Nutrition and healthy eating

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• December 20, 2011 10:19 a.m.

  lately I had trouble sleeping. then Downardspiral: loose interest in things, lack of concentration, less healthy food, less excercice. now I am trying to reverse this.

  - Yael

• October 11, 2011 9:49 p.m.

  Food and mood do have an effect on each other. I have noticed when I eat more fruits and vegetables I feel more energetic. I have also noticed that when I add meats like pork or beef I seem to get tired after eating. I think the meat makes it a little more heavy on the stomach which causes the fatigue after a lot of meals. I have substituted my pork and beef with fish and poultry which sort of weighs itself out. I don't feel hungry two hours later and I don't feel heavy and fatigued. I do believe you are what you eat.

  - Terry

• October 10, 2011 7:55 a.m.

  A very interesting article. Stress does have a lot to do with eating. Part of this seems to be the time people have today in a rush-rush society. I do try to have healthy choices. I ususally cook a few times during the week and use these foods for "brown bag lunches" while I am going to school.

  - Natalie

• October 9, 2011 1:19 a.m.

  Food and moon plays a good part of my life because when i'm not in a good moon I tend to let food get the best of me. I will indulge in high sugar foods like cakes and ice cream I will use this as a way to relieve my moon that i'm in. But this is only doing bodily hard to me it's not a good source to use but many of us seem to do it. Especially when we are stress out about something we use food as a comfort zone; but really we are doing more damage then good to ourselfs. what I have learn is to make more healthly choices and what I eat it's more important to eat good to stimulate the brian.

  - Sarah

• August 26, 2011 4:14 a.m.

  very nice idea to be happy, mood enhancer

  - batra

• August 15, 2011 8:42 p.m.

  I had a professor for a 400 level psychology class. He was telling us that the junk food we like to eat, especially during times of sadness, etc. have a chemical factor. He explained that sweet foods loaded with carbohydrates increase seratonin levels in the brain--obviously not in a good way! Is this true?

  - Bethany

• April 14, 2011 8:34 p.m.

  I really like the way you used imagination to create an experience of delightful dining at the beginning and a stressful cramming of food at the end. You are right. Our mind has a lot to do with our stress. Recent research is showing that it is just not the calories, not only what you eat but how and when also matters. In addition to all the physiological factors, our state of mind when we eat also makes a difference. Being mindfully present when we eat allows us to really experience the food at a deeper level, leading to much satisfaction with less amount of food. Ofcourse, this way of eating is also a stress buster. Stress makes us eat more, but when we focus our mind on what we eat, the experience reduces stress. Isn't it great. A lot more of these stress relief tips are available for free at: http://internationalstressreliefacademy.com/ Thank you

  - hyma

• March 13, 2011 12:26 a.m.

  My life has recently changed dramatically ( for the better) thanks to me finally realising that what I put into my body determines so many other things than just how I look. We all know what is good for us, how to lose weight, what we should and shouldn't eat... that bit is the easy part. What 99% of us struggle with is WHY we either do or dont do it?! We dont commit to healthy eating patterns enough because we still associate too much instant pleasure to the chocolate bar, or beer or wine... rather than the pain it will ultimately cause us! My turning point was attending a Tony Robbins seminar where he had us go through 'The Dickens Process' and envisage what we would look/feel like in 5/10/20 years from now if we kept making these poor choices....It was an intense experience, we linked so much immediate pain to these choices and was so horrifically disgusted that it broke the spell that 'oh, only this bit of chocolate wont hurt' or 'I'll work this burger off with a run tomorrow'... Every time a poor food choice or alcoholic drink comes my way the pain of what it will cause me far outweighs the instant gratification most of us still succumb to. Cut the C.R.A.P , caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol and processed foods. Eat foods rich in water, vegies and fruit, study the principals of food combining. It'll change your life. Ive never felt better (once on prescription anti-depressants), looked better or been more successful. I am in control! AND LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF LIFE!!!!

  - Tenar

• January 21, 2011 11:40 a.m.

  Food plays a big part in the mood that i may in. When in a good mood i tend to eat more healthier foods, versus when in a bad mood i dont always make good food choices. Good food choices lead to more healthier, and wise decisions. Having better decision making enables you to have a better attitude towards work, home and just in public. I know that making healthy choices in the food i eat does that for me. In the future i intend to make more healthy choices in the food i eat, and buy. Exercise is another big part in the choices i make. I dont always exercise and eat the right thing, which can also trigger a bad mood in life. Developing a bad eating habit can also increase a large wait gain. When i look at the scale and see that i have gain a pound or two it puts me in a less that great mood, which can taken to work, school or just in the general public. I wish that i can exercise and eat right all the time but life isn't always that easy. I wish that could do all of those things. So my goal of the future is to eat right, exercise more often and work on more ways of reducing stress levels. Stress can lead to early life, maraige problems, problems with your children, and many other things. Those are problems that i dont want in my life. When i do these things i should be able to go out in public with a good attitude and good mood. Moods tend to travel from one person to another, and if you are in a foul stressful mood then the person closest to you can end up in the same foul m

  - Owen

• November 27, 2010 3:55 a.m.

  I sit here typeing with a national geographic beside me with king David in big letters on the cover. What it may be about, I will not know because I am not that interested, but I can tell you what I know about him. He stood up to Goliath and defeated him when everybody doughted and were wondering how the heck. Anyways a miracle took place right. Well not exactly. David used what he knew and what he had and what he wanted and became victorious. If it wasn't for his will as a good human being, he probably wouldn't have even stepped up to challenge the giant. When times get tough, just survive, and do it in an appropriote way with honor and dignity. I can remember times when my parents would take me out shopping and I would have my meal before we took off and we would get to the place we had planned on going and then my parents would decide to go someplace all of a sudden and I could tell that my blood sugar was getting low because I would become irritable and tried my hardest to get to a source of descent enough food while trying to retain my composer and let me tell you that it can become a real struggle to do just that with my father in the driver seat. Take it from a guy who had headaches for over a year straight for every waking moment. It was horrendous. I'm lucky that I didn't have a blood vessel explode in my brain. I try and stay positive no matter what the situation, in every situation, it's my way of letting others know that I am fine and am determined

  - David

• November 19, 2010 10:44 p.m.

  How about this: Coexist or be pissed Breathe deeply together to stand up to the weather Eat a good treat to brave the heat When your food is effecting your mood then you must listen dude to the facts at hand, then you will land in a place where you can follow through with the new you. Now I think that's pretty cooo. How about a vegetable stew or is that eww. Maybe a nice cheese burger or maybe a cup of coffee with sugar. Oh I know a pizza pie to go with your tie. I do not want green eggs and ham. My name is David and I have definitly decided from all of my enduring at the age of 26 to start on my journey to become a Neuro surgeon. And I would like to thank these two gorgeous ladies for their help. As pretty as they are well I just can't help but to mention the lady in my life. She is a beaut! Sigh... I guess that I should read the posting guidelines huh. Later...

  - David

• November 12, 2010 7:42 a.m.

  My intentions are to be intelligent enough to get the job done while feeling good. You are important to all. I cryed the other night for our future. We will succeed no matter what. God Bless!

  - David

• October 23, 2010 11:58 p.m.

  I like to eat cheese and I think that people can actually depend on the stuff. The ultimate question is if we can handle it.

  - Dave

• October 22, 2010 10:59 p.m.

  We all have heart. From time to time I will indulge in a sweet in the morning and it will make me tired so I take a nap. The same goes with a pure fruit and a little tap water smoothie, as in just the opposite, I will feel healthy and alert and really feel like I could just start walking for hours as long as I have a plan to refuel. Anyways when i'm tired and proceed while cancelling out sleep my mood is the result. Mood mood mood. Whoopee, right. Just imagine yourself on a beach somewhere eating fresh cut up fruits and whatever vegetables delight you. Kicking back or having fun with your fiancee. Nice thought? We have to control ourselves for the sake of future generations. Evolution is insanely simple. bye

  - Dave

• October 19, 2010 3:59 p.m.

  It has been along time since I actually posted. All I have to add is that if you beleive in something good so much and work for it so passionately and skillfully, then you should succeed. Right! Opportunity comes to mind. Healthy food is good for the mood. A bad diet will make you want to riot. And once you become your passion, in my case a health article reader, then you will experience change and eventually stronger. I think that we can all agree that our love for food is strong. And that makes sense of course. So wouldn't you want to protect yourself with the nutritious and fibery kind and promote good health which will give you a sense of pride and accomplishment not to mention motivation. Please if you spead even just one sentence from this to another, it just might be that we could become. Now if that isn't positive then I don't know what is. Thank you and God bless!

  - Dave

• April 24, 2010 1:34 p.m.

  I am one of the few people I know that is aware of mood altering effects of food and drink on me. Straight decaffeinated Earl Grey and Green Teas produce a pronounced effect of satisfaction, well being, contentment. I'm aware of my carbohydrate highs and crashes. In the past few weeks I've been on well known lower carbohydrate diet and my mood has evened out. When I have a Cobb Salad with my dressing consisting of a tablespoon of olive oil mixed with vinegar -- I can taste the olive oil, the vinegar, herbs. I get another very pleasant sensation that builds over the time I eat the salad -- both a mellowness and alertness. This happens with other foods too that I eat on this plan. Eating in the moderated intervals becomes very pleasant for me. I have not talked with anyone else who has this kind of experience. Is this unusual?

  - Chuck

• March 18, 2010 7:23 a.m.

  I'm coming out of one of the worst years of my life. There were several stressing factors that made it horrible - loss of job, relocating to a different city, having a 3 yr old, parents with health problems and the loss of two family pets. For comfort I turned to food and wine...and about three months in had two back to back panic attacks that sent me to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. I was placed on anti-anxiety meds and sent on my way. I was recently taken off the meds due to the side effects they had on my body. Through this year I have been the most anxious, the most angry and the most unhappy I ever recall. I recently saw a new doctor who wanted nothing more than to put me on a regimen of several pills to keep me healthy. I walked away from that and started looking at my life a little more closely. I am now making time for sleep. I have cut way down on my alcohol intake. I've reduced caffeine consumption considerably. I'm training for my second half marathon and my first triathalon. I've cut my salt and sugar intake. I can't impress upon you how much better I feel. Exercise has been a constant, but everything else has changed and I do believe there's a direct link between what goes in and how we feel.

  - Nikki

• February 22, 2010 3:03 p.m.

  The salad, nuts, berries image did not make me feel peaceful. It made me feel hungry and deprived and isolated especially if I were out with friends eating the mega plate of fried whatever. Any ideas to bring lettuce into the same food group as hot fudge?

  - Lynn

• February 8, 2010 12:17 p.m.

  The way to break this cycle is first get sleep. If you have to cancel everything you are doing in a day to do this it will be worth it. I often find that by allowing myself to sleep in on the weekends is a great way to catch up and restore the energy that I have lost. Then when I wake up I start my day with an Ensure. It has tons of vitamins, good fats and protein. It is a quick way to restore the vitamins that I have lost. Then I go shopping and only visit the fresh fruit and vegetable section. I pick out whatever I'm craving and then head to the meat section where I pick up either chicken, turkey or fish. The rest of my day is spent making food for the week so I have no excuse but to eat right. Cooking for me is a great stress reliever especially when I can enjoy healthy nutritious food. If I have any time left then I clean the apartment to get rid of anything that is no longer needed thus relieving a ton of stress that a messy apartment causes.

  - Dyami

• September 17, 2009 12:45 p.m.

  Nutritional analysis should be the first point of attack when handling "mood" or "emotional" problems rather than dangerous products from "big pharma." Stress and anxiety can be traced to a simple deficiency in magnesium according to Dr. Carolyn Dean. Good articles on this subject can be found at http://organicconnectmag.com.

  - Marty

• August 29, 2009 5:30 p.m.

  My work in weight management has assured the food mood link -I notice the difference in patients who follow a balanced diet plan how their mood is stabilizing slowly their control over food intake improves self esteem and confidence and with the change of lifestyle into a healthier one stabilized blood sugar levels stabilizes mood and help them rid themselves of compulsive eating trends which in turn would result in better overall feelings =so yes i do believe in healthy eating -good proteins especially fish -fruits and vegetables -wholegrains and exercise will lead to a boost in available energy -consistent serotonin supply and stabilized blood sugar together leading to a positive mood and increased tolerance =

  - Suzan-Jordan

• June 18, 2009 9:20 p.m.

  We are all busy people and I think we all agree that life is filled with challenges. Here's what works for me: I write in a journal every day and read the Bible and pray often. This helps me stay centered. I drink a lot of water. I eat a lot of fresh fruit and fresh veggies. I live in Minnesota, so in the winter I eat a lot of those steam in a bag types of veggies since "fresh veggies" really aren't so fresh and are shipped in from Cuba. I like lean pork and chicken too and tuna fish. Almonds are good. For about the last six months I have been working hard at cutting back on sugar and for the past several months I have not had any sugar. I eat fresh fruit and sugar-free Jello pudding when I crave a sweet treat. I also work out every morning for 30 minutes on my Nordic Trak. I love my Nordic Trak because it is easy on my knees and lower back (I used to be a runner) and I can get my heart pumping and work up a really good sweat. I'm 48 years old and starting menopause and the eating healthy and exercising really helps to reduce my night sweats and mood swings. I still have them, but since I switched from walking 30 minutes a day to using my Nordic Trak, these symptoms have been greatly reduced. I've also lost about 10 pounds. Bonus! So yes, eat healthy, exercise every day and treat others as you would like to be treated.

  - ~Susan

• May 28, 2009 6:45 a.m.

  The ancient science of long useful life the Ayurveda recognized the effect of diet and of course life style on mood as well as behavior of the individual. There are three types of foods, Rajasic , Tamasic and Satavic. They mean the food for those who Govern and Rule; the ingradiants being tasty, high energy and long life giving and fatty; the food generating anti-social thoughts,stimulating sexul feelings invigorating but leading ultimately to sickness and disease; the foods which stimulate learning, good social conduct, compromising attitude and promoting saintly thoughts and actions. The vegetarian diet largely belong to Satavic type and non vegetarian specially derived from animal sources are Tamasic in nature. The rajasic diet includes both. The dairy products are also considerd Satavic but poultry and piggery and other products are Tamasic in nature. Those who keep the nature and content of their diet in accordance with the type of reaction one wants to derive, get the desired results. The Indian dietary pattern has evolved round some of the above tenets. KKs

  - KKs

• May 26, 2009 6:17 p.m.

  My 25 year old daughter has been daignosed with Celiac Disease (gluten allergy) and I have joined her in not eating gluten. My moods have changed drastically in a week. No depressed feelings and no obsessive thoughts. I too will get evaluated for celiac, but the difference in feelings/thoughts is profound!

  - Gail

• May 25, 2009 4:02 p.m.

  Is it possible to get too much fiber in one's diet? I typically stick to a very high fiber/low fat diet but am now found to be anemic with ulcers in my distal small bowel which are not Crohn's disease, and not actively bleeding.

  - eljay