‘Food & Mood’: Pomona Dining Services hosts nutrition talk for 5C community

On Wednesday, Sept. 9, dietician-nutritionist Lisa Gibson held a mental health-focused talk titled “Food & Mood” in Frank Dining Hall’s Blue Room at Pomona College.

Pomona Dining Services organized the talk to promote in-depth knowledge about good eating habits to the 5C community.

“I felt like this topic of food and mood was really relevant to students, faculty and staff,” Liz Ryan, the Nutrition Systems Manager for Pomona Dining Services, said. “This is something that I wanted to organize for the Wellness Task Force.”

At the talk, Gibson explained how to boost “feel-good” neurotransmitter production and navigate healthy eating in a world where, she said, food production often caters to overconsumption.

“We’ve always known how what we eat affects our cardiovascular system [and] our metabolic system and just recently we’ve learned how some of those same foods or eating patterns can really affect our mental health too,” she said.

According to Gibson, 95 percent of serotonin and dopamine – which are neurotransmitters that can affect mood – are made in the gut. Amino acids like tryptophan, tyrosine and folic acid help the production of these neurotransmitters, while vitamins such as magnesium and B6 also aid with dopamine production.

“I always recommend getting food in its most natural form,” Gibson said. “Start looking at labels and see what is in the foods that you buy. Vitamins are a supplement in addition to the healthy food you eat.”

However, she added that it is important to use only what you need, stating that vitamin supplement-producing companies in the U.S. are participants in a for-profit industry. On a similar note, Gibson spoke about the dangers of the American diet being highly influenced by multibillion dollar industries.

“Hyperpalatable foods are foods that have been manufactured. You wouldn’t be cooking them at home: They are ultra-processed and delicious,” Gibson said. “They have fat, sugar and salt in a perfect combination that makes it hard to stop eating. Stress, lack of sleep, food advertisement and availability of food causes overconsumption of hyperpalatable food.”

One audience member, Scarlett Lang PO ’27, appreciated having access to reliable information from a professional.

“It’s nice to hear from one source that you can trust,” Lang said.

For suggestions, Gibson claimed that the best way to reform eating habits is by taking baby steps to build a new relationship with nutrition. One step she recommended is to planout and assess your meals.

“Look at the timing of the meals, if you have a lot of food cravings and … at how much ultra-processed foods you’re eating,” Gibson said. “Planning is the key to preventing overeating and to control cravings.”

She suggested that even in a rush, it is possible to maintain a healthy diet.

“You can get a healthy meal at a fast food place,” Gibson said. “There are healthy choices almost anywhere you go. [For example], Subway is really good. You can get all those vegetables on your sandwich.”

Leaving the talk with new knowledge, audience member Joella Linder PO ’27 said that she wished that more students would attend talks such as this one.

“I feel like everyone is so busy with schoolwork and everything. It’s hard to focus on the opportunities that the 5Cs give you,” she said. “I think that this talk was definitely worth our time to learn.” 

Related