Navigating the world of emotions can feel like trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces. If you’ve ever wondered how emotions really work, Lisa Feldman Barrett’s book, “How Emotions are Made,” offers insights that will help you understand them in a whole new way. Let’s dive into what makes this book a must-read, its major takeaways, and how it relates to nutrition.
Who Should Read “How Emotions Are Made”?
Curious Minds
If you’re curious about how the mind works, this book is for you. Barrett challenges what we think we know about emotions, making it a fascinating read for anyone interested in psychology or neuroscience.
Health and Wellness Fans
Understanding the science of emotions is crucial if you’re into health and wellness. Barrett’s insights can help you develop a more balanced approach to emotional health, a major key to overall well-being.
Major Takeaways
1. Emotions are Made, Not Born
One of the biggest ideas in the book is that emotions are not pre-programmed responses. Instead, our brains create them using past experiences, culture, and context. This means we have more control over our emotions than we might think.
2. Emotional Granularity
Barrett talks about emotional granularity—the ability to identify and describe a wide range of emotions. People who can do this tend to handle their emotions better and have better mental health.
3. The Role of Bodily Sensations
Our brains monitor and interpret signals from our bodies to create emotions. We can understand and manage our emotions better by paying more attention to these bodily sensations.
4. The Power of Prediction
Our brains constantly predict what will happen next based on past experiences. These predictions shape our emotional responses. By becoming aware of this, we can change our predictions and, as a result, our emotional reactions.
Why Emotions Matter for Nutrition
Understanding emotions as something created by the mind and body highlights just how closely linked our physical and emotional well-being are.
Lisa introduces the intriguing concept of a ‘body budget,’ which is a way of summing up how our brains manage the resources needed to navigate the complexities of daily life. According to Barrett, our brains operate like financial managers, constantly making predictions and allocating ‘funds’ to various bodily functions based on incoming sensory information. Just as we budget our money to cover expenses, our brains budget energy to regulate emotions, maintain physical health, and respond to the demands of the environment.
Your food choices can affect your body budget and the other way around. For instance, if you are low on energy because you just spent the whole day learning a new computer program at work, your body budget will be depleted. This may make you feel a little grumpy, foggy, or overwhelmed at the end of the day which could influence what choices we make next. You’ll need to make some positive deposits like food, rest, and water to bring it back up to balance.
When we pay attention to our mood, emotions, and our body’s signals, we can make mindful decisions about our food. Noticing how different foods make us feel physically and emotionally can guide us to healthier eating habits. Recognizing our body’s signals after eating certain foods can help us make better dietary choices that support emotional health.
Stress and Emotional Eating
Barrett’s insights into how emotions are made can help us understand and deal with stress-related eating. Knowing that our cravings and eating habits are influenced by our brain’s predictions and past experiences, we can find ways to change these patterns. This might involve creating new associations with food or finding other ways to cope with stress.
Building a Positive Relationship with Food
Just as we aim to understand our emotions better, we can also strive to understand our relationship with food. This means acknowledging the emotional aspects of eating and working to create a positive, respectful relationship with what we consume.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed reading Lisa Feldman Barrett’s “How Emotions are Made.” It’s not just a book about emotions; it’s a guide to understanding the connection between our minds and bodies. By exploring this link, we can better manage our emotions and make choices that improve our overall well-being, including our eating habits and nutrition. Whether you’re a curious reader, a health enthusiast, or a professional in the mental health field, this book offers insights that can enrich your life and help you better understand yourself.
Hungry For More?
Listen to Kristen and Eleanor discuss this book on the Heatlh Geeks Book Club Podcast:
Granola is a great way to kick start your energy for the day! This one has all the good stuff. If you have a nut allergy, just replace walnuts with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts, raw, chopped
12 dates, Medjool, pitted and chopped
1 cup oats, rolled (gluten-free if necessary)
1/4 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
1 Tbs chia seeds
1 Tbs hemp seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
salt, to taste
Directions:
Prep
Pit and chop dates
Make
Add walnuts to food processor and pulse until roughly chopped
Add dates and pulse until combined with walnuts
Add balance of ingredients and pulse until combined
Add a few pinches of salt if desired
Pour onto baking sheet and separate with fingers
Let air dry for about four hours
Place in an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks
Notes:
Pecans work well in place of walnuts here.
Serving size indicated is perfect for breakfast or snack but you can also use less as a topping!
Are you in the mood for a hearty soup filled with nutritional goodness? This is the one for you! Our vegan-friendly chickpea, butternut squash, and corn soup is a warm embrace on a chilly evening. Packed with the goodness of chickpeas, the sweetness of butternut squash, and the freshness of corn, this soup is a hearty meal that satisfies your soul and taste buds alike. Dive into this easy-to-follow recipe that promises to be your new go-to comfort food for all seasons.
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp rosemary, fresh, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp turmeric, ground
3 cups chickpeas, canned, drained and rinsed
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups corn, frozen, defrosted
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Prep
Chop onion, and rosemary, and mince the garlic
Peel and cube butternut squash (can use pre-cut or frozen)
Make
Sauté onion in olive oil to a large soup pot over medium heat until soft and fragrant
Add turmeric, garlic and rosemary and stir to coat the onions – about 1 minute
Add the rest of the ingredients, except the corn, and cover with vegetable broth
Reduce heat and simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
Transfer half of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth
Add purée soup back to pot, along with corn
Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if desired
This Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice is not only bursting with flavor but also aligns with your health-conscious lifestyle. Made with fresh, riced cauliflower and a medley of vibrant vegetables, each bite offers a low-carb twist to traditional fried rice. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a nutritious meal prep option, this recipe is designed to delight and nourish!
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup vegetable broth, low sodium
1 tsp ginger, minced
4 Tbs soy sauce
1 1/2 cups edamame, shelled, defrosted
2 scallions, chopped
Directions:
Prep
Cut the floret pieces from the cauliflower stems and rinse
Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse 3-5 times until cauliflower is chopped into rice sized pieces
Chop onion, pepper, garlic and scallions
Grate ginger
Make
In a large skillet heat the olive oil and sesame oil
Add the onion and red pepper to the skillet and sauté until the onion is tender and translucent – about 3 minutes
Stir in the garlic, broth, ginger and soy sauce
Transfer the cauliflower to the pan and stir
Cover with lid and cook over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes
Remove the lid, stir in the edamame and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until liquid has cooked off and cauliflower is tender
To serve, top with sliced green onion and additional soy sauce (if desired)
Notes:
You can also use frozen cauliflower rice that has been defrosted and drained.
Indulge in the decadent taste of chocolate fudge without any guilt! Our Healthy Chocolate Fudge Smoothie is a perfect blend of rich, velvety chocolate and nourishing ingredients that will satisfy your cravings and boost your health. This smoothie is not just a treat for your taste buds; it’s packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to fuel your day. Whether you’re looking for a quick breakfast option or a delightful afternoon pick-me-up, this smoothie is sure to become your new go-to recipe.
Though a chocolate fudge smoothie sounds overindulgent, ours is a nutritional treasure trove, meticulously crafted to support your detox journey. Let’s break down the ingredients that make this smoothie a powerhouse for detox:
Avocado (1/2): Creamy and nutrient-dense, avocados provide a rich source of monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. They support liver function, a crucial organ in detoxification, while also supplying the body with essential vitamins.
Spinach (1/4 cup, frozen): Packed with chlorophyll and a plethora of vitamins and minerals, spinach aids in flushing out toxins from the body. Its fiber content promotes healthy digestion and regular bowel movements, essential for effective detoxification.
Banana (1/2, frozen): Besides adding natural sweetness, bananas are rich in potassium, aiding in maintaining electrolyte balance and supporting kidney function. The potassium content helps in flushing out excess sodium from the body, contributing to the overall detox process.
Dates (2, pitted and chopped): These natural sweeteners not only enhance the smoothie’s flavor but also provide fiber, aiding in digestion. Additionally, dates are rich in antioxidants, which combat free radicals and support the body’s cellular detoxification processes.
Cocoa Powder (3 Tbs, unsweetened): Packed with flavonoids and antioxidants, unsweetened cocoa powder not only adds a rich, chocolatey flavor but also supports the body’s natural detox pathways. Cocoa’s antioxidants help neutralize harmful free radicals, promoting overall cellular health.
Almond Milk (1 cup, unsweetened): This dairy-free alternative adds a creamy texture while being low in calories. Almond milk contains vitamin E, an antioxidant that supports skin health, and its hydrating properties contribute to the elimination of waste products from the body. Not a fan of almond milk? Feel free to use dairy milk or another milk alternative.
Blend these wholesome ingredients together, and you have a Chocolate Fudge Smoothie that goes beyond its delicious taste – it’s a detoxifying delight for your body. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/2 avocado
1/4 cup spinach, frozen
1/2 banana, frozen
2 dates, pitted and chopped
3 Tbs cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth, adding water or ice to achieve desired consistency
