QDNA^® Living

Mood Food | Happiness And The Nutrition, Exercise, Mood Connection

By Marina Rose, QDNA^®

QDNA^® Living | Quantum Living Series

March 04, 2015

“Food brings nourishment not only to our bodies, but to our spirits.”
                                 --Shauna Niequist, Author,
Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way

Change your diet, change your mood?

Science says the answer is yes.

Food isn't just fuel for the body; it feeds the mind and changes our moods. Food scientists are still exploring the big picture regarding food and mood, but it's clear that certain foods definitely have a powerful feel-good factor. Anyone who has ever reached for a sugary snack when stressed out or feeling grouchy knows that the solace you get is fleeting: a few minutes of satisfaction followed by the inevitable blood-sugar crash, with added irritability to boot.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Our dietary choices trigger powerful chemical and physiological changes within the brain that alter our behavior and emotions. The key is nourishing our bodies with foods that not only rejuvenate our bodies, but also provide potent properties to lift our spirits as well. Beyond a quick fix, consistently eating well and making positive supportive food choices ultimately leads to the biggest reward—a happier, energized and more peaceful mind and body.

“The link between emotions and eating is no myth,” says Sherry L. Pagoto, PhD, associate professor of preventive and behavioral medicine at University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. “People do eat to feel better, so the link is there.” “Eating foods high in sugar to escape a bad mood is called emotional eating," Pagoto says. "Mindful eating is the antidote to eating for escape.

So where to begin?

Start with a good wholesome breakfast and a daily morning exercise.

Breakfast is often described as the most important meal of the day, and rightfully so. A good healthily breakfast not only “breaks the fast’ from our typical eight hours of sleep, but also provides important nutrients to fuel our day. Fresh fruit like strawberries, apples, dates and other seasonal delights will offer just the right fuel for a healthy body, mind and spirit.

What’s more, rather than hitting the double latte to find the energy needed to jump start your day, exercising in the morning can give you that much needed energy boost without all of the jitters. Yoga, meditation and brisk walking are the very best morning exercise routines—and even a gentle half hour walk is enough to release the body’s natural feel good endorphins and other hormones that will help you start your day feel great.

Also, unlike a caffeine jolt, the energy derived from daily morning exercise and a good healthy breakfast will last throughout the entire day-- rather than leaving you in a lethargic dip around mid morning. Whether you hit the yoga mat, spin at the gym or go for an early morning sunrise hike, it is no doubt that eating well and getting moving in the morning will leave you feeling energized and blissed out, ready to face whatever the day throws at you.

Good Mood Maintenance
There's more to mood maintenance than just eating the right foods. Good mood maintenance begins with implementing some basic nutrition strategies:

• Eat Often Enough
According to some of best research we should eat every four to five hours to keep our blood sugar levels steady. Eating at regular intervals helps to ensure that the body has a continuous source of fuel, and this helps to keep mood stable.

• Know What To Avoid
Before you can eat mood-boosting foods, it's important to know which foods to leave off (or limit) on your shopping list. The biggest bad-mood culprits are refined carbohydrates and sugar. The simple sugars that are in junk foods like candy and soda--as well as in everyday foods like fruit juice, syrup, and jams--can cause your blood sugar to go up and down like a roller coaster. Refined white starches such as white rice, white bread, and crackers can have the same effect. Blood sugar spikes and drops can leave you with a short-lived burst of energy followed by a tired, cranky feeling.

• Eat In Abundance
Now that you know how often to eat and what to avoid, here are some of the best foods to eat to stay healthy and happy.

• Fruit
Reach for a bowl of organic berries, nectarine, apple, tangerine or banana instead of a cookie. Fresh, is an excellent addition to a healthy mood food diet. Fruit is filled with antioxidant vitamins and minerals that cut down on inflammation in the body caused from eating a poor diet, stimulants and stress. So go ahead, put a smile back on your face with a health bit of organic fruit. And let’s let not forget that very special and unique fruit of all, avocados. While most fruit consists mainly of carbohydrates, avocados are extremely high in healthy fats and contain a wide variety of nutrients as well, including twenty different vitamins and minerals, making them an excellent addition to your daily diet. Not only do avocados contain a healthy dose of mood-boosting serotonin, the body’s natural feel good neurotransmitter, but avocados are also great for your skin, hair and nails—and looking so good will surely boost your mood as well.

• Protein
Adding protein to your meals helps slow the absorption of carbohydrates in your blood, which levels and improves your mood for several hours after eating. Dark green organic veggies such as broccoli, spinach, and kale are rich sources of vegetable protein. Broccoli also boasts impressive levels of folic acid (also known as Vitamin B9), a necessary nutrient for the production of healthy red blood cells and mood regulation. Low-fat organic yogurt is yet another protein rich feel good food that is sure to make you happy.

• Vitamins
Research shows that vitamin B-12 and D especially can help lift your spirits and combat mood swings. To get your daily dose of vitamin D, try low-fat organic yogurt, orange juice or soy milk. Broccoli, spinach, lentils, oatmeal, and organic cottage cheese is high in vitamin B12. Let’s not forget to simply get out in the sun. Studies have suggested that Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin”, may really brighten your outlook by upping levels of serotonin, a feel-good neurotransmitter. So not only will getting some sunshine give you a good natural blast of Vitamin D, but a trip outside on sunny day is always the ultimate mood enhancer.

There's a clear relationship between food and your state of mind. When you combine strategies for eating regularly with foods that may have a positive effect on your well-being, you can plan meals that may help you to feel better—and also avoid foods that may make you feel worse. Now that's something to be happy about!

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Marina Rose is the founder and developer of QDNA®, Quantum DNA Acceleration®, a revolutionary new technique for quantum growth in life and business. QDNA® uses the latest cutting edge science in Neuroplasticity and DNA Reprogramming to develop plans of action that activate solutions for you and your business needs. It compounds Quantum Field principles, Positive Psychology, and Epigenetics, in a powerful new technique to assist you to achieve desired results. Accelerate your life and business now.

This article was written and appears as part of the QDNA^® Quantum Living Series.

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