Are Your Food Choices Making You Miserable?

Your body is like a machine; it needs proper food in order to fuel, energize and move itself. If you're eating foods that contain poor nutritional quality, it could be altering your mental, physical and emotional health.

Nutrition and diet also play important roles in maintaining a healthy, balanced mood. Food can influence your feelings by affecting neurotransmitter production, your internal stress response system and how well you sleep.

The "Standard American Diet," also known as SAD, has been known to be high in animal fat and unhealthy saturated fats, and low in fiber, vitamins and minerals. In other words, SAD encompasses all the refined foods, sugar and processed foods located throughout grocery stores and restaurants.

Eating healthy doesn't mean that you can't treat yourself once in a while, but it's important to not make eating unhealthy foods a habit. If you do over-consume these types of foods, you're more likely to feel sluggish, irritable and increase your risk of weight gain, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

What types of foods can help elevate your mood?

Your blood sugar levels play a huge role in elevating your mood. If your blood sugar is too low, you might feel low on energy and irritable. From the time you wake up in the morning to evening, you should be eating foods frequently throughout the day to keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel.

A balance of foods high in protein (plant or animal), fresh vegetables, fruit and whole grains will help accomplish this, and as a result, elevate your mood.

How often should you be eating throughout the day?

When and how much you should be eating varies and works differently from person to person. Some people may need to have snacks mid-morning before having lunch, while others can wait until lunch and then eat small snacks before dinner.

How else can food alter your mood?

Dr. Aimee Shunney joins Dr. Mike to discuss how different foods and diets affect your mood, as well as which foods and dietary habits are best at elevating your mood.