Food and Your Mood: 4 Reasons To Eat Less Processed Foods
Food and Your Mood
How Processed Foods Affect Your Mood and Mental Health
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updates: 03/04/2020 (Disclaimer added, links verified) | 01/2022 (Minor content revision); May 2025 — Added new resources (eCookbook, therapy package) and refined content for clarity and SEO.
Food and Your Mood: 4 Reasons To Eat Less Processed Foods
Our brain is a powerful thing. The brain has to maintain its power to assist in the second to second, minute to minute operations of the body. So what fuels the brain? Food! Just like anything else in our body the foods we consume fuels the brain. Even with all of the specialties ( Cardiologist, gastroenterologist and counselors) in the medical world; each limb, ligament, and organ continue to be treated as attachments separate from the brain. Alternatively, within the holistic world, the understanding is that the human body is a single system- nothing is separate- therefore, any dysfunction within the single system impacts other areas of our body’s ability to function efficiently.
Thus, impact of our mood due to food consumption has become clearer due to scientific research. In my practice, A Solution B, my clients and myself often explore ways to reduce their processed food intake and here’s why:
1) Serotonin Levels
According to Nutritional Psychiatry, the majority of our serotonin levels are produced within the gastrointestinal tract. Serotonin is a hormone within our body. Serotonin functions stabilize our mood and help us to feel feelings of wellbeing and happiness. Low serotonin levels have been linked to depressive symptoms and other symptoms indicative of mood disorders. The ability to produce serotonin is also based on the body’s ability to grow and maintain healthy bacteria. With that said, these examples of processed foods like processed meats, breakfast cereals, bread, and savory snacks, lack the nutritional value our bodies are naturally made to use as fuel for the healthy bacteria.
Without that healthy gut-brain communication (via the vagus nerve), we often see mood shifts and even depressive symptoms emerge.
2) Inflammation
Your body may react to preservatives, dyes, and additives in processed foods by triggering inflammation. This can lead to joint or muscle pain, which understandably affects mood: worry, irritability, even fear of movement. It's a vicious cycle that starts with what's on your plate.
Want to explore the connection between gut, mood, and physical health more deeply?
Read this: Gut-Brain-Heart Axis
3) Hormone Levels
Foods, additives, and other preservatives can impact our hormones. A disruption in our hormones can lead to mood dysregulation, which can present as irritability, crying spells, and more.
4) Nutrient Deficiency
The gastrointestinal tract is lined with small cells that are used to absorb the good nutrition from our food and eliminate unneeded toxins and radicals, which we expel as fecal matter. Without healthy bacteria and a healthy track lining, it is extremely difficult for our bodies to accumulate the nutrition required for them to function to their utmost ability. In addition, the more food is processed the least nutritional value it has. Because of this, many individuals are deficient in magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D, etc. Recent studies indicate a link between low magnesium and a vitamin D deficiency.
What Can I Eat?
Our “Western diet” is made of foods manufactured and created with a salt to sugar ratio to make it more visually appealing and more enticing to our taste buds. The concern for nutritional gain appears to be at a minimum in regards to fast food chains.
Studies indicate foods consumed in traditional diets such as the Mediterranean Diet and the traditional Japanese Diet reduce the risk of mood disorders, particularly depression, by 20% to 35%. These mentioned diets comprise of whole food items – which are foods as close to their natural state as possible.
Examples:
Fruits & vegetables
Legumes & whole grains
Fermented foods
Grass-fed, organic meats
Is Food the Only Thing You Need to Change?
Short answer, no! I believe in a full Mind. Body. Home. approach.-Nutrition is only one component of addressing your mental health. However, addressing nutrition is one of the most difficult changes for many individuals.
Processed food is readily available, more affordable, and marketed in a seductive manner to easily fall into the trap. That’s why I encourage you to simply:
Notice how you feel after meals. Are you bloated, sleepy, or irritable?
Try one new whole food each week. Over time, your taste buds and your mood will shift.
Ready to Support Your Food + Mood Journey?
Looking for easy, real-food ideas that genuinely support your mental health?
My Mood-Boosting Foods eCookbook offers simple, nourishing recipes designed to support gut health, reduce inflammation, and help regulate mood—naturally and holistically.
✨ Now includes two bonus tools: a Whole Foods Cheat Sheet and Positive Affirmations for stress relief.
Get the Mood-Boosting eCookbook here
If you’re looking for a gentle way to start supporting your mental clarity, my journal prompts are a simple yet powerful first step. They’ll help you reflect on your habits and uncover how food truly makes you feel.
Download Journal Prompts here
Want even deeper support? You’re not alone. If you're ready to address the connection between nutrition and emotional wellness in a guided, therapeutic setting, explore my 8-Week Nutrition & Mental Health Therapy Package. We’ll work together to restore balance, improve your relationship with food, and support your nervous system from the inside out.
Connect With Me to Learn More
What About You?
Have you noticed how certain foods affect your mood, energy, or mental clarity?
I’d love to hear your experience — share your thoughts in the comments below! Your story might resonate with someone else who’s just beginning their own food and mood journey.
Written By: Reynelda Jones, LMSW, CAADC, ADS
Owner and Therapist of A Solution B
If you're in need of working through some issues like addressing your emotional wellness and feel you would benefit from incorporating a nutritional approach, Contact me today for a session.
To learn more about A Solution B, LLC click here
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Cited Sources
Selhub, E. (2018, April 5). Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food. Retrieved August 17, 2019, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626
Uwitonze, A.-M., & Razzaque, M. (2018, February 28). Role of Magnesium in Vitamin D Activation and Functioning. Retrieved August 17, 2019, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323444405_Role_of_Magnesium_in_Vitamin_D_Activation_and_Function
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