Manage your mood by managing your blood sugar levels
Posted by kathryn in Mental & emotional health
Eating irregularly and eating the wrong foods can make you moody, tired and irritable.
Each time you eat, some parts of the food are broken down into glucose – the primary source of fuel used by your body and brain. However, a few hours after eating, that glucose supply dwindles – leading to a drop in blood sugar levels.
When blood sugar levels are low many people experience mood changes. Feelings of depression, annoyance, anger and inability to cope are common. If you’re not eating regularly and not eating the right foods, these feelings can dominate your day.
There are several things you can do to prevent this.
1. Eat regularly
- make sure you eat at least three meals per day, particularly breakfast
- most people also need a couple of snacks during the day to regulate blood sugar levels
- try to eat something every four hours
- if you do start feeling cranky, ask yourself when you last had something to eat? It may be your blood sugar levels need topping up.
2. Eat low GI carbohydrates
- make the switch to low GI foods. These foods are absorbed more slowly and therefore minimise mood swings.
- include at least five portions of vegetables and two serves of fruit each day
- eat more legumes
Managing your blood sugar levels doesn’t mean you have to eat all day. Instead, blood sugar levels can be maintained by eating low GI foods and regularly having three meals and a couple of snacks. Try this for a week and notice the difference. If you manage your blood sugar level, you’ll feel calmer and less prone to mood swings.
It’s Mental Health Week here at Limes & Lycopene and this post is the last in the series: five food and diet strategies you can use to improve your mental health.
Technorati tags: “mental health week” and mental health week
13 October, 2007
Comments
I would just like to say that I go agro when I don’t eat / snack regularly. My blood sugar levels drop and I become irritable and lose concerntration. The combination of low-GI carbohydrates and good sources of protein helps my cause! I don’t know what opinions people have on protein shakes, but they’ve saved me a few times, coupled with a banana!
I know this isn’t directly related, but it’s something I had earlier in the wrap-up of mental health week. It’s an interesting article from Reuters which comments on being depressed at work. It quotes a US study, but is interesting regardless of context.
“Child care workers, home health care aides and other people who provide personal services have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers… The least depressing careers appear to lie in architecture, engineering, the sciences and in the installation, maintenance and repair fields, the survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN1430725320071014?feedType=nl&feedName=ushealth1100
Good timing for this focus. The weather is getting very depressing here right now!
ohhh blood sugar! low blood sugar is the bane of my existence (or at least it feels that way sometimes). i get VERY grumpy and sometimes nauseous when i have low blood sugar. if it’s bad enough i also get light headed, it’s not very pleasant.
Crankiness, nausea, feeling light-headed, not being able to concentrate – all strong signs of low blood sugar level. Paul, I also find low GI carbohydrates, coupled with some protein important.
Mallika, thanks for reminding me about the weather where you are. I’ve been so excited about summer this year, I’ve forgotten about all my northern hemisphere readers. I’ll post some information about keeping well over autumn and winter later today.
Paul, a study saying almost exactly the same thing is being released in Australia this week. The Australian Unity Wellbeing Index is being launched at the start of Carers’ Week. It’s findings show 56 percent of carers suffer moderate depression (compared to 6 percent of the general community). Carers also have the lowest level of wellbeing of any group in society – more than other marginalised group, such as unemployed people living alone and those on very low incomes.
I read about this in the herald. Compass also had a programme on young carers the other week – teenagers who looked after their parents. There’s a transcript on their website.
hi-new to blogging!my mother at 84 just had gaul bladder surgery, the stone removed was about the size of a golf ball. she needs to remain on a fat free diet. any suggestions?
e.regan,washington,dc/annapolis,md.
Hello there Eileen. I’m assuming your mother has had her gallbladder removed? She needs to be on a good all round diet that is low in fat overall, but does still include small amounts of mono- and poly-unsaturated fats.
I’m not able to deal with individual cases through Limes & Lycopene. There are too many variables to putting together an individualised plan – you can’t do it without a full case history.
My suggestion would be for your mum to go and see a nutritionist or dietician in her local area. They can advise her on what foods to eat and how to put together an eating plan. Good luck.
Being bipolar and diabetic it is hard for me to tell where my mood swings are coming from. Any clues for me to cue in to? I tend to not eat very well as I am rather over weight and I think I don’t deserve to eat. Also when I do eat it tends to go through me and hurt me pretty badly in the intestine area. I have appointments with the GI doctor and my Psychiatrist to discuss options. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hi there Gwen, thanks for visiting Limes & Lycopene. Differentiating between the reasons for mood changes is that bit harder for you. As a guide, maybe think about when you last ate? If it’s 3 – 5 hours since you last ate, then it could mean you’re hungry.
We all deserve good food, to nourish and strengthen our bodies. And yes that absolutely 100 percent includes you. Without feeding your body and your mind, nothing is going to change. So have your doctor and psychiatrist appointments, and talk to them about these issues.
You might also be interested in the series I’m currently running called 31 Days to a Better Diet. I’m posting a daily tip, encouraging readers to make their diets just that little bit better. There are posts on hunger, portion sizes, food awareness, eating more variety and making it easier to eat well. The series starts here and you can follow the posts up my blog from there.
Best of luck Gwen.
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