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.
A chocolate fudge smoothie might sound overindulgent, but this version is a nutritional powerhouse, thoughtfully crafted to support your health and even your body’s natural detox process. Here’s a look at the ingredients that make it so special:
Avocado (½) Creamy and nutrient-dense, avocado brings healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants to the blend. It supports your liver — one of your body’s main detox heroes — while delivering essential vitamins to keep you energized and satisfied.
Spinach (¼ cup, frozen) This leafy green is loaded with chlorophyll, fiber, and a mix of vitamins and minerals that help flush out toxins naturally. Its fiber supports healthy digestion and regularity, which is key for detoxifying every day.
Banana (½, frozen) Besides lending natural sweetness and a creamy texture, banana adds a dose of potassium to help maintain fluid balance and support kidney function — both vital for clearing out waste and excess sodium.
Dates (2, pitted and chopped) Nature’s candy adds a rich caramel-like sweetness, along with fiber to aid digestion. Dates are also packed with antioxidants to help fight free radicals and support your body’s natural cleansing processes.
Cocoa Powder (3 tbsp, unsweetened) This is where the chocolate magic happens. Unsweetened cocoa is rich in flavonoids and antioxidants that help protect your cells and support your body’s natural detox pathways — all while delivering an irresistible, fudgy flavor.
Almond Milk (1 cup, unsweetened) This creamy dairy-free base keeps things light and smooth, with vitamin E to support skin health and hydration to help your body eliminate waste. Not into almond milk? Swap in your favorite dairy or plant-based option — it’s delicious either way.
Decadent Chocolate Fudge Smoothie
This Healthy Chocolate Fudge Smoothie is a luscious blend of rich, velvety chocolate and nourishing ingredients that satisfy your sweet tooth and fuel your body at the same time. Packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, it’s more than a delicious treat — it’s a boost of goodness to power you through your day. Whether you need a quick breakfast, a satisfying snack, or an afternoon pick-me-up, this smoothie is about to become your new favorite.
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