Many of us do not think about how food can impact the way we feel, but we all know the feeling of using food as a quick pick-me-up.

When we are feeling a little tired, a little stressed or a little low, we often reach for a sugary snack to help us feel good for the short time being. But, this can actually make things worse in the long term. The food you are eating is literally ''hurting'' your body.

Though there are many other vital factors to consider with mental health problems, such as emotional trauma and stress, we have a massively underutilized tool, which is food.

Techniques to follow that allow food to improve your mood:

1.Reduce sugar and processed foods

Sugar, food that contains sugar, or even food that is converted quickly into sugar, such as many breakfast cereals, cause your blood sugar to rise at a rapid pace.

Within two to three hours your sugar levels will start to fall.

At this point, you may not only feel hungry, you may actually feel ''h-angry'' as well – both hungry and angry.

Low and dropping blood sugar levels can cause a rise in your body''s stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline.

2.Increase your intake of Omega-3 fats

This is an essential nutrient for functioning of the brain and may protect you against anxiety and other psychiatric disorders.

Foods high in Omega-3 fats include fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, and anchovies), grass-fed meat, seeds and leafy vegetables.

3.Eat more tryptophan-containing foods like pork, chicken, seeds and walnuts

Tryptophan is an amino acid the body converts into serotonin, your feel-good neurotransmitter.

Eat them with a healthy carbohydrate source such as sweet potatoes, which in turn helps you transport more tryptophan into your blood.

4.Feed your gut bugs

Some scientists refer to the trillions of gut bugs that live inside us, the gut micro biota, as the brain''s peacekeepers.

It is thought that having a healthy population of gut bugs can have a significant influence on your mood via the gut-brain axis.

The pre-biotic fiber contained in vegetables help your gut bugs to proliferate, therefore the best way to maintain a healthy population is to increase your intake of vegetables, as well as fermented foods such as sauerkraut.

Best options are leeks, onions, garlic, artichokes and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower.

Feeling upset? You have the ability to improve the way you feel by controlling what you put on your plate, or rather your mouth!

What do you do when you want to snap out of a bad mood? Share your experiences with us!