2 Ways What You Eat Affects Your Mood
Throughout this month I’ve been writing about mental health. If you’ve missed any of the previous posts, this is what I covered:
I’m a firm believer in arming yourself with knowledge as a means to guard against negative outcomes. That doesn’t mean that knowing more completely mitigates the risk of postnatal depression, or gives you a completely smooth birth, or ensures you don't have a colicky baby. But knowing why you need a good support system means you could feel a little less lonely and a little more able to open up and talk. Knowing about normal infant behaviour can help you cope with a crying, needy baby. Knowing the role that hormones plays in your mood means you can look ahead beyond what’s happening now.
But what’s the single, most powerful thing you can do every single day? Choose to eat well.
You eat three, or more, times a day. Every time you put something in your mouth you make a choice about your health. Sometimes you make that choice consciously. More often you don’t.
So in the fourth and final instalment in this series, I’m covering the impact of nutrition and diet on mental health. There’s going to be a lot of information in here so get your pen and paper ready!
Nutrition and mental health
There are two factors to how what you eat affects your mental health:
Blood sugar management
Nutrient deficiency
Mothers are particularly vulnerable to both factors. In the second half of pregnancy, hormone changes plus weight gain plus a history of high sugar consumption, can result in high blood sugars, even if you have never had a problem with blood sugar levels before. This means that managing blood sugar levels can become harder, and this can cause highs and lows in your mood (as well as longer term effects such as gestation diabetes).
Many women go into pregnancy with a less-than-optimal nutrient status (yes, even the ones who think they already eat healthily). Throughout pregnancy your growing baby places an enormous demand on your personal nutrient stores. In general, your baby is able to get what he or she needs from you - but always at the cost of your health, if your nutrient status is not optimal and is not kept replenished. Further, childbirth and recovery places further demands on your body; we then pile on broken sleep, the anxiety of being a new mum and breastfeeding. And then there’s the mental strain of being a mum - advice from well-meaning friends and relatives, comparisonitis, the sheer pressure of the not having a Pinterest-worthy nursery, or not breastfeeding, or not having that perfect home birth with candles and angels hovering overhead.
“Is there any wonder that mums just feel like crap All. The. Time? ”
Phew! Is there any wonder that mums feel exhausted? Fatigued. Foggy. Anxious. Second guessing their instincts. Is there any wonder that mums just feel like crap All. The. Time?
Luckily, both factors are very responsive to lifestyle and dietary changes.
Blood sugar management
If you are experiencing symptoms such as:
Grumpiness around mealtimes, especially if delayed
Mood swings and irritability
Cravings at particular time of day, especially for sugar
Dizziness, palpitations, sweating, unquenchable thirst or insatiable hunger - these are more serious and you should see your GP
You may be experiencing the effects of poor blood sugar management. This means that your body is getting more sugar than it needs in one go. When this happens, your body tries to deal with the sugar quickly, either as energy or stored for the future. That’s why you get a fast surge of energy when you eat sugary food, but as you quickly use up that quick-access energy, you get a sudden drop in energy an hour or so later, when all that sugar has been used up or stored. This is what’s known as a sugar crash.
Over time, this erratic blood sugar management causes nutrient depletion as your body tries to deal with it, and can magnify the symptoms of depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.
This is a whole blog post in itself, but some quick guidelines for managing blood sugar levels are:
Eat regularly, adding a snack in between meals towards the end of pregnancy and when breastfeeding
Ensure you have a source of fat and protein at every meal and snack, especially when you are also eating carbohydrates
Avoid refined carbohydrates, especially juice (even 100% freshly pressed juice), cereals, biscuits, pastries and cakes
Choose complex carbohydrates - choose brown rice, experiment with quinoa and buckwheat, favour squash and sweet potatoes over white potatoes
Eat breakfast, but make sure it includes some protein and fat
Eat a rainbow of colours
Stay hydrated
Eat slowly, at a table, chewing properly
Move regularly - go for walks, stretch, try yoga or pilates.
Nutrient deficiency
Nutrient deficiency can also be a factor in blood sugar management, as well as a contributory factor in the symptoms I listed above and a risk factor for mental health problems. It can be a vicious cycle where the body goes into pregnancy with insufficient nutrient stores and then loses stores over pregnancy and childbirth. As a result, stress hormones rise in the body, which can result in more nutrients being used up to combat the effects in the body. Again, it’s no wonder a mum can feel like crap!
As well as specific nutrients, disrupted gut flora can be a contributing factor or can compound the symptoms. Common symptoms suggesting a disrupted gut flora are:
Diarrhoea or constipation, or swinging between the two
Bloating and excessive gassiness
Reflux that doesn’t resolve after giving birth
Frequent coughs and colds (as a result of poor immune health - see my previous blog post for more on immunity and the gut)
Research shows that following a traditional confinement-style diet after giving birth, where nourishing, easy-to-digest food rich in protein and vegetables is linked to lower levels of depression, although this could also be to do with having a traditional support system available too!
Nutritional deficiencies to be particularly aware of are:
Iron - due to blood loss when giving birth
Vitamin D - deficiency is common in Europe; there is a higher incidence of postnatal depression in mothers giving birth in winter
Zinc - deficiency can cause hormonal imbalances, loss of appetite and mood swings
Omega 3 - baby has a high demand for these fats for brain development, especially in the last trimester, which can come from the mother's brain stores
Protein - a key constituent of hormones, so low protein could disrupt healthy hormone production
If you suspect postnatal depression
Go to the GP if you suspect you might have postnatal depression. They should screen you for low iron, thyroid problems and diabetes; if they don’t offer blood tests, ask for them. They should also offer you talking therapy, e.g. CBT; again, ask for a referral if you it’s not offered.
Take steps to look after yourself, and be looked after in the postnatal phase
Eat well, even if you don’t have much appetite - sip on soups and broth
Have a shower, even if you’re just going to get back into your pyjamas again!
Talk - talking with anyone - friends, family, partner - about stress increases oxytocin and decreases anxiety and depression
Get outside in the daylight - in the first few weeks, don’t do more than just sitting outside if you can; after being given the all-clear, 25 minutes of fresh air and gentle walks in nature will improve mood - if you don’t feel like it, ask someone you trust to come with you as motivation and encouragement
Find something you can do just for yourself: have a deep bath in a dim room, so some short breathing or guided meditation exercises
The most important thing is to recognise if something’s not quite right and get help - you’re not alone and it’s nothing to be ashamed or feel guilty about.
For me, having the knowledge that you can do something as basic as changing your diet and lifestyle to make an enormous impact on your mental health is empowering. Knowing the impact what you eat has on you, your body and your mind, means you can start making conscious decisions about your food. Even if you make a conscious decision that is detrimental, you are in control. And ultimately, you can then start to take responsibility for your health, and that of your baby and your whole family.
It is my mission to help you became the energetic, healthy, sparky mum you really want to be. I live and breathe all things maternal health, especially good mental health.
If you’d like to learn more about working with me, read about me and get in touch or book in a free call to talk about where you are and where you want to be. I would be so honoured to help you on your journey through motherhood.