Never neglect nutrition: How food effects your mind

Food doesn’t just shape your body; it quietly shapes your thoughts, mood, and behaviour too. In a world that glorifies quick fixes and convenience, it’s easy to forget that every bite you take sends a message to your brain. In this article we will explore how the nutrients you choose can either fuel clarity, calm, and emotional balance, or feed anxiety, fogginess, low mood and more.

Why nutrition matters for your mind

Nutrition matters for the mind because every bite of food rapidly alters brain chemistry, inflammation, gene expression, and the gut–brain axis—directly affecting mood, focus, memory, and long‑term dementia risk, a core theme.

Many physicians like Dr. Mark Hyman argue that food is not just calories but biological “code” that upgrades or downgrades your brain with each meal, changing gene expression, immune function, hormones, microbiome health, and thus brain chemistry. Research shows that depression, anxiety, and memory problems improve in patients once the “physical” issues got treated (like blood sugar, gut, and inflammation) through diet and lifestyle.

Many mental health issues like depression, anxiety, ADD, autism, Alzheimer’s are framed as brain inflammatory conditions, heavily driven by an inflammatory, ultra‑processed diet. Highly processed and high‑glycaemic foods are linked with a 50–100% increased risk of clinical depression, so food choice becomes a frontline intervention for mood.

​Optimal nutrition is possibly the most important factor in keeping the brain healthy. The brain is largely made of fat and relies on a steady supply of omega‑3s and other healthy fats for structure and signalling. Foods like fatty fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocados, and even some higher‑quality saturated fats, can dramatically improve clarity, learning, and memory.

​Protein is also central because amino acids are the raw materials for neurotransmitters and help neurons communicate; higher protein intake is associated with reduced risk of cognitive decline, so about 30 grams or so of protein per meal from sources like fish, eggs, and quality meats is ideal. Colourful plant foods (berries, greens, legumes, etc.) provide antioxidants and phytonutrients that protect neurons and supply steady energy, which supports focus and resilience to stress. The bottom line is that eating healthy, good quality, whole foods will never be problematic or cause any issues. You simply cannot go wrong with making better choices and reducing your processed food intake.

Hard truths about eating habits

The role of food has changed much in our lives and for many of us it became a companion of sorts, others started using food as their main coping mechanism for stress, boredom, or difficult emotions. We do all this automatically, without even realising but let’s take a moment and become aware of some truths, that may be hard to hear at first.

• You’re not a dog, so don’t reward yourself with food. When I first heard this, time stopped. I couldn’t believe the effects that this small sentence was having on me. I will happily admit that I was 100% guilty of this behaviour and considering how I always encourage celebrating all of the small successes in life, this can very quickly become problematic. Once you decide to break this habit, something else needs to replace it. When you want to reward yourself, you’re really looking for pleasure, relief, or a sense of “I matter” and food is just one way to get that. You can easily swap it for rewards that still feel good but don’t involve eating. You could read your favourite book or magazine for 20 minutes, add some money to a ‘tip jar’ and get yourself something nice or maybe call a friend, cuddle a pet, just get creative.

• Not every meal has to be a festivity. This truth was also very hard to swallow but let’s face it, life can and will get stressful. Choosing what to eat is something most of us have control over and it’s an easy and sure way to get some enjoyment, while navigating the headaches of life. A meal doesn’t always have to be fireworks on a plate, it can sometimes just be functional and you can still enjoy it, which brings us to the next point.

• Mindless munching in front of a screen. When you actually take time to enjoy your food, eat in a more mindful manner, slow down and chew every bite properly, you feel more fulfilled. Do not underestimate TV dinners, because screens distract you from hunger and fullness cues, so you eat more without realizing it - often 10-25% extra calories per meal. This "mindless eating" weakens memory of what you've consumed, making you hungrier sooner and prone to overeating later.

• Gather data and understand what’s right for you. There are countless diets these days such as Mediterranean, Keto, DASH, Vegan, and Flexitarian but it’s very important to choose a way of eating that you can sustain for decades. The way you eat shouldn’t be about a brief period in your life, it should be a way of life. It’s ok to try different things but ultimately you have to understand what’s right and maintainable for you in the long run. Are carbs the enemy for you? Perhaps, but can you realistically eliminate them for good? Instead, you could reduce the frequency of how often you have them and use a macro tracking app to insure you don’t fall all the way of the wagon on days you do break bread. Be realistic with what’s possible.

Crack the code of cravings

Different diets will come and go but one thing we can count on, is the relentless cry of cravings in our minds. Cravings are intense urges for specific foods, driven by biology, habits, and emotions, not just hunger. Cracking their code means spotting triggers and rewiring responses for lasting control.

Main Causes

• Hormonal shifts: Low serotonin (stress, PMS) or high ghrelin (skipped meals, poor sleep) signal the brain for quick sugar or fat hits.

• Brain wiring: Reward pathways light up like addiction, especially for "hyperpalatable" junk; cues like ads, smells, stress easily trigger dopamine surges.

• Habits and deprivation: Strict diets backfire with rebound cravings; and in times like this emotional eating links food to comfort and relief.

How to Break Them

• Drink water, wait 10-15 minutes as thirst mimics hunger, and cravings peak then fade.

• Eat balanced (protein + fibre first) to stabilize blood sugar and hormones like leptin.

• Distract or reframe: Walk, call a friend, or label the urge ("This is stress talking").

• Long-term: Consistent sleep, stress management, and occasional "craved" foods in moderation weaken the cycle.

When we have cravings, we crave comfort and relief. We don’t often get that from a celery stick so we reach for the comforting creamy, cosy ice creams and chocolate. Understand what is really going on beneath the surface and get to the bottom of why you truly feel the need to fill your face.

Eliminate the food noise

Our relationship with food is rarely straight forward. If you have babies or small children in your environment, take a moment and observe their behaviour. For the most part they are still free, unburdened and have a healthy relationship with food. Young kids will get super excited for a birthday cake but after a few bites they’re done. They run back to play and it’s often the parents who chase them around the house with “one more bite for mommy”, paving the way for disorders. I’ve witnessed countless instances of overfeeding or arguments over meals but we need to understand and trust that children know when enough is enough.

How many of us have been held hostage at the table until all the broccoli was eaten or all the veggies devoured? Of course, parents want the best for their kids but we need to be really aware of the food stories we tell ourselves. We also need to shift the shame and the blame around eating, because no one is born with dysfunctional habits. We pick them up along the way.

So now that our parents no longer dictate what we eat at dinner let’s deal with the so called ‘food noise’ that has become a daily companion for many of us.  

We can reduce “food noise”, the persistent, intrusive food thoughts unrelated to true hunger, by calming biology, psychology, and our environment.

• Stabilize biology

Eat regular meals (every 3–4 hours) built on protein, fats, and fibre to steady blood sugar and hunger hormones; cut ultra-processed foods and sugars that fuel cravings. Prioritize sleep and movement.

• Ease psychology

Ditch rigid restriction; allow all foods but lead with nourishing ones mindfully. Pause cravings: check if it’s stomach, emotion, or habit.

• Rewire mind and cues

Practice slow, phone-free eating. Use non-food soothers like walks or breathwork. Minimize tempting food visibility and pre-plan your meals.

Finally, it’s also important to realise how you see yourself. Are you someone who always struggles with food and diets or can you become a version of yourself living a balanced lifestyle, eating well?  

Every bite matters

For many of us food remains a source of pleasure and relief but allow me to elaborate why every bite truly matters. The ultra-processed foods that have invaded our shops and shelves are designed to keep us wanting more. Your goal may be to have a fit, healthy body but unfortunately that clashes with the profit hungry food manufacturers, who just want to keep you coming back for more. The other big problem is that when we eat these highly processed foods, they don’t cause any immediate discomfort or pain. The problems appear later on, but be sure that you are already paving the way for issues today. Multiple large cohort studies show high ultra-processed food (UPF) intake raises dementia odds. A meta-analysis of over 867,000 adults found high UPF consumption is tied to 44% higher all-cause dementia risk. In the UK Biobank study of 72,083 adults aged 55+, every 10% increase in ultra-processed food consumption was associated with a 25% higher risk of all-cause dementia, 14% higher for Alzheimer's disease, and 28% higher for vascular dementia.

Ultra-processed foods promote dementia via poor nutrition and metabolic harm. They drive obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, all dementia precursors, plus inflammation, amyloid build-up, brain insulin resistance, and microvascular damage. The low fibre, high sugar/salt, and additives worsen gut health and neurodegeneration.

In conversations on Alzheimer’s and dementia, many physicians like Dr. Hyman highlight data that nutritional interventions can improve brain energy metabolism and reduce dementia risk decades before symptoms show, particularly by improving how the brain handles sugar and by using healthy fats to support cognition. He frequently cites studies showing that shifting from a standard diet to patterns like a Mediterranean‑style, whole‑food diet can significantly reduce depressive symptoms and overall symptom burden, suggesting that food is a powerful lever for both present‑moment mental health and long‑term brain aging.

Studies repeatedly link a diverse, fibre‑rich, plant‑forward diet to a healthier gut microbiome, which in turn lowers systemic and brain inflammation and stabilizes mood and cognition. Feeding the gut microbes with varied plants and the right carbohydrates is a core brain strategy, while processed foods, sugars, and damaged fats impair microbes and worsen brain function. If you’re not careful, dementia can start in your 30’s without any clear warning signs and that’s why every bite matters!