“Hangry” is a fairly new word (and yes, a little cringe). But it proves a point: food moves our feelings.
Some of us get snappy when we’re hungry, then light up the second we eat. Our eyes brighten, heads nod, shoulders drop.
Coffee sharpens focus. Certain dinners feel romantic. Others lift a gloomy mood. So the question is: can we deliberately steer emotion with food?
Food nudges feeling through four lanes:
- Blood-sugar curve: steady energy vs. spikes/crashes.
- Brain chemistry: nutrients like tryptophan/tyrosine and stimulants like caffeine.
- The gut–brain axis: microbiome + inflammation.
- Sensory memory/expectation: smell, warmth, nostalgia.
Together, these pathways can nudge you toward calm, focus, or comfort—while sleep, stress, and individual biology set the limits.
Food won’t flip a switch, but it can tilt the room.
Potsandfeelings explores how much everyday life can improve when you pair those levers with AI. Our v1 food & lifestyle hub includes a mood-based meal generator, simple meal planning, image recognition for quick nutrition clues, and a growing set of tools for food, fitness, and routine.
Our goal is to build a personalized hub that gives you more control over your food, health and lifestyle.
Everything is an experiment, and we’re intentional about what we build, how we measure it, and how we talk about it.