[Trapped by the moody blues? Try moodfuse.com and just pick a mood, a genre of music and it'll pull up a list of mood changing tunes to wrap yourself in!]
[ Looks like these cranky friends have turned into foes because of excessive sweets binging! Roxanne just wants everyone to get along :() ]
Got the moody foodie-living -in- this- crazy- world-blues?! I talk often about how important making good choices in foods are for our body, but the fact is our choices in food can and do effect our behavior, our emotional health on a daily basis. We need extra help in this era now, especially.
During fetal development both the gut and brain are created from the same tissue as this video explains:
As we can see, it becomes clear that food mood symptoms are practically unavoidable if we are consistently choosing the wrong foods to feed our body and our mind. Some of these opposing foods that create monster moods are:
High Sugar Diets: Sugar feeds on the pathogens [ Bacteria that produce disease ] in our gut and this causes them to overtake the beneficial bacteria that protect our body. High sugar consumption also alerts certain chemical reactions that assist in the creation of chronic inflammation. Inflammation is the monster that interrupts proper functioning of our immune system, our whole health and our brain! Excess sugar comes with a long list that many of us have probably already heard time and time again, but ( okay, begin eye rolling now! ) it warrants repeating :{} Heart Disease risks increase, the brain ages faster, it increases Belly Fat, especially with all of the processed, high fructose laden drinks available that so many people feast on for an energy fix. Sugar is linked to Cancer production, High Blood Pressure, and to toxins in the liver, the list goes on an on.
[ I don't know which one of the ladies this is but I think she's going through sugar detox! Yeah, that's me too without a daily sugar fix Uggh!]
So, do we just give up all sweets? Come on, we all know that's pretty unrealistic for most of us myself included, but we can control the kinds of sugars we consume as well as the amounts. [ I struggle with this constantly, but as of late I'm getting a much better grip on my choices of sweet foods! :{} ] Sugar is void of fiber so it won't fill you up like eating fruits will as they are full of fiber and of course loads of nutrients! Has anyone ever eaten a load of sweets while watching tv or at a movie and were still able to eat dinner too? :() No fiber!!! Fresh Fruits and veggies, protein, good fats, nuts and seeds and treats made from these foods are full of gut filling fiber, flavor and helps to support our brain and emotions.
Artificial Sweeteners are a huge caveat in the American diet. Just think of these products as chemicals that taste sweet! Basically, that's what they are, 'artificial sweeteners', they include, Splenda, [ I jumped for joy the day I finally got my parents off this stuff! ], Equal, (Sweet n Low -Saccharin 'approved poison'), Nutra-Sweet; the latter of these two are names for Aspartame ('approved poison'). Other names to look out for are Acesulfame, Neotame, and Sucralose. Not to mention is you're living with gut disorders artificial sweeteners can wreak havoc on the digestive system.
[ Yep! We're drowning in Sugar Especially NOW in this age of comfort foods most of the time! :() ]
[ How about some thirst quenching water or fresh blended or juiced veggie/fruit juice instead! ]
Fake sweeteners are a multi billion dollar industry with little to no concern to the effects on people and their health. In fact for 20 years the FDA refused to approve these aspartame sweeteners, however with some political 'incentives' such as political appointments being established with the approval of these products are alarming enough reason alone to upend these non-foods! { Unfortunately, this has been done for many drugs,(Big Pharma), chemicals in our household and body products and diet-food fads, remember the Fat Free debacle?! Behind many of these major decisions, there is usually someone or a company who benefits financially ]
Keep remembering back to our parents,and grand parents, and their parents who ate 'real food', and it served to nourish and 'feed' them and their families. Skip ahead to the world now with it's artificial 'franken foods' [ processed, artificial additives, chemicals, dyes, sweeteners, antibotic laden, over grain fed meats & GMO's, don't get me started folks :O] It's a wonder we are still alive and that so many of us have so many food alllergies! These days it takes diligence and some extra work on our part to eat and provide our body with the nutrient rich food that supports our body, what God intended us to eat!
[ I think Taz has got to leave the fake sweeteners alone! ]
Not only are these [not so 'sweet'] sweeteners toxic to the body, they react with tongue receptors to give the impression of tasting sweet without the calories associated with natural sweeteners, often rendering naturally sweet foods like fruits not sweet enough. These faux sweeteners may also cause addictive eating, mood swings, disrupt the body's ability to regulate blood sugar, which can cause metabolic changes that lead to diseases like diabetes. :o If you do nothing but cut out ALL artificial sweeteners
you're doing your body and mind a huge favor! and this will require label reading when buying packaged foods, something everyone needs to get familiar with doing, agree?
[ Hey, smart food choices aren't the only things to enhance our moods, Sam gets 'out of the world' and into plants and their care for back to earth connections and better moods. ]
Artificial additives, colorings, pesticides sprayed onto our foods, MSG [ an Asthmatic's nightmare! ], and chemicals in our foods are widely known to effect moods, especially in children; remember they're bodies are smaller so these foods have double their strength. Food additives are linked to poor school performance, ADD/ADD-HD, criminal behavior, Alzheimers, and many other conditions and diseases.
[ It looks like these eggs are in a 'situation'! Some humor to 'egg' you on!]
On the flip side of this dismal information, we can also use food to enhance and support our moods! Protein contains Tryptophan which converts into Serotonin that Feel Good chemical that acts as a mood stabilizer! Unprocessed nuts and seeds, and high quality animal sources like eggs [ full of those omega 3's, B12, B5 and vitamin D and a great transportable good mood snack too! ] and grass fed meats or small amounts of high quality cheese/dairy if it's a part of your diet, as well as plant based dairy products like almond milk or coconut yoghurt are all mood supporters. How about a super yogurt parfait with dark chocolate sauce, berries and sprinkled nuts or hemp seeds?!
Other plant based foods for 'da' moods are:
Bananas: They're a 'Real Superfood' and a bad mood buster! 'Nanners' are high in iron, potassium, tryptophan, fiber, vitamins B6 A & C as well as fiber and carbohydrates. You can't lose with this fruit :() Err...particularly when dipped in dark chocolate or tossed into granola, coconut, ice cream tee he he the possibilities are endless.
[ Just like people, the Sunflower needs dirt to keep grounded and stable so it can reach for the sun and lightness. We all have the power to grow from darkness into light. ] ~Inspirations.com
Sunflower Seeds are full of folate and magnesium [a deficiency in magnesium for feelings of anxiety, fatigue, and has been linked to mood disorders- get in that magnesium folks!], both which aid in regulating our moods.
Dark Chocolate is a great mood booster [ but we already know that, don't we? :) ]. Chocolate is the most desired food in the country, and there's a reason besides its yummy factor!! Chocolate contains mood lifting substances like fats, sugars, tryptophan, caffeine, theobromine both of the two latter are stimulants which naturally occur in in chocolate. The fats in chocolate combined with the sugar and the stimulants give us that immediate 'feel good' that we get when eating it!
Nuts, specifically Walnuts are a snack to eat when you're going 'nuts' :{} over life! Walnuts contain tryptophan, protein and those omegas 3's which help to 'crack open' those cranky attacks!
Other ways to keep those moods even are to add IN carbs, healthy carbs not ones loaded with empty sugars, artificial ingredients and void of nutrients like candy bars and other junky foods. Eating whole grain snacks like popcorn, granola bars that have only recognizable ingredients [or better yet, make some yourself so you control the quality of ingredients], crudite trays filled with good crackers, fancy olives, and fermented veggies, and fresh fruits, homemade flavored nuts or seeds and chocolates. Possibilities are bountiful with real whole foods that are delicious and comforting! It's not easy but portion controlled sweets like ice cream and homemade cookies!
Eat a good and balanced Breakfast. Yep, it really is the most important meal of the day to fuel up your body for energy and nutrients. Breakfast satisfies the body and mind and research has shown that we have better and more effective memory an sense of calm. So why are you skipping breakfast?? :{}
Select Selenium rich foods like beans and legumes, whole grains [ brown rice, quinoa, whole grain pasta, millet, there are endless possibilities with grains!], seafood, particularly, sardines, halibut, tuna, grass fed beef [ many conventional markets now carry some grass fed and organic meats ], turkey [full of that good old tryptophan!], chicken, spinach, nuts and eggs. Incorporating some of these foods into at least one or more meals is a double header, as you're loading up on much needed nutrients for your body, they're all whole 'real' foods, and you're beating the blues too!
Get Moving! Keeping active releases endorphins those feel good , sense of well being chemicals, our body produces. Think how much better you feel after a workout, I know I do [and living with asthma I see exercise as a blessing :} ]. Let's think of exercise as nature's mood booster and stress blaster! Stress is all too common for us all in today's world, especially in the growing volatile climate that currently exists. Endorphins happen when the brain releases a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor that protects the neurons in our grey matter from prolonged stress, at the same time it releases endorphins that numb pain and expedite our performance. I like to know
stuff like that :{}
Now we know that we don't have to be slaves to 'unsavory' moods' during these 'unsavory' times. We can include better ways of living and foods that promote healing and health so that we can be a blessing to others as we are and were put on this earth to do.
Life and current times aren't easy, nor is caring for our body with all the demand's it must meet, not to mention our brain's demand for comfort; but we have a responsibility to care for ourselves, in the one temple that God provided us with, it's a gift that gives 100% in return.
At first, I only laughed at myself. Then I noticed that life itself is amusing. I've been in a generally good mood ever since. ~Marilyn vos Savant