Wellness resources—Good food, good mood
By Nicole Mattson, HSE, SHRM-SCP, SPHR | January 23, 2023 | All members
The following is a wellness resource from the Statewide Healthcare Coordination Center (SHCC) Behavioral Health Staff Wellness Team’s
Monday Morning Medicine on January 23, 2023:
“Good food, good mood.”
Our mood is often connected to the food we eat, both in positive and negative ways. Drinks are included in this relationship. Today’s MMM will dig into some food-mood connections to help you develop mood-boosting intake strategies.
Breakfast is easy to skimp on when we are on the run to get to work. We can do better with planning. For instance, having fruit and healthy “grab–n-go” foods always handy can make healthy choices happen in a rush. Feeling “hangry” can happen when we are hungry, and circumstances we do not like sour our mood. Unfortunately, many of the snack foods we tend to grab are not very helpful. What do we do?
Healthy snacking takes a little forethought and planning. For example, clearing one’s spaces of sugary snacks and stocking up on fruits, vegetables, whole grain-based snacks, nuts, 100% juices and waters can make it easier to choose wisely. Staying “snacked-up” before stressful times or long work periods can help improve your mood and performance.
Scheduling regular snack times can help balance energy and mood and can lead to healthier snack availability. Having yogurt, a bag of nuts or veggies, apples, and cheese sticks ready and knowing when you will eat them can keep you on track and more upbeat.
Well-balanced lunches during the workday can help to stay with you longer and keep the mood up as well.
Both coffee and black tea contain caffeine and antioxidants. Coffee has more caffeine and tea more antioxidants. Tea is warming and healthy, and the antioxidants help prevent some cognitive impairments and inflammatory diseases. Pop or water? It is easy to grab the flavored, colored, sweetened drink in the moment, yet few of these are healthy, or even helpful in supporting better mood. Water is so much healthier.
Planning for eating can be planning for better mood and wellbeing.
Upcoming training & events
- “De-escalating Emotionally Charged People and Situations” with Luke Campbell, MA
- February 2, 2023, from 9:00–10:30 AM
- Register here with course ID: 1105092
- “Grieving Our Losses: Defined and Ambiguous Loss” with Janet Yeats, MA, LMFT
- February 16, 2023, 2:00–2:30 PM
- Register here with course ID:1105343
- 21st Annual Preparedness Practicum
- February 15, 2023, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM at Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center
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Nicole Mattson | Vice President of Strategic Initiatives |
nmattson@careproviders.org | 952-851-2482