Emotional eating is not the most useful food habit, but it depends on what you eat. So how can food affect your mood? It is known that tryptophan, an essential amino acid that goes to the brain, where it is synthesized into serotonin, helps to improve mood and has a positive effect on it. In addition to tryptophan, omega-3 fatty acids can affect your mood. They affect the neurotransmitters in the brain, protecting them from depression.
So what products should we eat to stabilize our mood?
Dark chocolate is the first product that should be kept in the kitchen cupboard in case of a bad mood. It helps to reduce the level of stress hormones that overfill our body during the period of irritability. Only 40 grams of dark chocolate can stabilize the amount of cortisol and catecholamines, thereby reducing the feeling of anxiety.
If you cannot open your eyes in the morning or you cannot concentrate, do not rush to drink coffee. Just eat a plate of spinach salad. Folic acid in spinach will help your body to lower the level of homocysteine. Too high levels of homocysteine will damage blood vessels and will not allow the flow of blood and nutrients reach the brain. Circulatory disorders are a common cause of drowsiness and a constant feeling of tiredness.
When you are angry, drink a cup of green tea. The fact is that green tea contains theanine, it will calm the brain, increase concentration and attention. In addition to green tea, theamine can be found in asparagus, as well as in fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and zinc.
If you want to cheer yourself up and to get rid of sadness, make cereal porridge with milk because the feeling of sadness can be caused by the lack of vitamin D. It plays an important role for our body, since it helps to produce serotonin - the hormone of happiness. Therefore, porridge with milk and with your favorite fruits will be an excellent source of energy and good mood.
If you feel anxious, and only negative thoughts are spinning in your head, go to the store and buy some fish. Fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring or tuna contain omega-3 fatty acids, and they do an excellent job against anger and irritability.
Sometimes, in order to improve your mood you just need to eat toast with an egg. Carbohydrates will increase serotonin levels, and it will lead to an increase in mood. But be careful, avoid fast carbohydrates, such as chips or donuts. They will leave extra fat in your body, and the irritation will come back with a vengeance.
And what food helps you to cope with stress?