Mood Food

​🎵“Blue Skies Smilin’ At Me
Nothin’ But Blue Skies Do I See
Blue Birds Singin’ a Song
Nothin’ But Blue Skies From Now On”🎵
 
Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to sing that song every day and mean it?
But how?
It IS possible. Let’s break this down. I will be discussing foods (good and bad) and supplements to boost your mood.
 
Food – the ugly and the promising:
Stop eating Sugar.
Stop eating Wheat.
They will tank your mood. Your mood will be in the toilet within 1-3 days after eating sugar and wheat. The toxins in one slice of wheat bread could surpass 200. All because of that sneaky little word: Fortified. These toxins can cause inflammation, weight gain, and mood issues. Additionally, wheat, and the gluten in wheat, will give you a lovely large, round “wheat belly”, which would make anyone’s mood drop right into the gutter. Think of how beer is made. It ferments producing more volume, more fluid, and loads of gas. This is what happens in your gut. Sugar is a poison and increases pain, fluid retention, and drops the mood. Sugar also ferments in the gut, like fruit ferments in a vat. You want a big gassy belly, acid reflux, and a grumpy mood, eat more sugar and wheat!
 
When we eat inflammatory foods, the gut is damaged, which reduces the amount of neurotransmitters produced. Take serotonin…over 90% of serotonin is manufactured in the gut. If you’re the type of person who can only function while on an anti-depressant, think about eliminating sugar and wheat from your diet.
 
“But I’m used to eating this way.”
“I’ve been eating this way for years, and it hasn’t bothered me.”
 
There’s a reason you’re in my office. And it is likely the direct and indirect result of the past 5 years, or 5 decades of eating foods that were not healthy for human consumption. How you eat today will affect you tomorrow. Now is the time to make a change.
 
“What do I eat?”
 
I might sound like a broken record, however…

1. Red meat – THE highest carnitine rich food. Carnitine pushes the fatty acids into the mitochondria and the result is plenty of energy and higher metabolism, not to mention a healthier brain. Red meat is literally the MOST nutrient dense food (besides organ meats) on our planet that we have easy access to. And it is the best food for a happy, content mood. You wanna laugh again? Eat red meat most days. And keep it red in the middle, not brown.
2. Pork – the fat in pork is high in Vitamin D, the happy mood hormone. It’s not a vitamin, it’s a hormone. You should be able to absorb it if the fat isn’t cooked too long. Have a few slices of flimsy bacon along with the crunchy ones.
3. Chicken – high in Vitamin K which helps you absorb Vitamin D (make sure it’s pastured).
4. Salmon – high in omega-3’s and healthy fats, which support the heart/circulation, brain, and adrenals (wild caught is more nutrient dense – cook to medium only or you’ll denature the omega-3’s).
5. Eggs – the yolks are like a multivitamin, rich in choline which supports the brain, cognitive function, and mood. (make sure they’re pastured)
6. Animal fat – as much as your body will tolerate. Saturated animal fat feeds the brain. Fat feeds your hormones. Fat satiates us. Fat does not make us fat. Sugars & sweets, grains (wheat, rice, corn, etc), fruit, processed foods, and for some people even vegetables – these are the foods that make us fat or keep us fat.

 
Yes, you can get all your nutrients from meats and organs. (Cuz I knew that’d be your next question 😉)
 
Sometimes the adrenals need support when we are in high stress situations, or have anxiety or depression. Your fattier meats will help support the adrenals, in addition to certain supplements. There are too many to list here – just ask me.
 
Supplements are just food…medicinal food, but food nonetheless. As a reference, I have included a full list of mood supplements toward the end of this blog. Ask me about these at your next visit. The following paragraphs break down which nutrients or supplements help in specific situations.
 
Dopamine makes you feel good. For precursors in dopamine production, I recommend B-vitamins, Tyrosine, or Manganese. Sometimes all three. I use B-vitamins for the person who is stressed to the max or the person who is weepy at the drop of a hat. Manganese for the person who is getting annoyed with their kids, pets, or just plain doesn’t like being around people. Tyrosine picks your mood up. Think of that dopamine rush after a run, or after eating sugar. That’s why we have the concept of comfort food – it’s because of the dopamine. Dopamine can improve a low mood or depression.
 
For raising serotonin, another “feel-good” neurotransmitter, I recommend 5-HTP or St. John’s Wort. If you are on an antidepressant, you should not take St. John’s Wort. 5-HTP is a precursor for serotonin. Think of how you feel after eating a turkey dinner high in tryptophan. Feels good, doesn’t it? Nice and calming. 5-HTP is tryptophan. It’s not a bad idea to take this one at bedtime. Some people will need it throughout the day. Serotonin can improve both depression and calm anxiety.
 
If you’re the type of person who has high stress most of the time, such as a business owner, a parent running the household (technically a business), a person working 3 jobs, or a high stress home life or work life, where the stress is getting the better of you...you need Nevaton. You might be handling it well, but you know deep down, you could use a break. Nevaton is your answer. It contains St. John’s Wort, Schisandra, Skullcap, and Saffron, a phenomenal blend of herbs in concentrated form so you only have to take 2 in the morning to help you ride that wave all day. [DO NOT TAKE ST. JOHN’S WORT IF YOU ARE ON AN ANTIDEPRESSANT]
 
Vitamin D “the happy hormone” – Make sure your Vitamin D3 level is high enough. Most people in Michigan notice their D drops in the winter. But we have to also think about how the smoke layer from the fires in summertime is blocking the D as well. Vitamin D, which is really a hormone, is best absorbed in the presence of Vitamin K2 and animal fat. Pork fat is high in Vitamin D as well. A pound of bacon, if not destroyed by too much heat, can give a person 15,000-18,000 IU’s of D3, assuming you can absorb it.
 
A low thyroid can cause depression, a high thyroid can cause anxiety. And the weight gain, digestive issues, and hair loss that result from a low thyroid would give anyone a low mood. Get your TSH checked. It should be between 0.4 and 2.0. Minerals that nourish the thyroid are iodine, zinc, copper, selenium, and manganese. Tyrosine might also be needed for thyroid hormone production.
 
Methylation – we need methylation in the liver to detox, but also to absorb the B-vitamins that support a better mood. This is going to be your Methylfolate Plus, Methyl-B12, TMG…
 
It is unlikely that you would need all of these supplements. We just have to determine with the muscle testing and labs where you might be low.
 
GABA is a neurotransmitter/amino acid that calms the nervous system and helps with anxiety. GABA is amazing for social anxiety, restless legs, or just high anxiety in general. I use Taurine as well for supporting the brain and also for restless legs. Taurine is calming. Sometimes it is best taken at bedtime for sleep. I like GABA-Plus because it contains GABA, Taurine, and Passion Flower.
 
Two homeopathics that I love for anxiety and stress are Aconitum napellus 30C (aconite for short) and Ignatia amara 30C. “Like cures like” in homeopathy. It’s a very dilute dose or “resonance” if you will. We do not take a full strength dose of these plants. By the time you dilute it down to 30C, it’s basically just a resonance. Very effective. Different dilutions can improve the body’s function in different ways. A poisonous plant converted into a resonance can heal the body. Aconite 30C is used for sudden onset of shock, fear, stress, or anxiety. Ignatia 30C is just a very nice anxiety homeopathic.
 
Any homeopathic you take, you’re going to want to follow the homeopathic rules which are:
Try not to touch them with your fingers. Pop them in your mouth directly. Suck on them under the tongue for as long as you can. Take them at least 20-30 minutes away from food, drink, supplements, and meds. And at least an hour away from coffee, mint, and menthol. Most toothpastes have either mint or menthol in them. Even cinnamon toothpaste contains menthol typically. Some lip repair ointments contain menthol. Some essential oils can erase homeopathic frequencies too. And electronics/wifi can erase them if placed too close in proximity.
 
I want the best life for you. I want your body to heal, so you can look forward to each day. I absolutely LOVE helping my clients overcome anxiety and depression, because this hits close to home for me. I have studied for years on how to improve the brain, gut, and hormones so that I can help clients feel the best they can feel. If you are just squeaking by, let me know if I can help!
 
Supplement quick reference:
Cataplex B – high in all the B-vitamins, over 50 of them, includes liver and nutritional yeast
Beef Liver – high in B-vitamins as well as other vitamins and minerals for mood
L-Tyrosine – dopamine production
Manganese – dopamine production, and supports the pituitary gland and thyroid
5-HTP – serotonin production
St. John’s Wort – serotonin production (also antiviral)
Nevaton – for those high stress days
Nutrients for thyroid – iodine, selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, tyrosine, thyroid glandular if needed, possibly organically bound minerals
Methylfolate Plus – B-vitamin absorption
GABA Plus – a nice blend of GABA, Taurine, and Passion Flower
Aconitum napellus 30C – sudden shock, fear, stress, or anxiety
Ignatia amara 30C – for anxiety in general

Schedule a Wellness Consultation if you would like to see where your body is at and what you need!

Connie J. Kelly
Nutritional Health Practitioner

Naturopathic Health
B.S. MedSci, NHE, FBWS
(Natural Health Educator)
(Functional Bloodwork Specialist)