By: Jennifer Iannolo is the Founder & CEO of Zenfully Delicious, her new project created to empower people with chronic illness to live a delicious life. And she is still traveling the world creating new tales for her award-nominated food and travel site, The Gilded Fork.


It’s extraordinary how the food we eat can impact our moods. Of course, considering that our digestive system has the second largest brain in our body, this is hardly a surprise; there’s a lot going on in there.

Here’s the modern challenge however: as a culture, we often resort to medication to solve what look like legitimate medical problems when it’s possible that some (and sometimes major) progress can be made with changes in nutrition. Nutrients are building blocks for transmitters that affect our moods, so it’s important to know what foods can have an impact.

Even more significantly, with ADHD and other conditions being thrown around schools like dodgeball, it helps to be as informed as possible in order to support the well-being of your nieces and nephews, as well as to teach them healthy eating habits that will affect them through adulthood. Though you may not be around them every day, this is information you can pass along to their parents, as well as to the kidlets themselves. It’s never too early to learn good eating habits.

Let’s take a look at some of the critical nutrients that can affect mood:

Omega-3s
The body uses omega-3 fatty acids for building neurotransmitters like serotonin in the brain. Some studies have shown that eating plenty of these fats has depression-preventing qualities. Omega-3s can be found in:

-Salmon

-Mackerel

-Sardines

-Flax seed

-Walnuts

Vitamin D
This vitamin helps to regulate the activity of the brain’s neurotransmitters (serotonin, melatonin, and dopamine), which have a profound impact on mood. Note: It’s difficult to achieve the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D through food alone (600 IU for people ages 19-70), so look for foods like:

-Salmon (3.5 oz portion = 90% RDA)

-Mackerel (3.5 oz portion = 90% RDA)

-Tuna (3 oz portion = 50% RDA)

-Cod liver oil

Tryptophan
Ah, the famous sleep-inducing Thanksgiving chemical. Beyond its sleepy reputation, however, tryptophan is also an amino acid that helps raise serotonin levels in the brain – which can help reduce anxious feelings. This is great to know for test day: make a breakfast of oatmeal and bananas or almonds to keep the kids calm.

-Oats

-Chocolate

-Poultry

-Bananas

-Almonds

-Kefir milk (1 cup per day)

Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9)
This important B vitamin is linked with preventing depression and reducing fatigue. An adequate dosage may be helpful with mood swings. Find it in:

-Asparagus (1 cup = 66% RDA)

-Spinach & leafy greens (mustard greens, chard)

-Brussels sprouts

Vitamin C
Thankfully, this vitamin is found in quite a few kid-friendly fruits. It also brings high stress hormones back to normal levels more quickly and helps to lower blood pressure, so it’s also great for test days!

-Oranges

-Lemons

-Limes

-Papayas

-Strawberries

-Broccoli

-Cauliflower

-Tomatoes

Strategies for Success
Now that we’ve looked at the nutrient building blocks, let’s review some strategies for stocking the shelves and forming the habits. Again, you may or may not be doing this with your nieces and nephews for their everyday lives, but you can certainly provide invaluable mentoring to them when they come to stay for a visit. Keep your shelves healthy!

Eat real food.
Avoid processed foods, and stick with fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins like lean meats, fish, and poultry without hormones.

If you can’t pronounce what’s on the label, or don’t know what it is, leave it on the shelf.
Stick to the outer aisles of the supermarket. For fun, make a game of it, and turn the middle of the supermarket into the realm of an evil wizard. (What? That’s what I do.) Or if they insist on junk, make them read the ingredients on the label. If they can’t pronounce every word, it stays on the shelf! Muahaha!

Choose whole grains.
Carbohydrates in whole grains help to raise levels of that feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin, which acts as the body’s natural antidepressant. High-fiber grains help keep the blood sugar stable, so the body feels more alert and energized longer. More importantly, there is no “sugar rush” from simple carbohydrates — instead, there is a “slow drip” of nutrients to the body.

Food to avoid:
We know this stuff already, but let’s review so we have balance, shall we?

Fast Food
Junk foods that quickly release serotonin to cause a spike in energy but are followed by a “crash” are a kid’s (and a babysitting auntie’s) worst nightmare. We crave these foods when our mood is low because we’re looking for a quick pick-me-up. Junk food is highly processed (and stripped of nutrients). It is also rich in omega-6 acids, which compete with omega-3s and can contribute to obesity and depression.

Worst of all, junk food contains additives and preservatives that could contribute to chemical imbalances (e.g., monosodium glutamate or MSG). Kids have enough to contend with — let’s not add to the burden.

So while this list is not exhaustive, it’s a start for us to build a framework for long, healthy lives for our favorite kids. Teaching them to listen to their bodies and observe how food affects their well-beings is a gift they’ll take with them always.

Published: October 14, 2012
Photo: Photostock