Food Mood and the Hidden Connection

Food, Mood, and the Hidden Connection

Whew! I’ve had a rough couple of weeks over here. How about you? Do you feel it too? There’s something major shifting right now, and I can feel it in my bones. When the world gets heavy, it seeps into me — the worry, the fear, the unhappiness swirling all around. And last week, it finally caught up with me.

When my mood dips, I notice it doesn’t just stay in my head or heart — it ripples into every corner of my life. My routines slip. I lose steam with the things I normally love to do. And it shows up in the strangest ways… an appliance breaks down, the car acts up, or one of my kids calls with an unexpected problem. Suddenly, life feels a little more uphill.

And here’s the thing: it doesn’t just affect me. Energy isn’t something we carry alone. In a family, when one person feels off, it touches everyone. I saw that clearly last week. And that’s when I knew — it was time to shift.

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Finding My Way Back

When I catch myself sinking into that heavy space, the first thing I do is return to my morning routine. For me, that means prayer — starting the day by sitting in stillness, asking God for help, and remembering to invite the Holy Spirit into every decision. That simple act of connection grounds me before the day takes off.

Movement is another big piece. Whether it’s lifting weights, flowing through yoga, or walking outside, moving my body helps me release what I’m holding onto. Pair that with clean, nourishing food — real foods that grow from the earth — and I can feel my system begin to reset. I take a few days to strip things back: no processed food, no sugar, and for me, no animal products. Just plants, whole foods, and light meals that my body can easily digest. It’s amazing how quickly my energy shifts when I simplify like this.

I also guard what I let into my mind. No news. No engaging in negative conversations. Those things pull me into what I call the pit — a place of worry, fear, and darkness. And here’s the thing: when we’re in the pit, that’s when we make our poorest choices. Willpower feels weak, and suddenly it’s easier to grab the junk food, pour the extra glass of wine, or numb out with things that don’t truly serve us. The lower our energy dips, the more likely we are to reach for what brings temporary comfort but leaves us feeling even worse.

That’s why protecting our mindset matters so much. What we put into our minds is just as important as what we put into our bodies. Instead of filling up on negativity, I turn toward the positive. A podcast (I’ve even created one of my own 😉), an uplifting book, or simply setting an intention to look for the good.

For me, gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to flip the script. When I’m in a tough or draining situation, I try to pause and find something to be grateful for. Like the woman who feels buried in laundry — she can stop and remember how blessed she is to have clothes for her family to wear. Gratitude shifts the energy instantly, pulling us out of the pit and back into perspective.

The truth is, the world can be a very negative place if we choose to engage with it that way. But it can also be breathtakingly beautiful if we open our eyes to it. Yesterday I had one of those God moments in the grocery store. A young man asked if I was a Christian, and when I said yes, he shared his story of coming back to his faith. It was such a beautiful reminder of God’s presence. And I realized — if I hadn’t set my heart that morning to see the good in everyone, I might have missed it.

These little choices may seem simple, but they stack up. One prayer. One nourishing meal. One walk outside. One moment of gratitude. One decision to stay out of the pit. Step by step, the heaviness lifts, and the light comes back in.

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The Hidden Connection

The more I walk this path, the more I see how deeply food and mood are tied together. When my spirit feels heavy, my body feels it too. And when I nourish both with prayer, whole foods, movement, gratitude, and positivity, the light returns.

There’s a story of a Cherokee elder who told his grandson about two wolves living inside each of us — one of darkness and one of light. When the grandson asked which wolf would win, the elder replied, “the one you feed.”

It’s the same with us. Every day, every bite, every thought is a choice. Are you feeding the darkness or fueling the light?

We can’t control everything happening in the world, but we can choose how we care for ourselves in the middle of it. Every prayer, every walk in nature, every plate of real food — it all shifts the energy we carry and the energy we share with others.

So I’ll leave you with this: when life feels heavy, how do you climb out of the pit? What practices, foods, or moments of faith bring you back to yourself? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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