[Ceara1010]

Hi all,

A few people have reported in posts that specific foods they eat can affect their moods and/or their illness. (But no one was specific about which foods.) I did a forum search on this and didn't come up with anything.

I know sugar can get people racing and then crashing as I am hypoglycemic. (So I avoid anything containing high fructose corn syrup, in particular.)

What have you experienced/learned or what have you read on this topic. I'd appreciate any information you can share.

Thanks!

--Ceara1010

Wow great question.

I seem to be more sensitive to caffiene on my present medications. I also don't eat a lot of sugar. I strictly stay away from grapefruit. I am more sensitive to MSG than I was before medications too. I have to be very careful then about restaurants and eating out. It also means I stay away from any processed meats, tinned soups, etc.

[Turtleboy]

the day after i drink alcohol i find my mood very low and i get some anxiety, not a food but thought i'd mention it

[vonmoxie]

This study about "Fast-food and commercial baked goods consumption and the risk of depression" (on PubMed, here) really resonated with me. While these things may taste good at the time, I always feel kind of crappy for a good while afterwards (especially after fast food), and if I try to elaborate on what I mean by crappy I would call it sort of a low-grade brain fog (which is probably more dangerous than a high-grade or even a medium-grade brain fog, because the low-grade effects are more difficult to notice and therefore avoid).

On the other hand, if I heat up a bag of frozen vegetables and sprinkle a little shredded cheese on top, I feel like a gaddang champion afterwards. I subscribe to Michael Pollan's take on how to eat: "Eat [real] food, not too much, mostly plants."

It was a helpful soul on PC who advised me to limit my sugar intake, I can honestly say I do feel better for it and if I binge now I know I'm going to have low energy shortly after.

Caffeine I also limit, when my anxiety was high I was extra reactive although since then I seem to have better tolerance.

Alcohol I can't have with my SSRI, and don't miss it, might stay dry when I come off.

[(JD)]

I do and have and have to be very picky. You can read about some of the things foods do, and how to eat healthier by checking out Joseph Wallach, MD. Also check food allergy searches.

I know molds and growth foods (yogurt, bleu cheese) can make one depressed, for instance.

Having uncontrolled sugar affects your entire system. Inflammation runs rampant and is the a major cause of many illnesses, including obesity. I cannot eat regular sugar, nor artificial sugars at all without nearly immediate issues, and longer lasting ones. I cannot eat stevia etc if it is chemically processed either, because I am allergic (or rather my system requires only healthy, real foods).

Andrew Weil is also a good authority on these topics.

[Ceara1010]

Originally Posted by justafriend306

Wow great question.

I seem to be more sensitive to caffiene on my present medications. I also don't eat a lot of sugar. I strictly stay away from grapefruit. I am more sensitive to MSG than I was before medications too. I have to be very careful then about restaurants and eating out. It also means I stay away from any processed meats, tinned soups, etc.

Justafriend, but what do these foods specifically do to your moods or effect how you feel?

Interestingly, caffeine doesn't effect me. It's probably because I'm ADD and people who are ADD/ADHD have reactions to stimulants that are the opposite what most people experience. That's why they give us stimulants (Ritalin, Adderall) to calm us down.

--Ceara1010

[Bi-PolarII2U]

Grapefruit juice.....something in it throws off how psych meds metabolize in the body

[Ceara1010]

I was just reminded of something you can consume that positively effects mood. Green tea. Whole-leaf tea is the best. (Tea bags use a cheaper grade of tea.)

Here's a link to Psychology Today article on the research.

I found this out accidentally. Years ago, I had been hearing that green tea was good for you because of the anti-oxidants in it (they fight disease). So I bought some bulk, whole-leaf green tea and a smaller package of whole leaf black tea. I used up the green tea, and before I ordered some more, I wanted to use up the black tea.

The first day I started drinking the black tea, my mood crashed dramatically. I couldn't understand it. When I ran out of the black tea, I bought more green tea. The day I began drinking green tea again, my mood improved considerably. I was also noticeably calmer. (I wasn't on any medication at this time in my life.)

So I Googled "green tea" and "mood" and came up with articles like the one above (link).

And I knew it was not a placebo effect because I had no idea tea could affect your mood.

Here's another article link with information on the mood benefits of green tea.

--Ceara1010

Great thread, this is something I have started paying a lot of attention to lately. Sugar is a big one for me, it wreaks havoc on my moods. Food for the brain is a good website with a lot of basic and helpful information about diets relating to certain mental illnesses

you know.. i've never really thought about it?

food affecting mood that is.

i don't think for me their is.. you know, i'm a picky eater- and as far as i'm aware, no foods affect my mood.

yeah.. of course their's foods i prefer more than others, and stuff i prefer to eat, but that's something diffrent entirely

[tydygy]

I am a vegetarian....uh not really...I'm a piscatarian (I eat fish) for the omega3s. I take fish oil. I've switched between eating fish and not several times and I found this works for me.

Omega3s are really important to me as are veggies. I eat pretty healthy and have good results from a full blood panel. V8 is a great way to get 2 servings of veggies in seconds.

I have a friend that wants to be a vegetarian but if he doesn't eat meat he will not feel grounded and suspects his Xyprexa doesn't work as well. He and I are different because I can't tolerate Xyprexa.

I find protein in any form helps me with brain stuff like memory. It doesn't matter if it's peanut butter, nuts, seeds, beans, trail mix, eggs, tuna, salmon, boca, or tofu it all helps my meds work better overall.

I know it depends on meds too. When I was on Depakote I ate like I had no control and ballooned up from 175lbs to 225lbs. I've been on other meds since that have been losing weight. Currently at 192lbs. Weight neutral meds are important to me.

Carbs affect me in a good way to a point then eating to much can make me groggy.

I drink two litres of Diet Coke every day and sometimes a few espressos. I have been trying to mix in some ice tea to see if myths about carbonated soda are true. Maybe I'll kick Diet Coke someday but I have bigger fish to sear right now.

I don't do sugar much (Peanut M&Ms have protein too though). I don't believe the myths about aspartaine being bad.

[-jimi-]

Tea raises my mood because it is more subtle than coffee.

Sugar I avoid because I am too sensitive to it. Many people do not go into sugar crashes (the myth is all people do), but I do.

Part from that, my mood is not connected to food. I can eat whatever and it doesn't make a difference. You'd think I would be rewarded somehow for eating healthy, but nope, I feel the same if I eat junk. Now I often avoid junk simply cuz I don't like it much but when I ate it more in the past, things were the exact same. Not just my mood, but my weight and energy too.

For me it feels quite discouraging that it does not matter what I eat.

Also I end up deficient in iron and vit D even if eating foods with it a lot.

Dairy can relax me a bit, that is the food that affects me the most in a positive way.

[IceCreamKid]

Originally Posted by Bi-PolarII2U

Grapefruit juice.....something in it throws off how psych meds metabolize in the body

"Grapefruit and certain other citrus fruits and products can interfere with several kinds of prescription medications.

Don't take these interactions lightly. Some can cause potentially dangerous health problems. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before consuming any citrus products, including grapefruit, if you take prescription medications.

You may need to eliminate grapefruit products from your diet. Simply taking your medication and grapefruit product at different times doesn't stop the interaction.

Problems arise because chemicals in the fruit can interfere with the enzymes that break down (metabolize) the medication in your digestive system. As a result, the medication may stay in your body for too short or too long a time. A medication that's broken down too quickly won't have time to work. On the other hand, a medication that stays in the body too long may build up to potentially dangerous levels."

The above is from the Mayo Clinic. I asked my pharmacist and he explained why I cannot have grapefruit--after that I decided much as I like grapefruit, I would stay away from it.

[Ceara1010]

Originally Posted by -jimi-

Tea raises my mood because it is more subtle than coffee.

Sugar I avoid because I am too sensitive to it. Many people do not go into sugar crashes (the myth is all people do), but I do.

Part from that, my mood is not connected to food. I can eat whatever and it doesn't make a difference. You'd think I would be rewarded somehow for eating healthy, but nope, I feel the same if I eat junk. Now I often avoid junk simply cuz I don't like it much but when I ate it more in the past, things were the exact same. Not just my mood, but my weight and energy too.

For me it feels quite discouraging that it does not matter what I eat.

Also I end up deficient in iron and vit D even if eating foods with it a lot.

Dairy can relax me a bit, that is the food that affects me the most in a positive way.

Yeah, me too. The only thing I've ever consumed that noticeably affected my mood is green tea. (It improves my mood.) The only thing I've consumed that noticeably affects me physically is high fructose corn syrup (an hour or two after I eat something with this as an ingredient, my blood sugar crashes and I get the muchies, big time).

However, note I say "noticeably." The problem for me is that I don't know what normal is. I've been pretty numb for a long time, so there could be things affecting me and I just can't tell.

--Ceara1010

[fishin fool]

I feel the healthier I eat the better I feel in general including my mood.
I gave up fast food a long time ago.
I don't drink soda at all and I try to eat fresh veggies every day.
I do love pizza so every once in a while I will eat it but I don't think that
is nearly as bad as fast food and over processed food.
I believe the key is to eat as pure as possible, I know it's not an easy thing
to do but I truly believe all the modified, processed foods we eat do affect
our mental health as well as our physical health.
Physical health and mental health go together so just do the best you can.
Every little bit helps.

[handheart]

I have bad experience with cofein

I just want to point out that black - and especially green - tea have a far higher caffeine content than coffee. What may be causing the effect you feel is the tanins.

[-jimi-]

Green tea is often weaker than black tea, and black tea is often weaker than coffee. But I guess it depends on how strong you make it too.

[Ceara1010]

Originally Posted by justafriend306

I just want to point out that black - and especially green - tea have a far higher caffeine content than coffee. What may be causing the effect you feel is the tanins.

I don't know about the caffeine amount of green tea and black tea, but I do know that it is not the same type of caffeine in that it moves through the blood stream differently than the caffeine in coffee. I have read that the caffeine in teas moves through the bloodstream more slowly than the caffeine in coffee which makes them less of a stimulant. But as with any drug--and caffeine is a drug--I imagine that this won't effect absolutely everyone the same way.

Personally, caffeine doesn't stimulate me, no matter what kind. But that's because I'm ADD and stimulants have the opposite effects on people like us.

--Ceara1010

[-jimi-]

Tea has the same type of caffeine that coffee does, in a lower amount, but it has other stimulants as well in small amounts that don't wear off equally fast as caffeine and doesn't have the same onset (like theobromine, theophylline and theanine). That is why tea and coffee feels different to drink.

Alcohol is something I completely abstain from. It interacts with my meds and leaves me horribly anxious the next day.

[Marla500]

I think this is such an important topic! In the past few weeks I have had rare moments where I have felt optimistic which hasn't happened in the longest time...and the only thing I have done differently is taking glucosamine, but I think it's actually the vitamin D. I was already taking calcium with D, and the combination of the two equaled between 1600 and 2000 units a day. I think that is what is helping.