Sunday was one of those days when I found myself overindulging in bread. It showed up at every meal—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bread isn’t necessarily bad, but for some reason, my body doesn’t respond well to it. Normally, I try to be mindful, knowing how bread affects me, but that day I leaned into it fully, ignoring the signals from my body.
I wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) as I'm currently Bio-hacking, so I had a front-row seat to what was happening inside me. The spikes on my monitor were relentless, showing how bread was throwing my blood sugar out of balance. It was frustrating to witness, knowing it wasn’t serving my body, yet I continued eating it.
The Day After: Physical, Emotional, and Mental Toll
The following morning, I woke up in a fog—mentally, emotionally, and physically. I felt sluggish, my motivation was gone, and it took a huge amount of mental and emotional effort to get through the day. Even my workout was affected. I usually feel strong and capable in the gym, but that day, my strength felt drained. I had to drop my weights significantly, and every movement felt like I was dragging my body through molasses.
It wasn’t just physical. My mind was clouded by negative thoughts that felt impossible to shake. I found myself stuck in loops of catastrophizing, filled with hopelessness and helplessness, even though there was no real evidence to back up those feelings. My self-esteem plummeted, and I had no energy to combat the spiral of negativity.
I processed these feelings by giving myself space to slow down and be present with the discomfort. I used visualization techniques to imagine my thoughts as clouds drifting by, reminding myself that they were temporary. But this wasn’t just a random bad day; it felt deeper, like what I can only describe as a food hangover.
Day 2: The Power of Resetting
The second day after the bread binge was like night and day. I committed to clean eating and focused on balancing my meals, and by the next morning, I felt a shift. The emotional heaviness lifted, my mind felt clearer, and the negative thought loops no longer held me captive. My body felt lighter, and the sluggishness disappeared. I went back to the gym and found my strength returning—proof that food choices affect more than just the numbers on a scale.
Self-Awareness: A Key to Unlocking Patterns
What strikes me the most about this experience—and many others like it—is how slowing down has allowed me to truly notice the connection between food and mental health. This isn’t just an isolated event for me. In the past, I used to move so fast through life that I never even noticed how deeply food influenced my mood, thoughts, and physical performance. I was always rushing, living on autopilot, never slowing down enough to understand the interplay between my habits and my well-being. Do you find the same for you?
The real transformation in my health journey has been developing self-awareness and creating a new rhythm to life. Slowing down has given me space to notice patterns, reflect on my choices, and understand the signals my body sends me. This shift in perspective has been nothing short of life-changing. It’s incredible to think that I used to miss these signs entirely—and now, these connections feel so obvious.
The Science: Blood Sugar, Nutrition, and Mental Health
This experience reaffirmed something I’ve been learning: the connection between food, blood sugar regulation, and mental health is real. When we consume refined carbohydrates, like bread, our blood sugar rises sharply. This causes our body to release insulin to lower it, leading to a crash that leaves us feeling tired, irritable, and foggy.
Beyond the physical effects, these blood sugar swings disrupt the brain’s delicate balance of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which regulate mood and motivation. When these levels are thrown off, it can trigger depressive symptoms, low energy, and even impact performance—both mentally and physically.
My experience also highlights a lesser-discussed phenomenon: the emotional fallout of blood sugar crashes. It’s not just about feeling tired; it’s about how those dips in blood sugar can fuel a mental storm of negative thoughts and emotions. And as I saw firsthand, it can even affect athletic performance. Without proper fuel, the body struggles to perform, leading to frustration and self-doubt.
The Bigger Picture: Learning and Adjusting
Developing self-awareness has been the key to understanding these patterns along with educating myself. When I lived life on autopilot, I missed how food affected not just my body but my mind. Now, each slip-up—like my bread binge—isn’t a failure but an opportunity to learn. I’m beginning to see that food is more than fuel—it’s information for my body, shaping how I think, feel, and show up in the world.
Action Steps for Self-Exploration:
Track Food, Mood, and Energy Levels: Keep a journal of what you eat, how you feel, and how you perform physically. Patterns might emerge that help you better understand your unique relationship with food.
Visualize Thoughts as Passing Clouds: When stuck in negative thought loops, imagine your thoughts as clouds drifting by. This technique can create mental space and reduce emotional overwhelm.
Experiment with Blood Sugar Balance: Focus on eating balanced meals with protein, healthy fats, and fiber to stabilize blood sugar levels. See how this impacts your mood and performance over time.
Reflect with Curiosity, Not Criticism: Instead of beating yourself up over less-than-ideal choices, ask what you can learn from them. Every experience—good or bad—is part of the process of becoming more aligned with your health goals.
Additional Resources:
Explore articles on blood sugar, mood, and nutrition at reputable sources like Healthline or Psychology Today
“How Foods and Nutrients Control Our Moods” dives into how food affects mood and mental health through the gut-brain connection, exploring the role of neurotransmitters and how diet impacts emotions and motivation. This episode discusses how certain food choices, like carbohydrates and fats, can significantly affect mental states and energy levels .
“Transform Your Health by Improving Metabolism, Hormones, and Blood Sugar Regulation” with Dr. Casey Means touches on how managing blood sugar through balanced meals can stabilize energy and mood. The discussion aligns with your personal experience with a CGM and offers actionable insights on food sequencing and including healthy fats and fiber to minimize blood sugar spikes .
“How Sugar and Processed Foods Impact Your Health” with Dr. Robert Lustig addresses the physiological and psychological impact of sugar and processed foods on metabolic and mental health, emphasizing how dietary changes can prevent energy crashes and emotional lows .
These episodes offer a mix of scientific insights and practical advice on balancing blood sugar, regulating mood through nutrition, and the importance of being mindful of food’s impact on mental and physical performance. You can explore them further on the Huberman Lab podcast for deeper insights and strategies.
The journey of understanding how food affects mental health isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it. Slowing down, becoming more self-aware, and observing the patterns in our lives unlocks the ability to care for ourselves in ways we may not have known we needed.
Every choice—whether it supports or detracts from our well-being—is an opportunity to learn, adjust, and grow. We aren’t just what we eat; we are how we nourish our minds, bodies, and spirits.
Every step on this journey—whether it’s learning from setbacks or celebrating small wins—matters. Be kind to yourself as you uncover the patterns between your choices and well-being. This isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress and building self-awareness. Listen to what your body and mind are telling you, and know that it’s okay to reset and start fresh. The power to feel your best lies in your daily decisions.
If you’re ready to take the next step toward transforming your health and well-being, I’m here to help. Together, we can create a personalized plan that supports both your physical and mental health, empowering you to nourish your mind, body, and spirit. Let’s embark on this journey toward lasting change—because you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to work with me and start taking intentional steps toward the vibrant, healthy life you deserve.