Let's face it: we'd all like
to eat something to lighten our mood.And it doesn't at all lighten our mood to hear that we should cut out
sugar though all the books agree that added sugar in any consistent quantity is
ultimately a depressant.At first, it
picks you right up as digestion turns dietary sugar into blood glucose, which
fires the brain.But then the pancreas
responds with insulin to bring the blood glucose into healthy bounds, whereupon
your mood droops -- and you get a little fatter into the bargain.In fact, too much sugar is rather like an
economic bubble.It feels great at first
but "Buyer, beware!"
So for a better mood in 2009
you will want to be vigilant about keeping your blood glucose levels
stable.How to do that?Slow digesting, complex carbohydrates,
especially those like oats which
provide soluble fiber; protein, especially from omega-3 fatty-acid-rich fish; and healthy fats.NEVER transfats or hydrogenated or partially
hydrogenated fats or oil.I recommend
organic coconut oil (high and medium
heat) and olive oil (low and medium
heat).Three meals a day -- never skip
breakfast -- and a scheduled snack should keep you and your blood sugar on an
even keel.
We have heard that even
overfed people in the U.S.
can be malnourished. How is it possible?One of the things they may be eating is added sugar and, because sugar
requires magnesium and B-vitamins for its digestion but in refined form contributes
neither, eating sugar may rob the body of those nutrients, producing a net
deficit.Why would this matter?Well, magnesium and the B-vitamins are
heavily implicated in mood, especially B-1, B-6, B-12, and folic acid.Some food to improve mood via these vitamins
are: for B-1 (thiamin) whole grains, egg
yolks, oatmeal, peanuts, milk; for B-6 (pyridoxine) chickpeas, fish, wheat germ,
oats, walnuts; for B-12 (cobalamin) organ
meats, clams, turkey; and for
folic acid dark green leafy vegetables,
egg yolks, cantaloupe, avocados. Among the important mood lifting minerals,
besides magnesium (whole grains, figs,
almonds, bananas), be sure to get enough potassium (citrus, mushrooms,
tomatoes) and zinc (oysters, liver,
pumpkin seeds).
The feel-good neurotransmitter
serotonin has made a splash in the popular press.Some of you may know that the amino acid
tryptophan is required for the production of serotonin.Tryptophan, mostly from carbohydrates, has a see-saw
relationship with another amino acid, tyrosine, which is mostly found in the
protein we eat. When one is up, the other is down. This in part explains why we
love refined carbohydrates: they can help boost serotonin, and do so more
quickly than their slow-digesting relatives.Tyrosine is needed to produce neurotransmitters associated with
alertness, whereas tryptophan gives us serotonin and we relax, and maybe feel
like a nap after lunching on refined carbohydrates.Siesta anyone?
It's reasonable to suppose
that mood follows health.If you are lacking
in any particular vitamin, mineral, enzyme, etc., providing your body with it
will make you feel better and thus improve your mood.Considering the population at large,
consuming more omega-3 essential fatty acids will have this effect because, for
most of us, omega-6 dominates and the imbalance causes inflammation.Omega-3s reduce inflammation.So be sure to eat your share of wild-caught
oily fishes, preferring small ones like sardines
as being lower on the food chain and thus less contaminated with mercury or
dioxins.If you don't eat fish, try flaxseed, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds.
Antioxidants make up another important group to improve
health and mood.If you are puzzled as
to why, the explanation is that they bind with and thus neutralize free
radicals.Free radicals are molecules
whose electrons are not all bespoke and they are looking to bond, rather like a
stag at a dance who wants a partner.Free radicals are produced by oxidation, a normal biological process.The problem comes when they outnumber the
antioxidants we provide through diet.Berries top the list of antioxidants,
which come in many forms: vitamins A, C, and E, the onion family, and the cabbage
family.
And not to forget about herbs
and spices, some of which are also mood boosters.Ginger
and turmeric can reduce inflammatory
pain; cayenne pepper stimulates
endorphins; cardamom, cinnamon, cloves,
and nutmeg can help mask that
reduction in added sugar you're determined to make!
And, only if you need it, a
reminder to end with: for greatest happiness from food, you should eat it at
table, slowly, chewing and savoring each mouthful.You will get more nourishment, as well as
more pleasure, if you relax when you eat.
Books for further reading:
Earl Mindell's New Vitamin Bible, Earl Mindell and Hester Mundis, (Warner Books)
Food and Mood: the Complete Guide to
Eating Well and Feeling Your Best,
Elizabeth Somer (Henry Holt)
Molecules of Emotion, Candace B. Pert (Scribner)
Prescription for Nutritional Healing, James and Phyllis Balch (Avery)