5 ways to combat bad moods with food
PMS, hormones, stress, work deadlines, and everyday life can affect our mood. And while it’s normal to have great days and not so amazing days, what we put into our bodies has a huge influence on how we feel, act and cope. (Ever crashed after a sugar binge? Yep, that’s what I’m talking about!)
To help encourage a positive and calm demeanour with a FIGHTER attitude, follow my five golden food rules:
1. Watch your sugar intake
Sugar triggers a rapid blood sugar spike which in turn leads to an insulin spike. This response is your body’s way of reducing your glucose levels at an equally rapid rate. As a result, you’re likely to start feeling sleepy, unfocused, anxious and hungry. Then while your body scrambles to gain back some balance, this rapid drop in blood sugar triggers an increased release of stress hormones leaving you feeling (you guessed it) moody!
If you’re craving something sweet, try eating some fresh fruit (I recommend berries) or make a delicious TIFFXO snack like my Grilled Pineapple Skewers & vanilla Yoghurt.
2. Boost your mood with vitamins
Our brains never stop so we need to fuel them with specific vitamins and high-quality nutrients. The fuel (food) we choose to eat can greatly affect our mood, energy, and our overall performance.
Next time you’re at the supermarket, try filling your trolley with more fatty fish (salmon and tuna have fabulous amounts of omega-3 fatty acids), dark leafy greens (kale, silverbeet and bok choy for magnesium), seeds and nuts (walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds for calcium and iron), whole grains (brown rice and quinoa for fibre and B vitamins) and legumes (lentils, chickpeas and beans for protein and fibre).
3. Eat regular meals
skipping meals I bet you often feel hangry! Regular meals, healthy snacks and listening to your body will help maintain steady blood sugar levels. It also provides you with consistent energy throughout the day and prevents you from a 3pm binge.
4. Choose low GI foods
Opting for low GI foods means a slow, sustained release of insulin followed by a steady rise in one of your mood’s biggest players: serotonin. My fave low GI foods include oatmeal, beans, lentils and nuts.
Higher-glycaemic foods on the other hand (such as potatoes, white rice and white bread) can make your blood sugar shoot up very fast. And you know what this means? A surge of insulin is coming your way. If you’re going to eat them, please try and pair them with ingredients high in protein, fibre and fat to help slow the absorption of sugar.
5. Avoid soft drinks and booze
This one’s a no-brainer. Soft drinks and alcohol are packed with sugar. They’ll make you bloated and undo all your hard work. Try switching to mineral water with slices of fresh lemon and orange, and keep alcohol to a minimum: 1-2 glasses at special occasions is fine by me.