Foods that help balance your mood

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When you're in a bad mood, you may crave high-calorie, high-sugar foods like ice cream and cookies to try to lift your spirits. This can affect health if prolonged.

1. Mood

In psychology, mood is an emotional state. In contrast to emotions, moods are less specific, less intense, and less likely to be provoked or immediate by a particular stimulus or event. Mood is often described by two opposing states that are good and bad.
Mood is also different from temperament or personality trait even it lasts longer. However, personality traits such as optimism and neurosis can lead to certain types of moods. Persistent disorders of mood such as: clinical depression and bipolar disorder.
Mood is an internal, subjective state but it is often derived from posture and behavior. “We can be put in a mood by a sudden, from happiness when we see an old friend to anger when we find out about our partner's betrayal.”
Recent studies show that a person's mood is influenced by many factors. Common factors include: lack of sleep, nutrition, and facial expressions.

2. Foods that help balance your mood

Think of your body as a complex vehicle. When you have a balanced diet (i.e. an adequate intake of gas and oil) you (the car) will feel very comfortable. Or supplement the body with substances such as nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, marshmallows, sugar... it's like refueling a car. At this point, you can do everything.
2.1. The difference when adding food to the body New York University clinical dietitian - Samantha Heller, MS, RD says that when "the body balances chemical reactions", "mood will also be improved" balance".
A lot of factors can throw the body out of balance. For women with anemia, for example, this can lead to depression and fatigue. Or in the elderly with vitamin B deficiency, it is because these people do not eat regularly and often have large changes in blood sugar. That's why people have chemical sensitivities to certain foods that can influence mood.
In a study of over 200 people conducted in the UK for the mental health group. The participants were asked to cut back on foods that can increase their mood, while increasing their intake of mood-supporting foods. The results of the study showed that 88% of the participants reported improvements in mental health. Specifically, 25% of them reported fewer mood swings, 26% of them had fewer panic and anxiety attacks, and 24% of them said they experienced less depression.
2.2. Feeling Full or Starved A large set of mood-controlling chemicals are neurotransmitters in the brain that are driven by the "drug" serotonin. These substances help determine if you feel good and full of energy or tired, irritable, and empty. These substances are often made up of sugars—preferably low on the glycemic index, says Molly Kimball, RD, a sports nutritionist at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation and Hospital in New Orleans.
She thinks that, maintaining a stable blood sugar level every day, these substances will slowly be brought to the brain. Low glycemic index carbs include whole grain breads, soybeans, apples, pears, peaches, and fruits.
When you eat foods like cookies, chips, pies and other cakes, sugar enters the system quickly, causing the body to produce a large amount of insulin. This is the body's way of trying to maintain balance. A warning about this sugar or insulin process can gradually become less effective and lead to diabetes and other health problems.
2.3. Convenience Foods If you've let your neurotransmitters get out of balance, or if external factors have put you in a bad mood, you don't need to worry about what's going on. out. Because, that's when your body will start thinking of "foods" that can make you regain your balance.
According to Joy Short, MS, MD - chair of the department of nutrition at St. Louis thinks you should fulfill those needs. However, do it in moderation. "You can take time to think: Am I really hungry or just want to eat because I'm stressed out." However, if you can't think of a healthy answer, eat and enjoy foods that make you feel good. This shows you can make convenience foods more nutritious. Interestingly, both men and women choose ice cream as their preferred convenience food. The second most commonly chosen convenience food is chocolate for women and pizza for men.
Convenience food is chocolate known for its mood-altering ingredients. Because, one of them can reduce serotonin receptors and cause the feeling of "love". In addition, chocolate is also believed to be a food rich in antioxidants for the brain and other organs. It has the effect of protecting the organs from being destroyed by foreign cells or free radicals. Researchers suggest that chocolate acts almost like a cannabinoid - the mood-altering chemical found in cannabis. However, other researchers believe that the chemical in chocolate is not strong enough to make a difference in the body.

3. Mood Management

Maintains stable blood sugar and does not cause major changes to improve mood. This means that you should have small meals or snacks after four hours or so. In addition, you should drink a lot of water and exercise for 20 minutes a day to help burn fat in the body as well as bring a good mood.
You should not adopt low-fat diets (fast weight loss is bad for mood). Because, fat is essential to fight depression as well as improve mood. However, you should choose unsaturated fats including monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

4. Certain foods help balance mood

To balance the mood, what to eat to feel better. Here are some foods that can improve mood:
Fatty fish. Fatty fish such as salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help reduce the risk of depression. Dark Chocolate. Dark chocolate is rich in compounds that can increase good brain chemistry. Fermented foods. 90% of serotonin in the body is produced in the gut. So a healthy gut can correspond to a good mood. Fermented foods like kimchi, yogurt, and sauerkraut are rich in probiotics that support gut health. Banana. Bananas are an excellent source of natural sugars, vitamin B6 and prebiotic active fibres. Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are high in plant-based protein. Furthermore, it is also a good source of healthy fats, fiber, and minerals like zinc and selenium. These ingredients all play a role in supporting brain function and reducing the risk of depression. The coffee. Coffee provides many compounds including caffeine and chlorogenic acid, which can increase a good mood. Beans and lentils. Beans and lentils are rich sources of mood-boosting nutrients, especially B vitamins.

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Articles refer to sources: healthline.com, webmd.com