Understanding the Link Between Food and Mood  

You may have heard about the link between food and our mental health. When you understand how important the food we eat is to provide the building blocks of our neurotransmitters and “feel good” hormones, it all makes so much sense! 

If the feel good hormones like serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and our endorphins don’t have the correct quantity, or availability of the nutrients that are needed to create them in our body, then they can’t be used to their best effect. 

For example, dopamine is made up of amino acids such as (tyrosine and phenylalanine) (1), vitamins such as folate (2), and minerals like iron and magnesium (3). If you are not consuming enough of these essential components of dopamine, the hormone cannot work as well as it should, leaving us with a low mood.

In recent years the science around food for mood has been growing and we now have some clinical guidelines for managing depressive disorders that are recommending dietary interventions (4).

Food provides the building blocks of our neurotransmitters and if we are not getting enough of the right nutrients to activate or build these neurotransmitters they will not work to the best of their potential.

How Food Affects Mood in Teens and Peri-Menopausal Women

It is also becoming evident that what we eat can affect our moods in the years when our hormones go wonky like in perimenopause and the teen years. So unfortunately when you might be experiencing perimenopause symptoms, your teen could also be experiencing hormonal fluctuations. It’s a challenging time for all!

Studies are showing that the Mediterranean style of eating can help decrease stress, improve sleep, reduce inflammation and manage the symptoms of fluctuating hormone levels (5). That is not to say that other factors are irrelevant, but that the food we eat can either help or hinder how we feel, whether in perimenopause or in the teen years.

The Mediterranean style of eating can help manage the symptoms of fluctuating hormones.

You may be wondering what food to include in a Mediterranean style of eating, that will help boost your mood or the mood of your moody teen.  Here are some of the key aspects to consider:

Whole-grains – Benefits and best options for balanced blood sugar  

• The undervalued superfood! Whole grains are full of many B vitamins as well as carbohydrates that fuel our body and brain. Yes your brain does use energy, and quite a bit of it! But not all carbs are good for us.
• Focus on wholegrains. I like to say that if you can see bits in it (like seeds or fibrous bits) it is more likely to be a wholegrain. 
• Have a look at the diagram (which you can download) to get a good idea of good wholegrain options. 
• Whole-grains also benefit our blood glucose (sugar) levels. They help reduce those big energy fluctuations that can happen after a meal. You know how it is. After a meal if it has quickly absorbed carbs, you get a big surge of energy and then a drop where you just want to fall asleep. That is what we want to avoid. Whole-grains will give you a slower release of energy than the refined options.
• The carbohydrate intake from whole-grains is also important in helping the amino acid tryptophan to be used for building those feel good hormones.
• Reduce: grains that are fibre free like white bread, white pasta, white rice.

Fatty Fish and Omega-3’s – Brain health and mood support

• Fatty fish like salmon, trout, sardines, mackerel and tuna are a great source of the Omega 3 fats that help with reducing inflammation. Inflammation is not just a temporary condition. Inflammation can occur for long periods in joints and muscles and it happens in our brain as well when we are under a lot of stress, or living unhealthy lifestyles. This is called chronic inflammation and it is sneaky in that you don’t know you have it until you get a blood test done.
• The omega 3 fats are also used in every single cell in our body and help keep our feel good hormones functioning (6). 
• For those that don’t like fish, you can get omega 3 fats from other foods but they are not as easily used in the body. The process for it to be converted to a usable form is complicated and it would seem that the uptake rate is quite low (7). Due to the lack of research in this area and the many question marks still to be answered, I have recommended that vegans particularly have foods with omega 3’s throughout the day if possible and supplementing with an algae based tablet may be beneficial (check with your medical practitioner or dietitian before starting any supplements).
• Plant based Omega 3’s – see diagram

Fermented Foods for Gut Health

• Fermented foods typically provide good bacteria as well as some form of fibre. The exceptions to this would be most yoghurts, kefir as well as kombucha, which don’t have fibre. Some yoghurts have added fibre which would then improve the benefits of the fermented food. Some of these fermented foods appear to make it easier for consumers to digest as it breaks down some of the components of the food before it is eaten. An example of this is with cow’s milk. The fermentation process of the milk uses the lactose in the milk thus reducing the quantity of lactose remaining, which then makes it easier for those who find lactose difficult to digest.
• In addition, fermentation produces good bacteria. If we have a higher proportion of the good bacteria to the bad bacteria our gut does its job better.
• In regards to mental wellbeing, the good bacteria produce something called metabolites which then appear to activate and produce the feel good neurotransmitters (8). This is a very simplified summary of the benefits to our mental wellbeing. Needless to say, fermented food appears to play a big role in our mental wellbeing.
• See my list of fermented foods below and ask yourself which ones you feel comfortable trying or including on a regular basis.

Fruits – High antioxidants for mental health

• For some people having fruit is a real challenge. I was one of them, so I know the obstacles here! Fruit is a great source of vitamins and phytonutrients including antioxidants. Antioxidants help to reduce inflammation and rid our body of, well, oxidants. Oxidants form free radicals which are what can cause diseases and inflammation. These occur as part of the use of oxygen, so it is happening all the time. The food we eat can provide the anti-oxidants to stabilise the oxidants so they don’t cause damage. If we aren’t eating enough of those antioxidants rich foods, the oxidants become free radicals and you never know what to expect from a radical! 
• So antioxidants have been shown to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms (9) with fruit providing good sources of antioxidants like Vitamin C, and A as well as the phytonutrients which are often recognised by the colour, such as blue being rich in anthocyanins. 
• Blueberries are great to include for those that have any form of fructose intolerance. They are not only a good source of antioxidants but are quite low in fructose. But variety is the key. Why not experiment and see what new fruits you can enjoy or introduce to your family. 

Leafy Greens and other Vegetables

• Our leafy greens are also important for providing folate, which is a B vitamin. Low folate has been linked to depressive disorders (10). This is related to our feel good hormones needing the folate as part of their building blocks.
• You have likely heard about eating the rainbow. Well the different colours of vegetables are going to provide other parts of the puzzle for fueling your feel good hormones and helping reduce inflammation. Try introducing new vegetables to your family. I find adding them to a mixed dish like a stir-fry or bolognaise dish is a soft introduction. Some vegetables by themselves are just not very nice, but they disappear or the flavour is over-powered by the combined ingredients. 
• You will also find that some veggies taste very different if they are cooked in different ways. For example roasted broccoli is my new favourite way of eating broccoli. I don’t really enjoy steamed broccoli, but I still eat it. But for me, I love it roasted and could eat quite a lot, very happily! Brussels sprouts are another more bitter veggie that benefits from roasting or charring. The flavour is very different and to me, much more enjoyable.

Nuts, Seeds, and Dark Chocolate – Magnesium and other essential nutrients

• Nuts, seeds and dark chocolate are all good source of magnesium. Magnesium deficiency may be linked to anxiety and depressive disorders (11). Magnesium is used in the muscles. If we are under stress, either physical or mental, our muscles tighten and magnesium is used. If we are under chronic stress or long term stress our muscles are often tight for long periods, and we are pumping through our magnesium stores. I knew there was a good reason to enjoy dark chocolate!
• Another potential benefit in having magnesium is that it may benefit sleep (12). Despite the research not giving a clear yes or no as to whether magnesium can be recommended to improve sleep quality, we do know that it is needed to help regulate our neurotransmitters including melatonin and the GABA neurotransmitter which helps with calming us down (13).
• One thing I would suggest though is to include magnesium rich food in your diet rather than resorting to supplements unless you are advised by a medical professional.
• Magnesium rich foods include: cocoa, nuts and seeds with brazil nuts containing a higher amount, leafy greens, and legumes to name a few (14).

Eating enough of the following food groups and a variety of them, are important when managing moods:

• Whole-grains
• Fatty Fish and Omega 3 rich foods
• Fermented foods
• Fruits
• Vegetables including leafy greens
• Nuts and seeds

1. Single serve tinned salmon (have you tried the Salmon Tempters? The tomato and onion one is my favourite) – you can use these as a quick snack or to top a salad. Nice over some noodles as well with grated carrot, grated beetroot, baby spinach and cheese.
2. Cacao or cocoa – both are high in magnesium and are nice in milk or mixed through yoghurt. I like to add some cacao to my porridge in the morning. See my choc raspberry porridge recipe for inspiration! It’s the sugar that is added to cocoa or cacao that is normally excessive and what can lead to overconsumption. I like to buy cocoa or cacao without the added sugar and then to sweeten it I choose a sugar that is not too quickly absorbed like coconut sugar or honey. You can also use an amount that you choose rather than the super sweet premixed hot chocolate mixes. Another option for sweetness is a sugar alternative like stevia or monk fruit. These add the sweetness without the extra blood glucose spikes you get from refined sugars.
3. Nuts – if you like raw nuts then buy these as they appear to have greater nutritional benefits. Otherwise, roasted is better than not having them. You will still get similar nutrients from them, but if you can get the low temperature roasted ones there may be more benefits ( visit here for a great summary of the research around roasted vs raw nuts). Brazil nuts are very high in selenium and are a good source of magnesium, both of which are good for our mental health and memory. I like to have Brazil nuts with something a bit sweet.  Try them with figs for a sweet addition. I like nuts as a snack or added to cereal, porridge, or salads.
4. Mixed seeds to sprinkle on breakfast, yoghurts, into a smoothie, or on a salad. This could be seeds like pumpkin seeds (pepitas), linseeds (flax seeds), sunflower seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds. I keep a container of mixed linseeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds in the pantry to easily add mixed seeds to my porridge.
5. Snackable veggies. You can buy mini carrots, cucumber, tomatoes and capsicum these days – did I miss anything?  You can obviously cut up full sized veggies if you prefer. Other easy veggie snacks are snow peas, sugar snap peas and celery sticks. If you want to make them easier to eat, combine them with wholegrain crackers, dips, or cheese. Don’t forget the legumes. These are often higher in protein and fibre. You can get snack packs of chickpeas and edamame beans these days. Or make a dip with chickpeas (hommus). Also a lot of our Mexican dishes include legumes as do Mediterranean dishes. 
6. Keeping some fruit easily available is a good way to increase fruit intake. Some of us need a bit more encouragement, so having them pre-cut on the bench or served after meals can help here. Frozen fruit is also a great option. Have you tried making a soft-serve fruit ice-cream? Only 4 ingredients required: frozen fruit, honey or maple syrup, salt and milk. Throw the fruit into a blender with the sweetener and a pinch of salt. Chop until it forms small pieces about the size of rice and then add the milk. Blend again until you get a creamy looking soft-serve ice-cream. It doesn’t take long to make either. So if you have some fruit shy family members, I would give this recipe a go.
   1. Fresh or frozen fruit
   2. Berries
   3. Make soft-serve fruit ice-cream
7. For fermented foods, an easy place to start for many people is the yoghurts. I would suggest starting with a yoghurt that has probiotics added. All yoghurts should have good bacteria in it as that is how it becomes yoghurt. But not all yoghurts have added probiotics with gut health benefits. If you are in Australia the two that I am aware of are the Vaalia and Activia yoghurts. Beyond yoghurt, you could gradually try some of the fermented veggies like sauerkraut or kimchi. If you add these to the top of a stir-fry or a sandwich they will give a nice sour flavour. Remember that if you cook these you will kill the beneficial bacteria although you will still get the other benefits of the ingredients such as fibre, minerals and phytonutrients.
   1. Yoghurt
   2. Sauerkraut
   3. Kimchi
8. Eggs – a boiled egg has some mood boosting vitamins such as choline which is needed to produce acetylcholine which is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate moods and memory (15). Try keeping some boiled eggs available in the fridge for a satisfying snack.
9. Dairy products – milk, cheese, yoghurt. These make an easy, satisfying snack and they are full of mood boosting nutrients including phenylalanine, which is needed to be present before some of our neurotransmitters can be activated such as dopamine.  [16].
10. The final touch is the grains. Buying wholemeal pasta and rice will be an easy swap. If your family are not fans of the wholemeal versions, you could try a mix of both until they are used to it and gradually increase the wholemeal ones and decrease the white ones. Swap your savoury biscuits to wholegrain versions will help with the benefits from wholegrain. Then of course there are the breads. Whole-grain is the best, wholemeal is next best. If you enjoy sourdough, and can get a whole-grain one, you are on a winner!

I would also suggest oats as a great breakfast option. Porridge, muesli or home made oat bars. Look for a way to include rolled oats (not quick oats).

1. Wholemeal pasta
2. Brown rice or brown basmati rice (the best option in my opinion)
3. Grainy savoury biscuits
4. Grainy sourdough bread
5. Grainy breads
6. Oats (rolled, steel cut, stabilised or unstabilised – whatever you prefer except not the quick oats).

Ten tips for how to include the following pantry items:

1. Tinned salmon – single serve sizes
2. Cacao or Cocoa – sugar free, or low sugar is best – added to breakfast or a hot chocolate
3. Nuts – variety, but Brazil nuts are excellent
4. Mixed seeds – pre-mix to add to meals
5. Snackable veggies – keep these available for a quick snack
6. Fruit – Fresh or frozen is best.
7. Fermented foods – kimchi, yoghurt, sauerkraut – added to meals
8. Eggs – boiled eggs are easy to store and eat for a satisfying snack
9. Dairy products – cheese, milk, yoghurt – breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack time
10. Whole-grains – swap crackers, breads, wraps, pasta and rice to whole-grain options.

As we have looked at what foods are important for mental wellbeing, there are also foods that are better to remove from our pantry that don’t contribute to mental wellbeing. 

This list is pretty simple. 

1. Refined sugary foods – sweets, soft-drinks, sweet biscuits, sweetened breakfast cereals eg Fruit loops (17).
2. Ultra processed foods (UPF’s) – the above foods will fit into this category as well. It also includes food like potato chips (crisps)  that have had the nutrients that would benefit us, removed. It also covers a lot of the fast food options. If it doesn’t reflect its original form, it may be an UPF (17). 
3. Saturated –  Saturated fats are in most of the fats we consume, but are higher in our animal based fats and coconut oils (17). 
4. Trans fats are fats or oils that have changed form often from a liquid to a solid. It is also produced in high heat cooking and some is also found naturally in animal fats. Not only are they bad for our heart, they are not great for our mental wellbeing. Check your nutrition panel for trans fats. You will also find them in margarines, pastries, store bought biscuits and fried foods (16, 17).

Removing these items from your pantry can help with mental wellbeing and reducing the mood fluctuations:

1. Highly sugared foods
2. Ultra-processed foods
3. Saturated fats
4. Trans fats.

Making the Transition

Most mum’s will be aware that this won’t be a popular transition unless you have some buy in from your crew. For mum’s of selective eaters this can be even more challenging. I won’t get into selective eaters in this post, but what I will say is that for all of us it can start with our understanding of the need to change. If you or your family don’t see the need then it is like pushing a very heavy load up a hill. Keep your ears and eyes open for the “why’s” of your family. Why would they want to improve their food choices? An example might be that they are feeling anxious a lot and they don’t like that feeling. They would like to feel better. Or they are not sleeping well and would like to feel less tired. They might have constipation or other gut issues that could benefit from dietary changes. Whatever their why, that is the place to begin. Then we look for easy ways to make those changes. The food needs to taste good, it has to be easy to access or prepare, and it needs to be available. 

One thing I used to encourage when I had teens in the house was snacking on the veggies that I was preparing for the evening meal. They were allowed to eat as much as they wanted. It just meant I spent a bit more time preparing extra veggies. But since I was doing it anyway it wasn’t an interruption or didn’t take much more effort.

Try to gradually make some of the swaps that I have suggested. The half and half idea can work for some. Others just need to do the swap without comment. Your family may not notice that you have swapped a usual item for a new one. I know I am not talking to those with extremely selective eaters. They absolutely will notice! This is where you will have to rely on the buy in from them. They will need to agree to trying new things.

Some of the favourite less healthy family foods could also be saved for occasional food rather than daily. Remind them that they will see it again, but not until an occasion that you decide, comes up.

• Look for the ‘why’ for dietary change to help your family want to change their food intake choices.
• Have veggies and fruit available to snack on.
• Make gradual swaps.
• Have foods that are occasional foods, not daily.

To make meal preparation easier try these ideas:

1. 1. Meal planning (stay posted for my workshop, coming soon in the new year).
   2. Batch cooking or making extra.
   3. Use pre-cut fresh or frozen veggies.
   4. Cook with your teen or get them to cook.
   5. Meal kits can reduce time but may need more veggies added.

As you have probably noticed, some of these foods to boost the mood of you or your family are not as complicated as you may have thought. To eat mood boosting food regularly instead of processed or fast food does take some thought and planning. Let me just say, it is definitely worth working on this as early as possible. For some it will take time and patience, while for others it will be pushing past the resistance and looking for the reasons why for each family member. If you can just choose one thing to start with and keep adding to this each week (or at a pace that works for you), you will gradually begin to reap the rewards of a happier and healthier family.

Please feel free to reach out with your questions or comments. I would love to hear your story.

Or join my new Facebook community. Here is the link – Mind Fuel Mums FB Group. I am charging a monthly subscription of $5 per month for the early adopters. This will increase in January but will remain $5 for those who get in early.

Why not experiment with some new recipes? Have you tried any of these ones? Or have a look at my other recipes for some inspiration.

REFERENCES:

[1] Elton, A., Faulkner, M. L., Robinson, D. L., & Boettiger, C. A. (2021). Acute depletion of dopamine precursors in the human brain: effects on functional connectivity and alcohol attentional bias. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 46(8), 1421–1431. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-021-00993-9

[2] Miller A. L. (2008). The methylation, neurotransmitter, and antioxidant connections between folate and depression. Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic, 13(3), 216–226.

[3] Serefko, A., Szopa, A., Wlaź, P., Nowak, G., Radziwoń-Zaleska, M., Skalski, M., & Poleszak, E. (2013). Magnesium in depression. Pharmacological reports : PR, 65(3), 547–554. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1734-1140(13)71032-6

[4] Marx, W., Manger, S. H., Blencowe, M., Murray, G., Ho, F. Y. Y., Lawn, S., … O’Neil, A. (2022). Clinical guidelines for the use of lifestyle-based mental health care in major depressive disorder: World Federation of Societies for Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) and Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM) taskforce. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 24(5), 333–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/15622975.2022.2112074

[5] Opie, Rachelle & O’Neil, Adrienne & Jacka, Felice & Pizzinga, Josephine & Itsiopoulos, Catherine. (2017). A modified Mediterranean dietary intervention for adults with major depression: Dietary protocol and feasibility data from the SMILES trial. Nutritional Neuroscience. 21. 10.1080/1028415X.2017.1312841. 

[6] Office of Dietary Supplements – Omega-3 fatty acids. (n.d.). https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/

[7] Lane, K. E., Wilson, M., Hellon, T. G., & Davies, I. G. (2021). Bioavailability and conversion of plant based sources of omega-3 fatty acids – a scoping review to update supplementation options for vegetarians and vegans. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 62(18), 4982–4997. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2021.1880364

[8] Xiong, R. G., Li, J., Cheng, J., Zhou, D. D., Wu, S. X., Huang, S. Y., Saimaiti, A., Yang, Z. J., Gan, R. Y., & Li, H. B. (2023). The Role of Gut Microbiota in Anxiety, Depression, and Other Mental Disorders as Well as the Protective Effects of Dietary Components. Nutrients, 15(14), 3258. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15143258

[9] Wang, H., Jin, M., Xie, M., Yang, Y., Xue, F., Li, W., Zhang, M., Li, Z., Li, X., Jia, N., Liu, Y., Cui, X., Hu, G., Dong, L., Wang, G., & Yu, Q. (2022). Protective role of antioxidant supplementation for depression and anxiety: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Journal of Affective Disorders, 323, 264–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.11.072

[10] Liwinski, T., & Lang, U. E. (2023). Folate and Its Significance in Depressive Disorders and Suicidality: A Comprehensive Narrative Review. Nutrients, 15(17), 3859. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15173859

[11] Moabedi, M., Aliakbari, M., Erfanian, S., & Milajerdi, A. (2023). Magnesium supplementation beneficially affects depression in adults with depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Frontiers in psychiatry, 14, 1333261. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1333261

[12] Arab, A., Rafie, N., Amani, R., & Shirani, F. (2023). The Role of Magnesium in Sleep Health: a Systematic Review of Available Literature. Biological trace element research, 201(1), 121–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03162-1

[13] Durlach J, Pagès N, Bac P, et al. Chronopathological forms of magnesium depletion with hypofunction or with hyperfunction of the biological clock. Magnesium Research. 2002 Dec;15(3-4):263-268. PMID: 12635882.

[14] Australian Food Composition Database. (n.d.). https://afcd.foodstandards.gov.au/foodsbynutrientsearch.aspx?nutrientID=MG

[15] Office of Dietary Supplements – Choline. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-Consumer/

[15] National Center for Biotechnology Information (2024). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 6140, Phenylalanine. Retrieved November 3, 2024 from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Phenylalanine.

[16] World Health Organization: WHO. (2024, January 24). Trans fat. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/trans-fat

[17] O’Neil, A., Quirk, S. E., Housden, S., Brennan, S. L., Williams, L. J., Pasco, J. A., Berk, M., & Jacka, F. N. (2014). Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents: a systematic review. American journal of public health, 104(10), e31–e42. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302110