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Question: Is it true that foods can affect your mood? What are they? Do I have to stop eating my favorite foods completely?
Answer: You’ve probably heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” Not only can foods affect your physical health, they can affect your mental health. If you’ve been feeling depleted, lethargic, or cranky, the foods you eat could be affecting you. How many cups of coffee do you have each day? How much alcohol do you drink? The answer to ‘why’ you feel the way you feel is in your pantry, refrigerator, and cupboards. It may be time to clean them out.
3 Foods That Can Affect Your Moods
1. Caffeine. Have you ever heard the saying, “Too much of a good thing.” Too much caffeine can make you feel jittery and out-of-balance. If you drink tons of pop (or soda), energy drinks, or coffee each day, it will definitely affect your mood. What happens when you crash? It’s not a good feeling. If you can’t go cold turkey or believe you need a little bit of caffeine, take baby steps to ‘wean’ yourself off of caffeine.
2. Not-so-smart carbs. Choose whole grains, legumes, fruits, and veggies, over white pastas, candy, pop (soda), pastries and desserts, and sugar. Sometimes potatoes get a bad rap — use your own judgment.
Remember that old saying about food, “Everything in moderation.”
3. Alcohol. This one usually gets people into trouble in more ways than one. Have you ever experienced an ‘all nighter or bender?’ How did you feel afterwards? You probably didn’t feel well. In fact, you may have spent the night in the bathroom.
Alcohol can be dangerous on many levels. It lowers our inhibitions and you may end up doing something you wish you never did. You could say things you never meant to say. Remember this the next time you go out with friends, attend a wedding or anniversary, company event, etc.
Do your best to choose the ‘right’ foods for you and your body. You may consider a detox or cleanse which cleans out the toxins from your body and mind. Before you embark on detoxing your body, check with your doctor. Not all cleansers and detoxes are the same. You don’t want to do anything that will interfere with any medications you take.
Change your eating habits, change your life!
Rebecca
Related articles
- 29. Cut Out Caffeinated Beverages (amandakbrown.wordpress.com)
- Off Limits To Depression Triggering Foods (friendseat.com)
- Why People Really Love Diet Coke So Much (esquire.com)
- Could Too Much Coffee Affect Chances of Pregnancy? (healthland.time.com)
- Five Benefits of Giving up Caffeine (losethattyre.co.uk)
- 5 Reasons to Drink Coffee (wisebread.com)
- The Basics of Healthy Detox (fitnesstipsforlife.com)
