Good Mood Foods that won’t leave you feeling guilty
Author: Joshua Di Antoni
If you are wondering how you can eat the foods you love while not feeling guilty of eating too many calories then you will be happy to know that it is possible.
Imagine eating foods that will improve the way you feel while not making you fat. The reason why food can get your mood up is due to the fact then when you eat food, your body release serotonin – a neurotransmitter that makes you feel great. In fact, one of the reasons fat people crave food so much is because through eating food they get a kick of serotonin and when they starve, they can actually suffer from diseases like depression.
Another interesting fact about serotonin is that there is a natural drop in serotonin levels during the winter, which has been linked to a person’s tendency to gain weight during the winter time.
Now here is the science behind eating food to feel good.
Try to avoid eating too much protein without eating carbohydrates, the reason being the protein is essentially made out of amino acids and to be transported to the cells in your body, these amino acids look for a transport molecule to help them get there. Now to get this extra transport molecule they compete against a chemical in your body called tryptophan – a chemical that helps create serotonin. Adding carbohydrates to your meal will cause your body to release insulin. This insulin burst will help disperse the amino acids, thus making way for the tryptophan to find and use the much needed transport molecule to ultimately enter the brain – leaving you in a great mood.
So this is a good reason why people feel great after a carbohydrate rich meal.
Now you must be asking yourself – “What foods will help raise my mood”?
Well as said before, the answer lies in carbohydrates. A rule of thumb when eating carbs for a good mood is that you should try to eat low glycemic carbs as they will lead to a longer feeling of a good mood because they are harder for the body to break down and will also not lead to sudden insulin spikes (sudden insulin spikes usually lead to insulin drops which can also make a person feel tired and invite the onset of diabetes). If you are eating protein, then just add a banana, dates, papaya or a slice of whole grain bread.
Follow these great diet tips to keep yourself in a good mood. You will definitely feel better, look better and have a huge smile on your face.