How Is Your Diet Affecting Your Mood?

Almost every person who has ever been in a drastic weight-loss diet has experienced this: being angry for being so hungry. Our body reacts to changes in our diet, be it sudden loss of carbohydrates or protein such as meats. Suddenly, you feel cranky and more prone to irritation when you’re on a diet. Here are some ways your diet is messing with your mood.

Low calorie diets

Functioning on a low calorie diet of 1,200-1,500 calories per day can be difficult if you quit your extra calories cold turkey. Some people who want to lose weight quickly cut back on the calories instantly. Medical practitioners found that restricting calorie intake induces the brain to produce more cortisol or what they call the stress hormone. This creates the perception of stress leading to irritation and crankiness. Also, when the body is hungry, serotonin or the hormone that regulates mood fluctuates leading to feelings of anger and irritability. The solution is to cut back on calories slowly. Don’t do it in one fell swoop so the body can adjust to lower levels of calories in time.

Low fat diets

There are bad fats and there are good fats. Bad fats happen when you eat fatty food such as bacon and ham. Good fats are those found in seafood such as mackerel, sardines, and salmon fishes. When restricting the fatty foods in your diet, don’t skimp on the good fats; they are good for a reason. Our body still needs some fat to function. Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency can lead to anger, hostility, and depression. Some fats can be found in nuts and seeds such as walnuts, flaxseeds, and soybeans. However, animal fats are still more abundant than plant fat. So indulge in that baked fish with cream cheese every once in a while.

Low carb diets

Skimping on carbohydrates is one surefire way to your body going amok for its daily dose of starch and sugar. Carbohydrates make up most of our diets, even up to 65 percent. If you cut back drastically, your body will have serious withdrawal symptoms. Some experts suggest that limiting carbs will hamper the brain in synthesizing serotonin, the mood-boosting hormone.  Sugar is also associated with pleasure that’s why you reach for chocolate or ice cream when you’re sad.

No treats diet

When starting a diet, one of the first things you tick off are chocolates, ice cream, cake, and candy. They are seen as temptations that will bring you to the edge of a cliff into obesity hell. Of course, they are harmful for your health if you consume copious amounts on a regular basis. Also, by depriving yourself of these treats, your blood sugar level instantly drops leading to hypoglycemia, which in turn results to increased crankiness and irritability.

Instead, don’t think of it as complete deprivation. Replace milk chocolate with dark chocolate, which is the healthier option. Instead of indulging on ice cream, make some fruit sorbet by freezing a fruit smoothie. Eat a far smaller slice of cake rather than a whole slice. Complete deprivation also backfires as it results to binging afterward to cope with the reduced sugar in your blood.

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