Hey friends! Did you know that food can impact our MOODS and behaviors?
I'll start with a disclaimer that I'm not a Registered Dietician. However, I've studied food inside and out and understand first hand how healthy food impacts the body, the mind, weight loss and health (physically, emotionally, and mentally).
Did you know that "90% of serotonin receptors are located in the gut?" So what we eats definitely impacts our feel-good hormones. The gut and the brain communicate with each other via the vagus nerve, so when something is amiss on one end or the other, shit's about to go down (literally or figuratively, hahaha).
I don't believe that one size fits all when it comes to food. What works for one might not work for another. I DO believe that whole foods matter and balance matters. It is important to eat REAL food - anything that grew from the earth, limit packaged or processed when possible, consume a variety of fruits and veggies and healthy fats, and limit refined sugars and refined carbs. I spent my high school and college years with my pals: Packaged Food and Fast Food (Alcohol joined the party later). I felt sluggish, lazy, unmotivated, depressed, sad and heavy. Food was a BIG culprit, and there were other factors that came into play. I even used food as a coping mechanism. It was a vicious cycle. Like the Kung Fu Panda...
To this day, if I go overboard with alcohol, sweets or any other processed foods, actually, if I go overboard period, I don't feel like my best self anymore. I'm grumpy, I'm tired and I'm bloated. I'm not here to judge or criticize either of us. We're human. We're exposed to many stressors and toxins in this world. Am I going to have a glass of wine and eat pizza and go out to eat once in awhile? Hell yeah! This is life and life should be about moderation and joy. However, the more processed foods and chemically altered foods we eat, the more our system is challenged - physically, mentally and emotionally (you're going to hear me say that a lot). So when moving through all of this, it's all about awareness, acceptance and choice. I get to choose what to put in my body...and I accept myself every day through the process!
Here are a few tools if you want to learn more about the impacts of food and healthy eating:
Podcast by the School of Greatness with Lewish Howes, featuring Dr. Mark Hyman - Heal Your Body with Food
"Gut feelings: How food affects your mood," Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School by Uma Naidoo, MD
The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite, David A. Kessler, MD
Food: What The Heck Should I Eat? Dr. Mark Hyman
Lots of love and happy eating!
Chelsea
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