Life can be a wild ride, filled with ups and downs that sometimes throw our moods off balance. Whether it's feeling anxious, irritable, or just not quite like ourselves, these mood swings can significantly impact our overall well-being.
With a stable mood, you can easily navigate life's challenges, experience greater happiness, and cultivate a sense of inner strength. However, so many people struggle day to day to stabilize their mood. I hear it in the clinic daily: "I have mood swings."
Before we go any further, let's define mood stability vs. mood instability.
Mood stability refers to a persistent inner feeling…that impacts all aspects of a person's behavior. Mood instability, on the other hand, can be described as abrupt mood changes or mood swings from baseline.
While there are various approaches to managing mood disorders, we often overlook the power of sleep, exercise, and balancing blood sugar levels — the foundational trifecta for mood stabilization!
Let’s dive into the world of natural mood stabilization and see how balanced blood sugars, exercise, and sleep can influence your mood and improve your emotional well-being.
The Link Between Blood Sugar and Mood
Many people don’t realize how refined sugar hurts our mental health. It increases inflammation, depletes essential nutrients (such as magnesium and B vitamins) for the brain, and sets off oxidative stress, all of which harm our cells and increase our vulnerability to disease.
When we eat a lot of refined carbs large amounts of insulin are released. This causes our blood sugar to plummet - a condition known as reactive hypoglycemia. For example, following a high-carb lunch, we may feel good for nearly an hour, and then our blood sugar drops. It’s like our battery starts to die. We may experience mood swings, irritability, nervousness, panic, weakness, shakiness, and anxiety.
Well, we need to recharge our battery, right? So we start craving sweets, and the cycle starts all over again.
People may mistake these hypoglycemia symptoms for signs of bipolar disorder, panic attacks, anxiety, or sadness. One study found that people who ate a lot of sugary drinks, pastries, and refined carbs (white flour-based goods like bread, pasta, and pizza dough) had a higher risk of sadness (including recurrent depression) and anxiety.
We nourish our brain when we feed it the right nutrition. Another report suggests that a diet low in protein cannot support neurotransmitter production due to a lack of essential amino acids.
Why is this important? Those neurotransmitters are what help our brain cells and neurons communicate with each other. They help keep our moods stable. Without enough of these neurons, our brain cells don’t communicate effectively.
Furthermore, this study reveals that good fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, are critical for sustaining mental wellness because they aid in that communication process by sending signals between nerve cells. It’s like the battery sending power through our phone to tell it to turn on, but we need the wires inside to function well.
How can we improve our mood stability through food? Balanced, healthy meals are a great place to start. Here's a simple yet practical approach to level up your breakfast, lunch, and dinner to improve mood stability.
- Upgrade Your Morning Fuel: Supercharge Your Breakfast with Protein and Healthy Fats. For example, instead of a fruit and water-based smoothie, add protein powder and a healthy fat such as one tablespoon of coconut oil or flaxseed.
- Elevate Your Lunch/Dinner: Power Up Your Salad with a Protein Boost - Add grilled salmon for protein and omega 3s, tofu for a plant-based protein, or leftover roasted chicken breast for a light and protein-packed option.
- Revamp Your Snack Game: Swap that Doughnut for a Nutritious Organic Apple Delight paired with your favorite nut butter.
If you would like to learn how to beat sugar cravings, prepare delicious sugar-free recipes, and re-energize your life, register for my FREE 5-day Sugar Detox Challenge!
The Impact of Sleep on Mood
Poor sleep is another contributing factor to mood instability. Almost every client I see who complains of mood swings has difficulty falling or staying asleep.
An increasing amount of research indicates that experiencing nighttime disturbances that prevent you from obtaining enough restorative sleep is linked to emotions of sadness and despair the next day.
Additionally, the region of the brain responsible for learning appears to reap the benefits of restful, uninterrupted sleep. Insomnia may also cause mood swings because the amygdala, the part of the brain that handles emotions, is not fully connected to the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that controls our thoughts, actions, and emotions. Furthermore, lack of sleep may be a factor in people's tendency to overreact in stressful situations.
To promote restful sleep at night, consider three overlooked sleep disruptors.
- Caffeine after 3 pm. Caffeine might throw off your body clock since it suppresses melatonin. Switch to decaf coffee or tea, or better yet sip on water.
- 'Go Dark' and hide flashing lights. Devices with backlights, such as smartphones, tablets, and e-readers, can deceive the brain into believing it's daytime and time to be alert. Darkness helps your brain prepare for sleep. It naturally stimulates the release of melatonin. Set your phone or e-reader aside at least an hour before bed and dim their light. Wear a sleep mask or hang heavy drapes in your bedroom.
- Too hot or too cold bedroom. For optimal comfort and sleep quality, the ideal overnight bedroom temperature is typically between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. You may feel sleepier as your body cools down after a warm bath or shower.
Impact of Exercise on Mood Stability
It's a common oversight to ignore the importance of exercise in maintaining mood stability. Exercise increases endorphin levels and encourages better sleep, leading to an overall improvement in mood. Many patients I see in clinical practice tend to lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Getting regular exercise like walking or gardening can help increase blood flow to our brain. According to a 2006 article, exercise has a favorable effect on the HPA axis, also known as the "stress response system."
As you may be aware, when we are stressed, our moods become dysregulated. Increasing regular physical exercise, even by just 10 minutes twice a day, can significantly impact our ability to cope with stress and maintain positive emotions.
Here are some simple ways to start adding more exercise to your daily routine:
- If it is safe, park a little further away from the store than you usually do - those extra steps will add up!
Head out to the garden and do a little weeding or plant some flowers or fresh herbs. - Instead of letting the dog out in the yard, take it for a walk 2 - 3 times a day. Even a short walk will do both of you good!
- Take a dance or pilates class. If you don’t have time to go out to a class, look for one online.
- Set a weekly walking date with a friend. The walk and social interaction will help your mood!
Final Thoughts
Exercise, sleep, and balanced blood sugar play vital roles in maintaining a stable mood. Regular exercise and quality sleep promote the release of feel-good hormones and help regulate emotions. Balanced blood sugar levels prevent energy fluctuations that can affect mood.
Prioritizing these and making small improvements can help your overall mood and well-being.
Disclaimer: This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. It is being provided to you to educate you about wellness and as a self-help tool for your own use. It is not medical or psychological advice. Please do not stop psychiatric medications or any current medications abruptly as this may cause serious physical and emotional reactions. If your goal is to wean off psychiatric medications, please see your healthcare provider for further guidance.
