Food and mood
I just finished reading a wonderful book by Susan Kleiner, PhD, titled The Good Mood Diet. Basically, she outlines which foods help increase our mood and make us feel better; plus those foods that do the opposite. Luckily, there's a longer list of foods that improve our mood!
It comes down to neurotransmitters, chemicals in our brain that transmit a variety of signals. Some foods help those neurotransmitters do their job, and others hinder them. Foods like salmon, whole grains, spinach, ground flaxseed, turkey, and grapefruit improve our mood. Caffeine, fried foods, fatty snack foods (like chips), and sugary processed foods (like cookies) decrease our mood.
There's a great website for more info, and even an online club you can join for free at http://www.goodmooddiet.com/.
Eating more salmon and other types of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids (tuna, sardines, anchovies) is the hardest part for me. I love fresh salmon, but it's expensive and no one else in my family cares for it. I tried frozen salmon patties, and they tasted awful. I have a different brand that tasted OK if I heated it in the toaster oven and then added a bunch of cooked vegetables. Canned tuna just isn't one of my favorites, and don't even talk to me about anchovies or sardines.
It's a good thing fish is just one of many feel-good foods. I'll continue eating the others, and limit the feel-bad foods as much as possible. One step a time, right?
Lynn
It comes down to neurotransmitters, chemicals in our brain that transmit a variety of signals. Some foods help those neurotransmitters do their job, and others hinder them. Foods like salmon, whole grains, spinach, ground flaxseed, turkey, and grapefruit improve our mood. Caffeine, fried foods, fatty snack foods (like chips), and sugary processed foods (like cookies) decrease our mood.
There's a great website for more info, and even an online club you can join for free at http://www.goodmooddiet.com/.
Eating more salmon and other types of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids (tuna, sardines, anchovies) is the hardest part for me. I love fresh salmon, but it's expensive and no one else in my family cares for it. I tried frozen salmon patties, and they tasted awful. I have a different brand that tasted OK if I heated it in the toaster oven and then added a bunch of cooked vegetables. Canned tuna just isn't one of my favorites, and don't even talk to me about anchovies or sardines.
It's a good thing fish is just one of many feel-good foods. I'll continue eating the others, and limit the feel-bad foods as much as possible. One step a time, right?
Lynn
posted by Lynn Grieger and Mike Ryan at
11:59 PM
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