Eat Good, Feel Good

What if your motivation to make smarter food choices stemmed from a combination of different things rather than to simply lose or gain weight? I know what you are thinking, ‘here is another article telling me why my current lifestyle and food choices are all wrong’.

Wrong, I am simply going to challenge you about the choices that you have made and are making right now.

We are all familiar with the common phenomenon that food is fuel for our bodies. Not only does it give us energy, but it can also impact how we feel, improve our mood, sleep, mobility, and strengthen our muscles, bones, and immune system to fight off harmful bacteria.

Hi, my name is Sharnelle Leonard and I am a firm believer in the consumption of natural foods.

Six years ago, I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and throughout that period I changed my diet which now consists mainly of natural foods that contain little to no preservatives and are not genetically modified. Examples of natural foods are freshly picked fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, nuts, and grains. They contain the necessary nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber that will help protect you from chronic diseases and maintain good gut health. I took interest in the field of nutrition soon after discovering that 80% of the foods that we purchase from the supermarkets are sprayed with pesticides and preservatives and/or are genetically modified. As I began reading the ingredients on many of the packaging of the foods I selected, I realized that I didn’t recognize many of them.

Question for you? Do you read or research the ingredients listed on the packaging of the foods that you select? Do you shop solely from the supermarket, or do you patronize the local farmers market? Why or why not?

There is a lot more to nutrition than eating foods that appear nutritious. Open the floor to conversations about what you eat and why you eat what you eat. Speak to your friends, preferred general care doctor or nutritionist which will help you better understand the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and understand the different types of diets that can help you along the way such as Vegan, Keto or Pescatarian diets.

More questions! Why do you want to lose or gain weight? When did you decide to make this change? What have you done so far?

Common answers to these questions are ‘I have decided to lose or gain weight because I have been bullied throughout different stages of my life, I decided to make the change when I noticed that my clothes no longer made me feel comfortable about my appearance, I have done little to nothing so far or I have started attending the gym or focusing on cardio workouts’.

Everyone’s story is different, but I believe that we all share a common desire to simply feel better.

We cannot feel it, but our body is constantly maintaining, healing, and rejuvenating itself. Every cell has a “shelf life”. A stomach cell lives about a day or two, a skin cell about a month, and a red blood cell about four months. Every day, our body is busy making new cells to replace those that have “perished.” How healthy those new cells are is directly determined by how well we’ve been eating. For example, a diet filled with highly processed food that’s low in nutrients doesn’t give our body much to work with, but a clean, nutrient rich, natural food diet can help us build cells that work better and are less susceptible to premature aging and disease.

Here is a challenge for you – think about your go to snack and quick prepped meals that you believe are the least nutritious and eliminate them from your diet for one week. Add a daily reminder on your phone or preferred device to eat a whole fruit or mix bowl of fruit a day and to also drink one bottle of water twice a day. Make notes of your mood when you awake each morning and when you have finished your day and are ready to return to your bed for one whole week and see if you notice any changes. Then try it again for another week before making any other adjustments. You can try this exercise with a friend by asking them to attest to your conclusions and findings.

Numerous studies suggests that if you eat healthy every day, your body’s processes and functions will improve significantly, making you feel better inside and out. I encourage you to shift your mindset away from always trying to lose or gain weight to always wanting to live a happy, satisfying life. If we were to eat healthy every day, our bodies will start to crave healthier foods, crave less junk food, have the nutrients it needs to function properly, feel energized, decrease inflammation, improve gut health, feel full and satisfied, and improve our overall mood.

We usually look for sweets as comfort foods when we are not in a good mood. We eat it, and almost instantly we feel better. These feelings stem from pleasure hormones, such as dopamine. However, studies show that natural food make us happy and hopeful, while consuming food high in protein improves motivation and concentration. If you’re eating a healthy balance of natural foods that contain a variety of nutrients, you’re more likely to feel calmer, more content and generally in a better mood. Important nutrients affect brain chemistry, impacting mood, memory, and cognitive function.

Food can affect our mood if

1. We are not eating at regular intervals. Not consuming enough calories can have us feeling foggy and tired, with low energy.
2. We are cutting out or not eating enough of essential food groups. We need a balance diet when fueling our bodies to produce serotonin, the brain’s “feel good” chemical.
3. We forget essential vitamins and minerals, which can cause depression, inability to concentrate and chronic fatigue. For example, low iron can disrupt brain chemistry and alter mood and behavior.
4. We are not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to a lower incidence of depression.
5. We eat too much processed foods. This can contribute to a larger waistline, feeling sluggish and potentially lead to insulin imbalance and inflammation when over-consumed.

Here are some tips to improve your mood through food

1. Load your plate with mood-supporting foods by eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables regularly.
2. Consume natural foods instead of processed foods. For example, an orange is less processed and closer to nature than orange juice.
3. Eat plenty of dopamine-building foods, such as fish, poultry, eggs, leafy greens, and legumes.
4. Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts, to help fight off feelings of depression.
5. Add magnesium-rich foods to your diet, which supports sleep. Foods’s high in magnesium include almonds, spinach, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
6. Limit added sugars. Have fruit for dessert more often than sugary treats.
7. Get your vitamin D level checked. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with depression and mood disorders. Vitamin D can be found in fatty fish, egg yolks, liver, and sunshine.

In summary, there is no question that what you eat affects the way you feel, and a healthy diet can help improve any symptoms associated with fatigue and lethargy. The healthiest diet is one that emphasizes natural foods. Take the focus off weight and refocus your attention on making healthy changes and healing your relationship with food to improve mood, sleep, mobility, muscle and bone strength and a strong immune system to fight off harmful bacteria, so we can achieve optimal health while feeling good in the process!