most positive affect on you? And which would you be better off without?

Filed under: Food for Thought

Tags: eat better, energy, feel better, food, food mood connection, healthy, Joshua Rosenthal, nutrition