This week’s episode and article are part of the mental health series I’m sharing for Mental Health Awareness Month, and today I want to talk about something I honestly see affecting people’s day-to-day wellbeing more than almost anything else: food and eating habits.
More specifically, the impact that the way people eat can have on stress levels, mood, anxiety, energy, and overall mental health.
Now, before I get into this, I want to be clear that mental health is complex. I’m not saying food is the sole cause of someone’s struggles, or that changing how you eat is going to “fix” serious mental health conditions.
But what I do see time and time again in my work, and in modern life generally, is that many people are eating in a way that is stressing out their body and nervous system every single day, often without realising it.
And what’s interesting is that many people think the way they’re eating makes sense, or that they’re simply following what feels best for them. But in reality, their eating habits are often being driven by stress, busyness, and years of messaging around dieting, skipping meals, fasting, avoiding carbs, trying to be “good,” and relying on caffeine to get through the day.
The Pattern I See All the Time
Typically, the day starts with stress and rushing.
People wake up already mentally “on” – checking emails, scrolling social media, getting children ready, commuting, multitasking, and immediately thinking about everything they need to do.
One of the things stress does is blunt appetite, which means many people genuinely don’t feel very hungry in the morning. Anxiety can even make people feel nauseous at the thought of eating, especially protein-based or savoury foods.
So what usually happens?
People skip breakfast, just have coffee, or grab something quick and carb-heavy like cereal, toast, pastries, or a cereal bar. Also, the problem is not just what people are eating, it’s also that many people simply aren’t eating enough.
After essentially fasting overnight, stress hormones are already elevated, and instead of properly fuelling the body, people are either giving it very little fuel or mostly fast-releasing carbohydrates without enough protein or fat to stabilise blood sugar.
And when blood sugar isn’t stable, whether it’s too low or too high, that itself is a stress on the body. Then stress hormones rise further, which then affects energy, concentration, emotional regulation, anxiety levels, and the nervous system more broadly.
So many people are starting the day physiologically and, therefore, psychologically, stressed before the day has even properly begun. Then they continue into a busy morning running on cortisol, adrenaline, caffeine, and very little fuel.
Lunch is often no better…
Most people still don’t eat enough, and meals are usually quick, convenient, and eaten distractedly at a desk while still working. Sandwiches, soup, meal deals, pasta pots – often lacking enough protein, fat, fibre, or overall calories.
Which then leads to what many people experience every afternoon:
- Brain fog
- Poor concentration
- Sleepiness
- Irritability
- Sugar cravings
- More caffeine cravings
And this is often where people start blaming themselves.
“Why do I have no willpower?”
“Why do I keep craving chocolate?”
“Why do I feel so anxious?”
Without realising that so much of this is physiological because their body is trying to get fuel quickly via the easiest source – carbohydrates – because blood sugar and stress levels have been fluctuating all day.
Why This Matters for Mental Health
By the evening, people finally slow down, stress drops slightly, and appetite returns. And because many people have unintentionally under-fuelled themselves all day, this is often where larger carb-heavy dinners, snacking, and evening cravings kick in.
Over time, this kind of eating pattern can have a significant impact on both physical and mental health, because when blood sugar is constantly fluctuating, the nervous system is constantly having to respond to that instability.
- Stress hormones stay elevated.
- Sleep can suffer.
- Anxiety often increases.
- People feel more emotionally reactive, overwhelmed, drained, and exhausted.
And this is why I often say that many people are unknowingly eating in a way that is stressing them out. Not intentionally, but because modern life pushes people towards these patterns.
- We’re time poor.
- We’re chronically stressed.
- Coffee and convenience foods are everywhere.
- And diet culture has taught many people to ignore hunger or fear eating enough.
Getting It ‘Right’
One of the most important things to understand is that this isn’t about perfection.
It’s not about cutting out all carbs.
It’s not about “clean eating.”
And it’s not about complicated meal plans.
It’s really about consistency and blood sugar stability, which looks like:
- Eating enough.
- Eating regularly.
- Not relying on caffeine or sugar as fuel.
- And combining carbohydrates with protein and fats so energy is released more steadily.
Because when blood sugar stabilises, stress hormones stay lower, energy becomes more consistent, and people often feel calmer surprisingly quickly.
Honestly, when I work with people on this, they often tell me within days that they’re sleeping better, feeling calmer, thinking more clearly, and coping with life more easily. Not because food magically fixes everything, but because their body and nervous system are no longer under the same level of physiological stress all day long.
The core message I want to leave you with is this:
How you eat affects how you feel far more than most people realise.
And many people are living in patterns that are keeping them stressed, anxious, foggy, reactive, and exhausted without recognising that the way they’re eating may be significantly contributing to those symptoms… not to mention the longer-term impact these patterns can have on physical health over time.
So instead of only focusing on what you eat, start paying attention to how you eat as well.
Because those patterns really matter, and the good news is that they can change through small, consistent shifts that gradually become new habits that genuinely support you better.
Kate x
If this episode resonated with you and you’d like support around food habits, stress, wellbeing, or performance, feel free to get in touch. I work with both individuals and organisations through coaching, workshops, and wellbeing webinars. Email info@katehorwood.com
