Nourishing the Mind and Body: How Food, Stress, and Neurobiology Shape Our Mental Health

This month, we're presenting at a CEU event for mental health practitioners to discuss the role of functional nutrition in mental health, which, got me inspired to write this post.

We’ve Been Talking About Nutrition All Wrong

Somewhere along the way, we missed the point.

Nutrition became about:

• calories

• weight loss

• macros

• metabolism

And while those things matter… they’re not the full picture.

Because here’s what we haven't been talking about... What we eat adds to our stress load and mental health challenges OR it regulates and helps to manage the stress of our environments, situations, and even our mental health status.

This post is a summary of how I wish we talked about nutrition right off the get-go.

Imagine growing up understanding that:

• Mood swings could be tied to blood sugar

• Anxiety could be amplified by under-eating

• Cravings could be signals, not failures

• Food could be a tool for regulation, not control

How different would your relationship with food be?

How different would your relationship with yourself be?

How might your prioritize yourself and your body's needs?

How to Use This Post

This is a lot of information and you don’t need to implement everything at once.

Instead, read this with curiosity.

Notice what stands out to you, what feels relevant to your current experience, and what "low-hanging fruit" you can easily experiment with.

You can also bookmark this post or come back to it over time. Your body will resonate with different pieces at different stages. You can also download our handout included at the bottom of this post. Now, let's dive in!

How This Applies to Mental Health

In today's mental health landscape, it's common for symptoms like anxiety, depression, ADHD, and brain fog to be quickly identified and often diagnosed.

And to be clear, these diagnoses can be incredibly helpful. They provide language, validation, direction, and access to care. For many people, medication is incredibly helpful and crucial.

But there's a piece of the conversation that often gets missed. We don't always pause to ask why these symptoms are happening in the first place. We think therapy is crucial in these cases, but our experiences and situations aren't just our traumas, our genetics, our communities, and our stressful life events.

In addition to stress levels and life circumstances, symptoms can also be shaped by:

• Sleep quality and daily rhythms

• Nutrition and blood sugar stability

• Nervous system regulation

• Gut health and nutrient absorption

• Inflammation and underlying physiology

• Hormone imbalances

When these areas are out of balance, the body responds. And that response can look like:

• Difficulty focusing

• Low motivation

• Anxiety or feeling "on edge"

• Mood swings or depression

• Fatigue or burnout

• And even less resilience to stressful events

We can not only streamline care for individuals when we look through this lens, we can actually make medication (when warranted) more effective! And the amazing thing is, there are individuals out there that have gotten off SSRI's and other medications by addressing things like blood sugar balance and gut health restoration.

The Brain–Body Connection: It’s Not Just in Your Head

Your brain relies on chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) to regulate mood, focus, motivation, and stress response.

Some of the key players include:

• Serotonin (mood stability, satisfaction, emotional resilience)

• Dopamine (motivation, reward, drive)

• GABA (calm, relaxation, anxiety regulation)

• Endorphins (pleasure, pain relief, emotional buffering)

These neurotransmitters don’t just appear out of nowhere.

They are built from the foods we eat, the nutrients we absorb, the state of our nervous system... And they are heavily influenced by your daily habits, inflammation, gut health, thyroid function, iron status, and more!

The influence of Nutrition on Neurotransmitter Function

This table summarizes some of the primary neurotransmitters that act on the pleasure and reward centers of the brain, ultimately playing major roles in our mood and food choices

Neurotransmitter	Precursor	Role in Cravings/Mood	Recommended Foods
Serotonin	Tryptophan (5-HTP)	The brain’s natural antidepressant. Helps us to feel optimistic, confident, humorous, and satisfied (in life and with foods). When low, you may experience increased appetite, carbohydrate cravings, and mood alterations such as depression and anxiety.	Foods rich in tryptophan: Turkey, chicken, eggs, cheese, tofu, nuts, seeds, and bananas. Consuming carbohydrates (glucose) with tryptophan-rich foods can enhance serotonin production.
Endorphin	DPA (D-phenylalanine)	Comforting neurotransmitters. Our natural painkillers and mood elevators are produced in response to stress and pain. Contribute to feelings of pleasure and reward.	Foods rich in phenylalanine: meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and soy products. Consuming foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids may also support endorphin production.
GABA (Gamma-amino-butyric acid)	GABA or Theanine	Natural tranquilizer, relaxing, and calming. Softens our tense areas (think, neck and shoulders), and clears about tense thoughts.	Foods rich in GABA: Fresh vegetables (spinach, broccoli), fruits (berries), nuts, yogurt and fermented foods, lentils, halibut, shrimp, and soy.  Tea is the biggest source of theanine (mostly green tea and black teas)
Catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline)	Tyrosine, Phenylalanine	Gives us energy and excitement and the ability to concentrate and focus. Controls our motivation factors.	Foods rich in tyrosine: Dairy, meats, fish, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains

Common Lab Patterns We Look At

Labs don't just tell us what is going on. It helps us as providers to figure out how to best support you.

Rather than focusing on a certain "problem" or outcome, we look for patterns across systems that, when corrected, make it much easier to reach your goals.

These are things like:

Inflammation

• Markers like CRP can indicate underlying inflammation, which has been linked to depression, fatigue, and cognitive changes.

Nutrient Status & Methylation

• Markers like B12, folate, and homocysteine give insight into how well the body is supporting neurotransmitter production and brain function.

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health

• Glucose and A1c help us understand energy stability, which directly impacts mood, focus, and cravings.

Iron Status

• Ferritin (iron stores) plays a major role in energy, cognition, and even dopamine function. Low levels can contribute to fatigue, brain fog, and low motivation.

Thyroid Function

• Thyroid hormones influence metabolism, energy, and mood. Imbalances can present as depression, anxiety, or cognitive slowing.

From there, based on your symptoms, your story, and your labs, we may dive deeper in functional medicine testing to understand your gut health and microbiome (GI-standard test) or even your hormones and how your body is actually utilizing and metabolizing them (DUTCH test).

The results from this type of testing can be astounding and we've had clients cry in session when something has come back that validates what they've been saying for years. Something was off. And now we can address it at the root.

This does not replace therapy, disrupting thought patterns, community, medication, and learning how to tune into your body. But it does help us address the underlying physiology that can stall progress and drive symptoms. If you're interested in learning more about our intake process or the testing we might look at, you can check out a previous blog that goes a bit deeper.

What Happens When You See A Functional Medicine Nutritionist Blog

Food Is More Than Fuel... It’s Information for Your Nervous System

So let's talk about the food influence on our nervous system. In our office we often talk a lot about how your relationship with food might influence your nervous system. That's one aspect and it definitely does and can play a role. But literally the food we eat daily can impact our nervous system, regardless of our relationship with it. For example, one of the most overlooked drivers of mental health symptoms is blood sugar instability.

When we go long periods without eating, skip meals, or rely heavily on refined carbohydrates, the body experiences this as a form of stress (unfortunate, given that those refined carbohydrates are the ones we reach for when we're stressed).

Here’s what happens:

Blood sugar spikes → crashes → stress response activation

When blood sugar drops too low, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to bring it back up.

This can feel like anxiety, irritability, shakiness, urgency, intense cravings (especially sugar or caffeine), brain fog, fatigue, or inability to focus.

In other words:

Blood sugar instability is perceived by the body as a stressor.

In my work with clients, I will sometimes utilize a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) so we can detect patterns that may be contributing to some of those symptoms mentioned above.

The Stress–Craving Cycle

Unfortunately, this can create a pattern that happens repeatedly, creating an ongoing cycle:

1. Blood sugar drops

2. Stress hormones increase

3. Cravings intensify

4. Quick, highly palatable foods are consumed

5. Temporary relief… followed by another crash

Over time, this cycle can:

• Disrupt mood stability

• Increase anxiety

• Drive emotional eating patterns

• Dysregulate hunger and fullness cues

Highly processed, hyper-palatable foods (those high in sugar, fat, and salt) can amplify this cycle by overstimulating the brain’s reward system, making it harder to feel satisfied with whole foods.

And here’s the part many people don’t realize: these foods are designed to tap into the very neurotransmitters we talked about earlier. That’s why they feel so good in the moment.

Highly Palatable Foods (HPF) Impact on Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitter	Impact
Serotonin	HPF initially increase serotonin but result in a subsequent crash that eventually results in decreased serotonin production
Endorphin	HPF trigger the release of endorphins but frequent consumption of these foods can lead to desensitization of the brain’s reward pathways, requiring more quantities of palatable foods to achieve the same effect
Catecholamines	Rapid spikes in blood sugar resulting from consuming sugary foods can stimulate dopamine release, contributing to feelings of pleasure and reward but eventually leads to dysregulation in dopamine signaling, reducing sensitivity to its effects
GABA	Consumption of high amounts of caffeine or refined sugars can disrupt GABA signaling, causing feelings of anxiety, stress, and cravings

But that short-term reward often comes with a downstream cost. Blood sugar swings, increased cravings, and added stress on the nervous system can follow even if the experience felt enjoyable at the time.

And to be clear, this isn’t about never eating these foods or demonizing them. I eat them too. The difference is that I understand what’s happening in my body, so I can have a plan, set expectations, and support my system overall. And sometimes? I just enjoy them fully and without guilt. And to be extra, extra clear, there was a time when I was completely all consumed by these foods. They were linked to my traumas, my connections, everything it seemed.

It's taken a lot of healing, tuning in, and relearning to move through that and feel more peace with food. If this is you, this is another aspect of my work that I lean into as a mind-body eating coach trained in eating psychology. You can read more on that piece here.

Nutrition & Neurotransmitters: The Missing Link

The other unfortunate part about those highly palatable foods is that they are very limited in their nutrient density. And your brain needs specific building blocks to create neurotransmitters.

For example:

• Tryptophan-rich foods (like turkey, eggs, seeds) support serotonin

• Tyrosine-rich foods (like fish, dairy, legumes) support dopamine

• Magnesium-rich foods support calming pathways like GABA

Processed foods often do not include those building blocks. There is a large plethora of nutrients needed for our brain to function properly. A post for another time perhaps. But this is why our approach often includes focusing on what foods we can add in to ensure the brain is getting what it needs for support.

We may focus on things like:

• Enough protein

• Balanced meals

• Healthy fats (especially omega-3s)

• Micronutrients like zinc, magnesium, and B vitamins

• A healthy gut for absorption

Without these, the brain simply doesn’t have what it needs to function optimally.

Lifestyle Matters More Than You Think

Food is just one piece of the puzzle.

Several daily habits directly influence neurotransmitters and nervous system regulation:

• Exercise → boosts serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and GABA

• Sleep → regulates mood, appetite, and hormone balance

• Sunlight → supports serotonin production and circadian rhythm

• Hydration → critical for brain signaling and cognitive function

• Meditation & breathwork → improve stress resilience

• Connection & touch → increase oxytocin and reduce cortisol

These are biological inputs that shape how we feel every day. If we want to feel like regulated humans, we have to operate in some of the ways we as humans always operated before the introduction of technology!

A More Compassionate, Whole-Body Approach

When we bring all of this together, a new perspective emerges:

• Emotional eating is not a failure. It’s often a form of regulation

• Cravings are not weakness. They are signals

• Fatigue, anxiety, and mood swings can often have physiological roots

And most importantly:

What and when you eat can either activate your stress response or help regulate it.

Where to Start

You don’t need to overhaul everything at once. In fact, people are often surprised how committing to one pattern or habit can be foundational to how they feel in even just a few weeks.

Start with “low-hanging fruit”:

• Eat regularly (every 3–5 hours)

• Build balanced meals (protein + carbs + fat)

• Prioritize protein intake

• Get morning sunlight

• Stay hydrated

• Add in movement you enjoy

• Practice self-compassion around food

Small, consistent changes can create powerful shifts in both biology and behavior.

Final Thought

Your body is not working against you.

It’s adapting, responding, and trying to protect you with the tools it has.

When you begin to support your biology through nutrition, lifestyle, and nervous system care you create the conditions for:

• More stable mood

• More consistent energy

• Reduced cravings

• Greater resilience

And ultimately, a more peaceful relationship with both food and yourself. Download the image below for daily reminders of the information in this blog! And if you want this kind of support personalized to you, fill out our contact form.

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