My mood-altering foods are neither foods nor generally legal, and are not used in polite society.
Although I have discovered that smoking celery sticks makes for interesting party conversation. (Beats the heck out of those obnoxious banana peels we smoked back in the 60s and 70s.)
I find it difficult but important to remember there's a difference between giving into a unhealthy food craving and eating food that really lifts my mood.
The way I feel while eating a greasy plate of fries, dressing and gravy (I think it's called stuffing outside of Newfoundland - and yes, we put it on fries. You need the dry kind, with lots of Savoury spice. Better than poutine. Oh my God... I want some now... what was I talking about? Oh, that's right:) is the same way I feel 30 minutes after eating something healthy (like a bag of baby carrots, a plate of sliced cucumber with pepper, etc.).
But 30 minutes after eating something unhealthy, I feel gross - both physically and psychologically. Whereas, once I feel uplifted by the healthy food, it stays for hours.
Do you know that what you eat can affect your mood? Complex carbs are great mood-enhancing foods as they cause the release of serotonin in the brain (that is the 'happy hormone'). 'Complex' in this case means whole wheat breads, brown rice and cereals. Beans and legumes are also great but often ignored! The carbs that we often turn to (muffins, cookies, bagels, tea biscuits, etc) are high in sugar, which causes a spike in the bloodstream after digestion. You want to aim for foods that keep the sugar level in your blood stable. Nuts such as almonds, brazil nuts, and hazel nuts are a good source of protien and magnesium. There are usually lots of those around this time of year, though they often require some elbow grease to get into!
Perhaps you can keep this information in mind as you snack your way through the upcoming holidays? Need to stay healthy and in a good mood at this challenging time of year!!
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