Food and Mood

Did you know that the foods that we eat are tied to our mood?

At S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc., we believe that building a healthier community requires strong partnerships and a shared commitment to whole-person wellness. That’s why we are proud to welcome Michele Catlin as this week’s guest blogger.

Michele brings more than 30 years of experience at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center and serves as a dedicated leader in chronic disease prevention, education, and community wellness. As a DCCC Diabetes Education Program Specialist, she empowers individuals to successfully manage chronic conditions such as diabetes through evidence-based education, practical tools, and compassionate support.

Her work aligns closely with our mission at S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. We know that health is not one-dimensional — it is influenced by nutrition, physical activity, emotional well-being, education, and access to community resources. Through collaboration with healthcare professionals like Michele, we continue to strengthen our multi-dimensional approach to health and wellness, ensuring individuals and families have the knowledge and support they need to thrive.

We are grateful for Michele’s partnership and her willingness to share her expertise with our community in this week’s blog, Food and Mood.

Food and Mood

Michele Catlin, DCCC Diabetes Education Program Specialist

Did you know that the foods that we eat are tied to our mood? There is a direct connection between our gut and our brain. Your diet is something within your control for the prevention and treatment of mental illness, and a healthy diet is essential for the treatment of mood disorders. Research into nutritional psychiatry has found many effective ways in which our diet affects our mental health and brain functioning.

Think about this–your brain is always on. It takes care of your thoughts and movements, your breathing and heartbeat, your senses, it works hard 24/7, even when you are sleeping. All this brain activity requires a constant supply of fuel that comes from the foods you eat, and it’s what’s in the fuel (food) that makes all the difference. Certain foods can produce extreme changes in our mood.

It’s a bad mood kinda day. Do you ever feel fatigued, irritable, crave sweet foods and drinks, have a need for regular snacks, experience a lapse in mood or concentration, feel light-headed, or have butterflies in your stomach for no apparent reason? Perhaps it’s the food you are consuming that is affecting your mood.

Think before you eat. Food affects our bodies in many ways. For instance, food can impact blood sugar balance. Regular fluctuations in mood and energy levels are often linked to highs and lows in blood sugar. This seesaw motion between spikes and crashes can add to the pressure felt from external stress. Maintaining an even blood sugar level is a key way of helping to improve your mood. A major cause of this pattern of crashing and spiking is dietary choices, as foods high in processed sugars and refined grains, such as bread, sweet treats, pasta, and sugary drinks, can produce extreme changes in our mood.

Our food choices are also key factors that can influence inflammation in our bodies. Inflammation is the root cause of most chronic conditions. Inflammation, which is an activation of the immune system, can result from regular elevated blood sugar, lack of activity, stress, poor sleep, smoking, and an unhealthy diet. Long-term inflammation can contribute to the development of many health conditions, including depression.

People with severe mental health illnesses tend to consume higher amounts of pro-inflammatory foods such as ultra-processed foods, refined grains, saturated fats, trans fats, and sugar. They also tend to have a lower intake of anti-inflammatory nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, probiotics, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are all found in foods such as vegetables, fruits, and lean meats.

How we feel can influence our food choices. Stress from external factors steals our appetite for “good mood food”. Stress, in turn, makes us reach for more “bad mood food” that lacks nutrients. When this happens, levels of natural mood enhancers like serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin turn off. Stress is now exacerbated by internal hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, where the body’s fight or flight long-term stress response is turned on. The good news is that the body is able to produce mood-enhancing substances when it is fed the proper fuel.

So, what diet is best for our mental health? The good news is that there is no one specific diet to optimize your mental health. While the Mediterranean Diet has been shown to improve even severe clinical depression, research has shown that a diet rich in whole foods can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety. Whole foods are foods that have one ingredient, generally look like they did when they came out of nature, foods put on this Earth by Mother Nature, foods our ancestors would recognize, and foods that our bodies know how to break down and use.

Avoid or limit the following foods for a better mood:

• Ultra-processed foods include microwave dinners, processed meats like hot dogs and deli meat, nuggets, dehydrated soups and side dishes, cereals, biscuits, and sauces.

• Refined carbohydrates like refined grains, wheat, oats, and corn products like bread, cereals, cakes, cookies, crackers, and snack foods.

• Omega-6 fats are found in seed oils, vegetable oils, and trans fats found in seed oil-fried foods, cakes, pies, crackers, margarine, sauces, and spreads. Avoid foods and beverages high in added sugar.

Good mood foods include:

• Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish-like salmon, shellfish, nuts, brussels sprouts, avocados, and olives. Choose healthy saturated fats like butter, full-fat dairy, grass-fed meat, and coconut.

• Anti-inflammatory foods include all vegetables and fruits, fish, poultry, nuts, unflavored yogurt, olive oil, herbs, and spices like cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric.

• Healthy carbohydrates include brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, lentils, pumpkin, and squash.

• Foods rich in antioxidants include onions, garlic, eggplant, grapes, berries, carrots, green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, apples, cruciferous vegetables, dark chocolate, and eggs.

In summary, if you ever feel exhausted, lacking in motivation, finding it hard to concentrate, easily angered, have difficulty sleeping, waking up anxious, overreacting to everyday life stress, as though you cannot cope, reach for “good mood foods”!

Michele Catlin has more than 30 years of experience at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center and is a dedicated leader in chronic disease prevention, education, and community wellness. As a Diabetes Education Program Specialist, she empowers individuals to manage chronic conditions like diabetes through evidence-based education and support. For more information on how to connect with Michele, you can email her at mcatlin@nshany.org.