Have you ever experienced a day when in the morning you felt great, but after lunch, you felt down and tired? What if we told you that eating certain foods could improve your mood, provide uplifting energy and make you feel like Einstein? Well okay, maybe not Einstein, but every little bit helps, right?
The key to understanding the connection between the food we eat and our mood and level of alertness lies in understanding a little about how the brain functions. The brain communicates by chemical substances passed from one nerve cell to the next. These chemicals, called neurotransmitters, are made in the brain from the food we eat. The neurotransmitters that are most sensitive to diet and influential in affecting mood are
serotonin,
norepinephrine and
dopamine.
Dopamine and norepinephrine are alertness chemicals. When they are produced we think and react more quickly, we feel more motivated, we are more attentive and overall, we are more mentally energetic.
Serotonin is a calming and relaxing chemical. When produced, feelings of stress and tension decrease, we feel sleepy and/or sluggish and our reaction time is slower.
Now that you have a better understanding of the role neurotransmitters play in brain function, let's look at the relationship between these neurotransmitters and the foods we eat.
Foods that make you feel alert :
The best way to eat for alertness is to have meals that contain protein, are low in fat, and have carbohydrates that won't drag you down.
Examples of some protein-packed foods are: fish, shellfish, poultry (without skin), very lean beef (trimmed), low-fat cottage cheese, skim or low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, dried peas and beans.
Foods that make you feel calm :
Eating carbohydrates without protein has a calming affect. How calming depends on the type of carbohydrates and the amount and time of day they are eaten. Eating carbohydrates that are low on the Glycemic Index will promote the more focused and calming aspect of serotonin release and less of the sleepy, sluggish feeling,
Low-Glycemic Carbohydrates: Brown rice, buckwheat, whole-grain rye bread, sourdough rye bread, pita bread, sweet potato, most wheat pastas
High-Glycemic Carbohydrates: Sugar, white bread, rice cakes, wheat crackers, bagel, instant rice, baked potato, rice, pasta.
More foods that make you feel...
Smart: Eggs, milk, liver, beef - According to research studies, these foods contain choline. Adults performed better in memory tests after eating foods containing choline. If you have a presentation or exam in the morning, make yourself an omelet for breakfast.
Prunes - Prunes contain twice the antioxidant of most other fruits. Antioxidant-rich diets disable reactive oxygen molecules linked to memory loss and mental deterioration.
Oatmeal - Foods that are low in fat and contain whole-grain carbohydrates give your brain memory-enhancing glucose.
Alert: Apples, grape juice, avocadoes and broccoli - These foods contain Boron, which is responsible for hand-eye co-ordination, attention and short-term memory. Boron-rich foods also maintain healthy bone and blood-sugar levels.
Lemons - The smell of lemons can induce the feeling of alertness.
Energized: Oranges, apples, soy milk and yogurt - These foods are slow digesting carbohydrates and can supply a steady source of fuel for your body.
Sunflower seeds - Sunflower seeds contain magnesium which helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, and keeps heart rhythm steady and bones strong. It is also involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. Just a handful of sunflower seeds will give you half of your daily magnesium needs.
Tuna - Tuna makes a great lunch or after-workout meal. Tuna contains the protein needed to repair muscles and it supplies tyrosine which your body can then use to create the two alertness neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine.
Happy: Salmon - Salmon or any other cold-water fish contains the mood-elevating vitamin B12 as well as omega-3 fatty acids that may assist in preventing depression. Omega-3 raises serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin regulates mood and reduces irritability. Eating fish to regulate your mood isn't instantaneous, it is a long-term process and therefore it would be beneficial to regularly incorporate fish into your diet.
Bananas - Bananas contain vitamin B6, which is known to build serotonin levels. If you regularly drink alcohol or if you are taking birth control pills, you could be depleting your body of vitamin B6.
Chicken livers - Chicken livers are high in folic acid, which promotes the brain's production of feel-good neurotransmitters.
Attractive: Nuts - An amino acid called L-arginine found in nuts and sesame seeds enhances blood flow throughout your body, including the genital area. Eggs and meat also contain small amounts of L-arginine. There are studies that have focused on this amino acid and its role in treating erectile dysfunction.
Chocolate - Yes! Everyone's favorite! This treat releases pleasure-enhancing endorphins into the brain and also contains phenylethylamine, a stimulant associated with love and attraction.
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Hmmm,how many of you agree with this mood-food connection chart ? Any such experiences ?
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