Mood imbalances can appear as mood swings, anxiety, depression, irritability,inability to concentrate, poor memory recall, lack of focus or even brain fog.  These symptoms can be attributed to a variety of nutritionally-related triggers that include dysglycemia, gluten intolerance or neurotransmitter imbalances.  Research supports that there is a definite connection between the gut health and the brain.  In fact, Dr Natasha Turner, author of The Supercharged Hormone Diet, clearly states that “the hormones produced in your digestive tract not only govern appetite, food breakdown, nutrient absorption and waste excretion, but also influence your mood, mind and memory.” [1]

You may have heard your friends talk about low blood sugar or low glucose or even, hypoglycemia.  Basically, they are all the same animal.  However, a better term would be dysglycemia. Dysglycemia is an imbalance of sugar or glucose in the bloodstream. Your energy has slumped. Then begins your search for something sweet – aka refined carbohydrate or simply think white sugar, white flour, most anything white that converts to glucose rapidly.  You eat  and your blood sugar rises abruptly and raising your energy levels, followed by a crash and feels of tiredness.

You may know it better from that 3PM slump that sends you searching for something sweet.  For me, the cycle usually begins around 2:30 in the afternoon. For no apparent reason, I go searching for chocolate. And that chocolate can be chocolate chips or a healthier choice of dark chocolate. Although, I have to admit lately my search has been for salty stuff — hint, this is a signal that my adrenals are out of balance. Anyway, I eat the sweet stuff. And bam, I have a surge of energy. Unfortunately, it is soon followed by an abrupt drop in energy within a few hours, which often leaves me tired and irritable. Does this cycle sound familiar?

Tweetable: “Life happens. Chocolate helps. Or does it?” 

Dysglycemic Symptoms You May Recognize:

• strong cravings for sweets, starches, coffee or alcohol
• irritable, especially if you skip a meal or a meal is delayed
• fatigued or tired
• addicted to coffee with sugar and/or pop
• frequent headaches
• nervous/anxious feelings often relieved by eating
• depression
• easily lose your temper or become angry easily

Here are a few reasons why you may experience that “energy low” or dysglycemic state:

• Your body’s sugar (glucose) is used up too quickly (hyperglycemic)
• Glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly (hypoglycemic)
• Too much insulin is released into the bloodstream (precursor to insulin resistance)

Although it is most common in people with diabetes, it can occur in healthy people from time to time.  The alternating surging and crashing cycles of sugar imbalance in the bloodstream can disrupt your physiology, but your psychology too.

Potential Causes of Dysglycemic Imbalance

• overeating concentrated sugars and starches
• stress
• caffeine
• poor calorie distribution (eating little during the day and excessively at night)
• vitamin deficiencies like B6, biotin or chromium
• metabolic syndrome
• autoimmune disease
• bacterial, viral or fungal infections

Interestingly, there is a close connection between candidiasis (yeast overgrowth), allergies and dysglycemia. Fortunately, most candida infections can be stopped, if you cut off its supply of sugar. Think of yeast for baking — it needs sugar to grow. That’s what candida needs too to grow inside your body.

Recommendations to Balance Your Blood Sugars and Improve Your Mood

• Primary rule — restrict refined and concentrated sugars of all kinds
• Chew your food thoroughly — after all, carbohydrate digestion starts in your mouth and chewing is essential for proper breakdown and absorption of nutrients
• Eat meals that are low in glycemic load: substitute refined grains with whole grains and lots of non-starchy vegetables
• Protein is important, so include it in every meal, because it keeps your blood sugar balanced and your insulin levels low. How much? Dr Sara Gottfried, author of The Hormone Cure, recommends about 1 gram of lean protein per pound of lean body mass. [2] To figure out your lean body mass, subtract your body fat in pounds (depending on your scale you may need to calculate this from a percentage) from your total body weight. You may need to increase the amount based on how much exercise you do.
• Increase fibre intake to slow down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, thereby preventing a rapid rise in glucose levels in the blood
  Include healthy fats, which can slow down the absorption of carbohydrates
• To keep blood sugar level even, experiment with having 5 – 6 small meals or snacks a day, instead of 3 big meals.
• Stay well hydrated with pure non-chlorinated water and/or herbal teas
• Avoid, as much as possible, processed foods, and anything that contains sugar and refined carbohydrates

To some extent, you have control over your mood, if it is directly affected by the foods you eat.  As I always say, eat SLOW food — sustainable, local, and/or organic whole foods — and you should be good. Remember labels are for tin cans. Real whole food doesn’t have a label. Choose wisely because your body, mind and mood depend on it.

Foods affect your mood.  What foods have you noticed that affect your mood?  Take time to share your thoughts about food and mood in the comments below.

 Resources:
[1] Natasha Turner, ND, The Supercharged Hormone Diet, (Toronto: Random House Canada, 2011) 49.
[2] Sara Gottfried, MD, The Hormone Cure, (New York: Scribner, 2013) 224.