Food and mood - top tips on how to eat and drink well from the Devon Wellbeing Hub

Posted by Devon Partnership Trust in Mental health, Recovery and wellbeing on 12th March, 2024

This week (11-17 March) is Nutrition and Hydration Week – an opportunity to highlight the value of food and drink in maintaining good health and wellbeing.

The relationship between our diet and our mental health is complex. However, research shows a link between what we eat and how we feel. It’s also important to stay hydrated as even mild dehydration can affect our mood, energy level and ability to concentrate.

Olivia Palmer, an accredited Nutritionist and Trainee Health Psychologist from the Devon Wellbeing Hub, said: “Eating a balanced diet and staying hydrated is vital for our health and wellbeing. The key to any approach to nutrition and/or hydration is to find what works for you.

“When we are working hard and have busy lives it can be very easy to under, or overeat. This can lead to us feeling uncomfortable and can affect our health and mood long-term. The best thing you can do to support yourself is to keep it simple and aim to eat three balanced meals a day with snacks when needed.”

Below are some top tips on how to eat and drink well: 

• Eat a balanced diet – We need to fuel our bodies. If you can focus on building a balanced plate at every meal you will feel better long term and avoid blood sugar highs and lows which can impact your energy and mood.
• Take regular breaks – Eat regularly to help stop your blood sugar level from dropping, which can make you feel tired and bad-tempered. Aim to take five minutes every hour, get up, stretch and if you can, get a breath of fresh air. This will reset your focus and help you to avoid fatigue.
• Have healthy snacks available - It can be easy to demonise snacks but if you are going for longer than four to five hours between meals you will feel hungry. If you can, have a balanced snack available to keep your blood sugar balanced and energy levels stable. A key tip: if you are eating fruit try to pair it with a source of protein and/or fat as this will help to slow down the release of the fruit sugar, keep your blood sugar stable and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
• Stay hydrated - If you struggle to drink enough throughout the day try to have a water bottle on your desk (a one with time markings can be helpful), or drink a glass of water before each meal/ snack. This can help to keep you hydrated and encourage you to drink more, which will support your energy and mood.
• Switch to decaf after midday - Caffeine has a half-life of six to eight hours. If you drink it in the afternoon or within eight hours of going to bed this can impact your sleep. It may not stop you falling asleep but it will compromise the quality of your sleep leaving you prone to fatigue. Find a good decaf alternative and switch.

Olivia has been involved in running a healthy eating perspectives course for the Hub titled ‘Embrace Your Plate’, which helps colleagues explore their relationship with food and looks at why we eat the way we do. More sessions will be taking place in the near future. To register your interest, please email olivia.palmer1@nhs.net

You can find more helpful information on healthy lifestyles on the Devon Wellbeing Hub useful resources page, under the ‘physical health and wellbeing’ tab.