Posted on 11/08/2007 4:48:55 AM PST by ShadowDancer
Choosing Right Foods Can Boost Moods
Planning Meals Boosts Energy, Concentration
Darlene Dunn, Staff writer
UPDATED: 11:32 am EST November 6, 2007
Regina Smith eats seafood when she's feeling down in the dumps.
"Crab legs make me feel better," the 26-year-old residential appraiser said. "I know a lot of people who eat chocolate, but it's crab legs and ice cream for me."
Seafood has tyrosine, an ingredient linked to alertness, said nutritionist Vicki Koenig.
In fact, many foods contain ingredients that have a positive effect on your mood.
According to Koenig, those foods cause the brain to produce neurotransmitters using the byproducts; some can excite you, some calm you down.
Protein-rich foods, such as seafood, contain dopamine and norepinephrine, which increase alertness and concentration. Carbohydrate-rich foods, such as pastas, cause serotonin to be released, which increases calmness and relaxation.
Foods To Know
Susan Kleiner, a registered dietician and author, created a list of 30 feel-great foods in her book "The Good Mood Diet." The list includes fish, bananas, blueberries, egg yolks, garlic, low-fat or fat-free diary, nuts, ground flaxseed, oranges, broccoli and cocoa powder.
She said the foods were chosen because they have at least one study to support findings that a nutrient they provide increases mental focus and energy.
For example, a banana provides carbohydrates along with some of the micronutrients needed to help process protein. Bananas are also high in potassium to decrease blood pressure, she said.
Kleiner pointed out that some foods have a mind-body connection. Milk, for example, contains whey protein, which feeds muscles and decreases stress and anxiety.
Feel Good, Shed Pounds
Kleiner added that there is a connection between eating foods that boost your mood and losing weight.
"If you are feeling great and you need to lose weight, you will have the energy to become more active," she said.
Kleiner said that in her diet anything can be consumed -- in moderation. Alcohol, caffeine, sugary foods, refined starches, fatty meats and fatty snack foods -- which she calls "feel-bad foods" -- are even allowed.
Kleiner used soul food as an example of something that should only be eaten occasionally. That includes fried chicken, ribs, macaroni and cheese, peach cobbler, candied yams and chitterlings.
"You are not light on your feet after consuming this food," she said. "You don't want to eat it every day, because it makes you feel sluggish."
Hold The Carbs?
Koenig agreed that it is not necessary to get rid of certain types of foods, particularly carbohydrates.
She said it is important to include all foods in one's diet. Despite the rise in popularity of high-protein diets, people should not avoid carbohydrates, she said.
"You might feel a little strung out at times and find it hard to relax, since little serotonin is being produced," if you don't, she wrote in a column for Stonyfield Yogurt.
Koenig also believes that people who like pasta and bread should be able to eat what they enjoy in moderation.
Moreover, carbohydrates provide the body with certain nutrients.
"They are not evil," she said. "Our body is sustained by them."
Get Mental Juices Flowing
Many people suffer from midday fatigue. To prepare for a meeting or work-related project, protein will help get the mental juices flowing.
"If you drink water and then eat fish and veggies, you will be more alert and able to negotiate," said Koenig.
Before events that require sustained energy, she does not suggest eating a lot of bread, because it will bring about sluggishness.
Koenig, who is also a nutritional columnist for Stonyfield Yogurt, provided additional tips for a power lunch in one of her columns. They include eating protein before the carbohydrates in your lunch.
Good examples, she said, are a 3 oz. to 5 oz. serving of lean meat, fish or poultry, or 1 cup low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese. Additionally, she said, keep the foods low in fat because you will begin to digest the protein easier and keep the mind alert.
She suggested three meals that could power you through an afternoon.
Caesar salad with grilled chicken, salmon or shrimp. Ask for the salad dressing on the side and use sparingly. Ignore croutons or wait until the end of your meal to eat a few.
Chicken and broccoli or mixed vegetables at a Chinese restaurant. Limit the rice.
Lightly sauteed fish, tofu or chicken fillet with vegetables. A light rice pilaf or pasta on the side.
Seriously though, eating heathly and exercise with good sleep is a big plus for anyone.
Beer or red wine is good for you too in moderation (1-2 a day).
Yes, this is against my idea of prime rib, baked potato, and a good beer or scotch!!
Great. Now I’m hungry again.
thanks, bfl
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