Have you ever noticed how a heavy, greasy lunch can leave you feeling sluggish and foggy in the afternoon? Or how too much coffee can turn your focus into a jittery, anxious buzz? We often sense that there’s a link between what we eat and how we feel, but we rarely pause to explore it.
The connection between our food and our mood is one of the most powerful, yet overlooked, aspects of our mental wellbeing. The right foods can nourish not just our bodies, but our minds, while others can contribute to feelings of fatigue, irritability, and anxiety.
This isn’t about a strict diet or labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” It’s an invitation to become a curious scientist of your own body—to start listening to the wisdom it’s already sharing with you. As the ancient physician Hippocrates famously stated:
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
Let’s explore how you can start putting this powerful idea into practice.
How Does Food Affect Your Mood? The Simple Science
The link between your plate and your psyche is not just a feeling; it’s grounded in biology. Here are a few key ways it works:
- The Blood Sugar Rollercoaster: Foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates can cause a rapid spike in your blood sugar, followed by a hard crash. That crash can feel a lot like anxiety, irritability, and mental fatigue.
- The Gut-Brain Axis: Your digestive system is often called your “second brain.” It’s home to trillions of bacteria and is where a staggering 95% of your body’s serotonin (a key mood-regulating neurotransmitter) is produced. The food you eat directly impacts the health of this gut environment, which in turn influences your mood.
- Essential Nutrients: Your brain needs specific nutrients to function optimally. Deficiencies in things like B vitamins, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Important Note: This information is for educational purposes. It is not a substitute for professional medical or nutritional advice. If you have a history of eating disorders or a specific health condition, please consult with a qualified professional before making any changes to your diet.
How to Start Your Food-Mood Journal: 3 Simple Steps
The best way to understand your unique food-mood connection is to track it. For one week, try this simple practice.
Step 1: Log What You Eat & Drink
There’s no need to count calories or grams. Simply jot down your main meals, snacks, and beverages. Don’t forget to include your water intake!
Step 2: Log Your Mood & Energy
A few times a day (e.g., mid-morning, mid-afternoon, before bed), take a moment to check in with yourself. Rate your primary mood and your energy level on a simple scale of 1 to 10. You can also add a word that best describes your feeling, like “calm,” “anxious,” “focused,” or “sluggish.”
Step 3: Look for Patterns with Curiosity
After 3-7 days, review your log. The goal here is curiosity, not judgment. Ask gentle questions:
- “I notice I felt really tired every afternoon. What did I tend to eat for lunch on those days?”
- “On the day I felt most focused and calm, what did I have for breakfast?”
- “How did a poor night’s sleep affect my food choices the next day?”
A Simple, Private Way to Log: Our Nutrition & Mood Tool
Keeping a physical notebook is great, but it’s easy to forget. We designed a simple digital tool to make this process seamless and private. You can log your entries on your phone and easily look back to spot connections.
➡️ Open the Nutrition and Mood Log
This Is About Discovery, Not Dieting
Let’s be clear: this practice is not about restriction. It’s about awareness. It’s about discovering which foods help you feel vibrant, clear, and calm. The goal is to learn how to add more of what nourishes you, rather than focusing on what to take away.
Your body has a unique language. A food-mood journal is simply a tool to help you learn to speak it. When you start to listen, you’ll be amazed at the wisdom it has to share.