Mood & Food

1.Variety, Variety, Variety

As you have heard in previous modules, the Australian Dietary Guidelines highlight the important of eating a WIDE variety of nutritious foods. There is good evidence to show that eating 30 different types of plant foods per week, has been linked to a more diverse range of gut bacteria. Sounds like a lot, but here are some easy ways to get this variety into your weekly diet

• While you might have some staple varieties, each week, aim to purchase a handful of different coloured fruits and vegetables. E.g you might like to buy a mixed salad or a couple of varieties of leaves and mix and match.
• Include legumes more often. Add kidney beans to mince to give it a Mexican twist, add lentils to soups and mince to, a few tablespoons 4 bean mix is a great addition to salads.
• Add finely chopped grated coloured veggies into main dishes – minces, curries, rissoles, casseroles, frittata, even baked items like
• Sprinkles of nuts and seeds into salads, on toast, or into your breakfast cereal.

2.Pump up the (fibre) volume

By now, you should be getting the distinct impression that the bacteria in your gut is a good friend. What is a nice thing to do for your friends? Provide them with great food food! Fibre is our gut microbiome’s favourite food. The Australian guidelines recommend at least 30g fibre per day for adults (18yrs+). Unfortunately, only about 30% are actually achieving this fibre recommendation. The Australian Dietary Guidelines has told us we need to consume;

• 5 serves of vegetables per day (*keep skins on where you can)
• 2 serves fruit (*leave skin on when you can)
• 3 serves of wholegrains (bread, grains, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, cous cous, quinoa, freekeh, buckwheat etc)
• 1 serve nuts or legumes

The good news is, if we can meet these targets for those food groups, then 30g fibre is really achievable and this will make the gut very pleased. Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, especially those where you eat the skin, contain nutrients called “phytochemicals” which play a role in reducing inflammation.

For more information about “what is a serve”. Head to The Australian Dietary Guidelines

3.Eat whole foods

Whole foods are foods that have undergone no, or very minimal processing. These foods are either in (or very close to), their natural state and don’t contain added salt, sugar or other manufactured ingredients. Examples include wholegrains, legumes, fresh fruits, vegetables and unprocessed meats, chicken, fish, poultry, lamb, eggs and plain nuts.

Basing your food intake on whole foods means you will be getting plenty of fibre and filling up on foods with many other nutritional benefits.

4.Healthy Fats, Healthy you

Fat is an essential part of our diet because it is important for;

• Brain development, memory, cognition and the production of neurotransmitters
• The production of hormones such as testosterone, growth hormone and oestrogen
• Regulating body temperature
• Insulating and protecting organs
• Aids in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins (Vitamins A,D,E & K)in the small intestine,

All fats however, are not created equal. Some types of fat provide additional health benefits

• Monounsaturated fats found in Nuts, Seeds, olive oil are highly recommended. Aim to include one of these choices with each meal – e.g. Avo on Toast for breakfast or in salads, 30g nuts as a snack, or in a salad and use olive oil in your cooking and in things like salad dressings. 100% nut butters and spreads can also be used. Walnuts, almonds, pecans and brazil nuts
• Omega 3 fats – Aim to include fish as regularly as possible. Cold water, oily fish such as salmon, fresh or tinned or smoked are high sources, as are flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds (pepitas). Include fish on about 2 or more occasions per week if possible. Include seeds in salads, as a snack and within things like your breakfast cereal/oats, or even sprinkled on yoghurt as a snack.

5.Reduced low nutrient, highly processed foods

There is strong evidence linking highly processed foods and poor mental health outcomes. These foods are low in vitamins and minerals and other nutrients, and often high in unhealthy saturated and trans fats, sugar and salt. This factor alone makes these foods less than ideal for overall health as they increase the risk of some conditions such as heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), and Type 2 Diabetes.

When these foods take the place of nourishing, high fibre foods, their impact is more detrimental to our gut health, leading to negative effects on our mood and mental well-being. Enjoying these foods from time to time and small amounts when the rest of your diet is based on high fibre, whole foods with plenty of variety is perfectly OK.