An apple a day used to keep the doctor away.

Today it would take more like 6 apples.

This is because food is so lacking in nutrients that you would need much more food to obtain the same nutritional benefits.

Which is another reason it is important to eat a wholesome and healthy diet today.

That, and the simple fact that food greatly affects our mood.

For Example:

B vitamins, such as: B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cobalamin), just to name a few, are needed to convert food into energy.

Stress leads to a higher demand for energy, which causes the body to require more B vitamins.

When B vitamins are depleted you become more anxious.

If you’ve ever had restless leg syndrome, this is a b vitamin deficiency.

A good food source for b vitamins is unfortified nutritional yeast.

Just 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast contains more than the recommended daily value (DV) for vitamin B12 and 480% of the DV for vitamin B6.

The best part about nutritional yeast is that it tastes like cheese.

And is delicious sprinkled over some organic pasture-raised eggs.

Another important component to boost mood is calcium.

Calcium helps your body neutralize the stress hormone, cortisol.

When you are stressed your body is not able to absorb calcium very efficiently.

Making it extremely important to consume a sufficient amount of calcium.

Raw dairy products are good source of calcium. As well as eggs.

Omega-3 fatty acids also play a big role in helping your body reduce stress and anxiety by helping to regulate cortisol levels.

Eggs are a good source of omega-3s…

See where I’m going with this?

Many factors come into play with diet and its mood boosting effects.

Things like fluctuations in blood sugar can also greatly affect mood and anxiety due to their influence on the brain function and hormones.

Keep Blood Sugar Levels in Check

If your blood sugar is too high, it leads to brain fog.

If your blood sugar is too low this leads to irritability and makes it hard to concentrate.

As we know, carbs break down into sugar.

Therefore, switching from a high carb breakfast to a breakfast consisting of protein and fat can help stabilize blood sugar levels throughout the entire day.

As for the hormone part…

Hormones Influence Brain and Mood

Serotonin, a feel-good hormone, plays a key role in regulating mood, and certain food choices can influence its production.

Psychiatric medications trick your body into thinking you have more serotonin than you actually do, which leads to a deficiency over time.

It’s much more beneficial to eat a diet that increases serotonin in the body, rather than relying on a medication.

Doing things like, avoiding excess sugar and eating foods that contain B vitamins, healthy fats (omega-3s), and tryptophan-rich foods (like eggs) stimulates the production of serotonin.

It’s also beneficial to keep hormones, like cortisol, the stress hormone, in check during times of high stress.

Did you know that your cortisol levels have a baseline? If you don’t take steps to lower this baseline, your cortisol levels will continue to accumulate.

And prolonged exposure to stress negatively affects sleep.

Sleep is a Natural Repairer for Stress

B vitamins, in particular, help convert tryptophan into serotonin and then into melatonin, which is responsible for regulating sleep.

Calcium is also involved in the body's conversion of tryptophan into melatonin.

This explains why dairy products, which contain tryptophan and calcium, are commonly known as foods that induce sleep.

One of my favorite go-to breakfasts lately has been two eggs scrambled with nutritional yeast sprinkled on top and a side of raw cheese.

And who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner?

Steak and eggs anyone?

The best way to boost mood is with a good diet.

A good diet will lead to better sleep.

And…

Better sleep will give you the energy and mood boost you need to tackle on the day.