Foods for moods

FOODS

FOR

MOODS

THE MIND–BODY CONNECTION IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN’T DENY.

WE ALL KNOW THAT WHAT WE THINK AND FEEL HAS AN EFFECT ON WHAT

OUR BODIES DO.

IF

YOU HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FROM A

STRESS-RELATED DISORDER OR MENTAL PROBLEM (WHICH IS WHY YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT HYPNOTHERAPY) THEN YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THIS MEANS.

. YOU KNOW HOW STRESS, ANXIETY

AND PANIC MAKE YOUR STOMACH CLENCH AND YOUR HEART RACE. YOU KNOW HOW FEAR MAKES YOU FEEL SICK AND OFF YOUR FOOD.

THE WAY WE FEEL OFTEN AFFECTS THE WAY WE EAT, AND THE WAY WE EAT ALSO AFFECTS OUR MOODS.

THIS

IS OFTEN ONE REASON WHY

EMOTIONAL EATING (COMFORT EATING), WHERE PEOPLE EAT MORE THAN THEY KNOW THEY SHOULD IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH A NEGATIVE

EMOTION, IS SO POWERFUL AND CAN BECOME QUITE AN ADDICTION. WHAT YOU EAT REALLY DOES MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER.

IN

A NUTSHELL, COMFORT EATING IS

A REACTION TO A NEGATIVE SITUATION AND AN ATTEMPT TO FILL AN EMOTIONAL GAP OR HEAL AN EMOTIONAL WOUND BY STUFFING IT WITH FOOD.

IF YOU HAVE THIS SORT OF PROBLEM, THE CHANCES THAT YOU ARE HITTING THE SALAD IN EXCESS AS A FORM OF COMFORT EATING IS UNLIKELY – IT’S ALWAYS THE SWEET, THE FATTY AND THE STARCHY THAT WE TURN TO IN THIS SORT OF SITUATION.

POSSIBLY THIS IS BECAUSE THESE

FOODS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CELEBRATIONS AND EATING THEM IS AN ATTEMPT TO RECAPTURE THE

POSITIVE FEELINGS OF A CELEBRATION TO REPLACE THE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS.

DEALING WITH THE UNDERLYING

EMOTIONAL PROBLEM OR UNHAPPINESS IS THE SOLUTION, WHICH HAS TO BE DONE BY WORKING WITH THE DEEP PARTS OF THE PSYCHE.

BUT IF WE FEEL A BIT RUN DOWN AND UNDER STRESS, EATING THE RIGHT FOODS IN THE RIGHT QUANTITIES CAN REALLY HELP.

IT’S VERY COMMON FOR PEOPLE TO GET CRANKY, IRRITABLE, SNAPPISH

AND EMOTIONAL WHEN THEIR BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS RUN LOW.

HAVING A WEE BITE OR TWO WHEN YOU’RE LIKE THIS IS CERTAINLY GOING TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER.

HOWEVER, BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS ARE JUST A SMALL PART OF THE EQUATION WHEN IT COMES TO FOODS AND MOODS.

SOME FOODS ARE BETTER AT BOOSTING YOUR MOOD THAN

OTHERS.

AND CERTAIN FOODS STIMULATE THE PRODUCTION OF SEROTONIN, SIMILAR TO THE WAY THAT OTHER FOODS

(ESPECIALLY COFFEE) STIMULATE ADRENALINE.

HIS IS BECAUSE THESE FOODS CONTAIN AN AMINO ACID THAT IS USED FOR BUILDING SEROTONIN.

AND CERTAIN FOODS STIMULATE THE PRODUCTION OF SEROTONIN, SIMILAR TO THE WAY THAT OTHER FOODS

(ESPECIALLY COFFEE) STIMULATE ADRENALINE.

AS AN ADDED ADVANTAGE,

SEROTONIN IS NEEDED TO PROMOTE GOOD SLEEP, SO FOODS CONTAINING TRYPTOPHAN MAKE EXCELLENT

SUPPERS OR BEDTIME SNACKS AS A WAY OF ENSURING GOOD SLEEP AND PROMOTING RELAXATION.