Fat! Yep you heard it right, we dont need to avoid this food group (and ANY food group! ) It has been proven in studies that fats help with our COGNITIVE (brain) function and our overall mood! Insert HAPPY FACE!
So when I say include FATS in your diet I don’t mean the deep fried version I am referring to what we call “polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)” in-particular Omega-3 fats, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
When consumed there significant improvement in brain health and mood, and a decrease in depressive symptoms, as well as other benefits such as:
Improved cognitive performance
Brain and retinal development
Improved aging
Memory formation and neuroprotection.
So where do we get OMEGA 3?
Oily fish (e.g., salmon)
Seafood
Walnuts
Flaxseeds
EPA/DHA capsules.
Next is AMINO ACIDS (molecules of protein) in particular Tryptophan this little gem makes serotonin, & this makes us feel happy and overall increase our mood!
So where do we get this TRYPTOPHAN?
Clams, oysters, octopus, and squid
Banana
Pineapple
Plums
Turkey
Nuts (cashews, walnuts, peanuts)
Seeds (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower) • Soybeans
Cheese
Red meat
Poultry
Beans and lentils
Eggs
What happens when your memory starts to go. You can’t think quick enough, you forget things, get a bit mumble jumble?? Could mean you are not having enough FOLATE… and it affects our mood because if we are struggling with all those other things then we get a bit shitty with our selves
Where do I get folate from?
Liver
Beans and lentils
Spinach
Asparagus
Avocado
Beetroots.
Folate deficiency can cause a symptoms:
Extreme fatigue
Weakness
Shortness of breath • Headaches
Pale skin
Feeling sore inside the mouth • Gastrointestinal symptoms.
H2O can make you happy? Well give me a glass or 2 (or 2.6-3L).. Did you know water makes up 60% of the adult body weight and we NEED it to survive . If we have a loss of 1-2% of our body weight in water it can result in a decline in our physical and mental performance as well impact various systems and functions, including the brain, kidneys, and cells. It also impacts how our body regulates its temperature, keeps our electrolytes in balance as well as our Blood Pressure and it also can increase body aches and pains, so again I say.. Give me a glass or two. A reminder we (adults) need to consume a MINIMUM 2.6L for women and 3.1L for men - and thats not if we are exercising or living / working in a hot environment..
When you don’t have your B B Bounce, that actually means you are lacking your B Vitamins, mainly B12 (cobalamin). So in fact your mood is affected , there is studies that show that B12 deficiency is linked to depression.
Vitamin B12 also has positive effects on memory performance including speed of processing, recalling information, recognition, and verbal ability.
Where Can I find B12?
Eggs
Dairy: milk, cheese, yoghurt
Meat
Fish, shellfish
Poultry
Another Vitamin that if we lack can lead to depression and SADS (seasonal affective disorder- is a type of depression that's related to changes in seasons) is Vitamin D. We can also top up through sunlight however foods that provide Vitamin D are:
Oily fish (e.g., salmon)
Eggs
Cheese
Offal
MAD DOG: If you don't eat you don't shIt - if you don't shIt you die… and what do we need to sh!t? FIBRE! But Fibre is not only responsible for moving food through the digestive system, blood glucose uptake and increasing satiety. Not having enough fibre in the diet means that digested sugar will be taken into the bloostream quickly giving us that sugar rush followed by a low - this is when we we then go to get more food to give us more energy
So happy eating!
Fe XO
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