We've all asked ourselves what we're in the mood to eat. And most of us have experienced feeling like we're not in the best mood and looking for food to help us turn it around. Did it work? For many of us, it worked for a few minutes and then not really after that. This week Jenn walks us through the biological connection between our mood and our food. Giving us the approachable science plus the tangible steps we can take to be our own best pick-me-up. Thank goodness for this episode; because it's more than just feeling hangry!

Outline:

• Welcome back, meet Summer & intro to today's topic
• Understanding the science & biology of our foods' connection to our mood
• Neurotransmitters, neurotransmitter disruptors/disregulators
• Blood flow to the brain & antioxidants
• Alcohol, sleep, stress
• Helpful supplementation: CoQ10, omega 3s, amino acids, antioxidants, minerals
• BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor)
• Recent study on connection between lifestyle choices & mental health
• Synergy of nutrients: alpha lipoic acid, plant-derived antioxidants, CoQ10, B-vitamins, acetyl L-carnitine, amino acids, omega 3s (Essential Fatty Acids / EFAs)
• Stress inducing foods
• Stress mitigating foods  
• Vagus nerve & toning the vagus nerve
• The difference between knowing the things & actually doing them
• Food is connected to emotions (mood)
• Physical hunger, mental/emotional hunger, excuses
• Tools to help us understand the difference: tracking, hunger ratings, mood ratings, energy ratings, self-esteem ratings
• The role of a health coach
• Wrap Up
• Tip from Summer: declutter your pantry

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Quotes:

"Antioxidants, vitamins and fatty acids—the synergy of nutrients is what supports strength and function of our brain chemistry over time." - Jenn Trepeck

"B-Vitamins are of massive importance when it comes to neurotransmitters, cognitive function and mood...stress depletes B-Vitamins." - Jenn Trepeck

"Essential Fatty Acids—your body can't make them, you have to take them." - Jenn Trepeck

"The Vagus Nerve is the biological connection between our gut and our brain. It's like a 5-lane highway with 4 lanes going gut to brain, 1 lane going brain to gut." - Jenn Trepeck