How Food Affects Mood?

Did You Know?

• An alcoholic drink may change your mood, but not for the better.
• Alcohol is a depressant that slows down the body and brain, causing anxiety and irritability.
• Low feelings may develop into a deeper form of depression.

How Food Affects Mood

In addition to providing solace and pleasure, food can brighten your day by providing various nutrients that have been shown to affect brain chemicals that influence mood. Foremost among these is serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps messages move throughout the nervous system. High levels of serotonin are associated with elevated mood, while low levels signal more subdued states. Eating foods whose nutrients boost the production of serotonin can help perk up a drab day. Some foods that may make a difference in your day include:

• Bread and Pasta Grain-based such as whole-wheat bread and pastas like linguini, macaroni, and spaghetti are rich in complex carbohydrates, which boost levels of tryptophan, an amino acid that converts to serotonin in the brain. They also contain a number of B vitamins, which help the amino-acid-to-serotonin process take place.
• Fish Cold-water fish such as tuna, herring, and mackerel are also high in B vitamins like riboflavin and B12 that help trigger the production of serotonin. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish do the same thing, though the mechanism through which this occurs is still being studied.
• Milk As long as milk doesn't produce a reaction due to allergy or intolerance, tyrosine, the protein in it as well as in meats, dairy, and nuts, causes your body to release other neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and norepinephrine. These are stimulating substances to the brain and can help perk you up by making you feel more alert and sharpening your thinking.
• Beans Foods such as beans, lentils, and peas not only contain plantbased protein, they are also rich in B vitamins, making them able to affect levels of a number of mood-boosting brain chemicals.
• Hot Wheat Cereal Beyond being high in complex carbohydrates, hot wheat cereals are rich in iron. Lack of iron in the diet, a common deficiency, can bring on the blahs by making you feel sluggish and unable to concentrate. Pouring on the milk also provides extra protein. If you prefer cold cereal, many ready-to-eat products are rich in complex carbohydrates, especially when made from whole grains.

Food For Thought

How can you indulge in "sinful" pleasures without going overboard or feeling guilty? Eat slowly. Foods high in carbohydrates and fat slow the release of the mood-enhancing neurotransmitter serotonin. They also slow the signals of hunger satisfaction being sent to your brain. Try to eat only 1 treat in a sitting: Studies find you feel full faster when you eat fewer foods.

How To Beat Stress (Part 2)

Continuation from (Part 1)

The Anti-Stress Diet

Eating the right foods can help counteract the effects of tension and strain. Simple, whole foods can minimize tension and help you weather life's storms. Start by getting ample amounts of vitamin C, an immune-booster whose levels drop when you're under pressure. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially oranges, strawberries, brussels sprouts, asparagus, and broccoli. Vitamin B12, which aids in blood cell formation and helps improve nervous system function, can help fight stress-induced fatigue. Get it from fish, eggs lean meats, and milk. Another vitamin, B6, also helps to bolster immunity by increasing the levels of disease-fighting antibodies. But B6, in bananas, prunes, and potatoes, goes even further by raising levels of dopamine, a mood-enchancing chemical in the brain that takes the edge off of anxiety and irritability.

Comfort Foods

Stress puts the body in an extremely agitated state, but the right foods can soothe jangled nerves by evoking feelings of comfort and security. Often, the comfort foods we're most likely to reach for are sweet, creamy, or rich treats. Although they can trigger the release of calming brain chemicals like opioids and serotonin, this is quickly followed by a crash in energy and mood. You're better off with soothing foods that won't leave you lagging later:

Soup Because soup is served hot and takes time to eat, it's a meal you simply can't eat quickly, which forces you to shift into a slower, calmer state of mind. Choose a soup that's rich in vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, and peas, and you'll help shore up your nutrient reserves. A good bet: chicken noodle soup, which is packed with nutrients and conjures comforting emotions. Warm, savory beef broth is another soothing choice.

Whole-Grain Toast Eating a warm snack like toast topped with marmalade is not only soothing, it also provides fiber, which is important for proper digestion in times of stress, when blood flow is diverted from organs, which can interfere with regularity.

Yogurt Yogurt is satisfying to the sweet tooth, and it's also smooth and easy to diggest, even for people who have trouble processing milk products. It also offers the B vitamin riboflavin, which helps distribute oxygen in the body and aids in tissue growth and repair, minimizing the negative effects of tension and strain. Nonfat yogurt contains about 15 percent of the daily riboflavin requirement and provides slightly more of this nutrient than low-fat or whole-milk varieties. Frozen, nonfat yogurt contains a worthy 10 percent, making it a wise and guilt-free treat in stressful times.

Hearbal Tea A hot cup of ginseng, chamomile, or other herb-based tea induces relaxation quicly and pleasantly. Ginseng helps bolster disease resistance and buffer the body's fight-or flight response. Herbalist call ginseng an adaptogen, meaning it may help normalize body functions such as increased blood pressure and a racing heart, bringing them to lower levels and more relaxed rates. Chamomile and peppermint help quit stomach upset in addition to producing a calming effect. What's more, just sitting down and savoring a cup of tea of any flavor provides a relaxing time-out from the stress of daily life.

Foods to Avoid

A cup of coffee may seem to help you get through a stressful day, but it can actually heighten the tension you feel: Caffeine boosts production of cortisol, a stress hormone that raises blood pressure and heart rate. It can also increase adrenaline, making you feel even edgier and more irritable. Instead, take a break with a cup of decaffeinated herbal tea.

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF DEPRESSION? (Part 2)

Continuation from Part 1

Serious depressions-see your doctor or other health care professional right away!

1. Major depression is the most common and serious type of depression. It has a distinct beginning, can occur once, twice, or be recurrent. This condition affects a person's abilities and habits in almost all areas of life. Suicidal thinking or suicide attempts can be a real concern. If you have a major depression, you may have some of these symptoms nearly every day, all day, for 2 weeks or longer:

• Feeling sad or crying a lot
• Losing interest or pleasure in things you used to enjoy (including sex)
• Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless
• Thinking about death or suicide
• Sleeping too much, or not being able to go to sleep or stay asleep
• Losing your appetite and losing weight (or eating too much and gaining weight)
• Feeling very tired or slowed down
• Having trouble paying attention and making decisions
• Having aches and pains that don't get better with treatment

2. Bipolar illness involves cycles of depressive symptoms that alternate with mania. During manic episodes, people may become overly active, talkative, euphoric, and irritable.

3. Pospartum depression (PPD) is prevalent in approximately 10% of mothers in the first year after giving birth. PPD is caused by a rapid change in hormones after giving birth. In its mild form, it is called the "baby blues." If it lasts over a month, it can become very serious, endangering both the health of the mother and the baby.

Other mood disorders

• Dysthymia is a chronic mild depression. People with dysthymia frequently lack a zest for life, living a joyless and fatigued existence. Some with dysthymia report that "things are going great" in their life and do not understand why they are depressed. Major depression may accompany dysthymia, which is sometimes termed "double depression."
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a kind of depression that occurs during the specific seasons or times of the year when there is less sunshine.
• Premenstrual dysphoria disorder (PDD)--previously called PMS--is a condition which causes women to experience mood changes in the weeks prior to their menstrual period, due to hormonal changes.
• Situation depression is the feeling of situational blues after a specific event such as conflict at work, a speific loss (such as a death or divorce), or a particular financial stress.