Mood and food, aren’t these two things so deeply intertwined that sometimes we can’t even separate one from the other? Okay, that might be just an oversimplification for some of you (for those who see food merely as a source of fuel nothing more or less) but for the majority of people food is not just food, it’s an expression of our emotions happy, sad and many more you can count.
Just look around, in our culture everything is celebrated with food. Be it your graduation, birthday, wedding, anniversary, childbirth, or even your first job it always ends with a congratulatory party or dinner with friends and family. Have you ever noticed that when you are feeling a little low mood you suddenly crave the fatty food, sweet flavor, and salty experience? Well, it’s not a mere coincidence there’s science behind it.
Emotional influences on food choices in real time
In 2006 an article was published in the journal of Physiology & Behavior, in which for the first time the author dived deep into the territory of the emotional influence of food (1).
The article suggests three mechanisms of emotional influences on food choice: sensory, physiological, and psychological.
The sensory aspect of food is the one we all are most familiar with. You know that time of day when you skipped breakfast because you woke up late and literally ran to the workplace or school to be on time but now it’s 12:30 lunchtime is far, and you are just feeling cranky and weird that you can’t even concentrate on work anymore.
Well, you are not alone, and in this situation, the research suggests that the majority of people make poor food choices or eat more than is actually required by the body (2,3).
It’s because our brain functions on blood glucose that we provide our body first thing in the morning as the form of breakfast that helps us get through the day. Eating is associated with a sense of reward when we are hungry, through the release of dopamine response (4).
Eating at lunchtime makes us feel relaxed, calm, and more often sleepy and lethargic which could be due to the high carbohydrates and sugars in the consumed food. This food not only alters our attention and focus but also makes us want to take a nap at the office or school. The moral of the story is that skipping breakfast is never a good idea.
The physiological processes that take place when we feed ourselves the first meal of the day are very straining for our digestive system. And when we feed ourselves, rich carbohydrates deep fried in oil, it’s like putting 150 pounds load on a machine that functions on 50 pounds max.
And while the physiological strain on the digestive system can be reduced with a light protein-rich breakfast, psychological stress also has a role too. Stress also has a huge impact on the food choices we make on a day-to-day basis. Stressful situations like exams or any other activity requiring too much focus & attention ultimately require more energy (1). Studies have found a clear link between stressful situations and more use of high-fat and high-calorie food.
Now can we say that the king of all food choices done to stress is none other than Carbohydrates and fats? Was it a surprise? No, right? It is so obvious. In conclusion, we can say that mood affects our food choices, and our food choices affect our mood (think about that sleepy feeling after lunch).
In order to maintain a healthy mind and body, it is crucial that we make a conscious effort in the food choices we make. Don't just stuff your mouth with food. See what's in there, and how it's gonna provide nourishment to your body not just give a feeling of sleepiness later.
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