Can you really eat your way to happiness? The mood food connection

Yes, you really can eat your way to happiness, but perhaps not in the way you might first imagine. By "happiness," I mean lasting happiness, not the fleeting kind of sensory happiness that might be experienced from sucking the cream filling out of a twinkie. And that's the distinction that really matters here: When I talk about happiness, I'm talking aboutsustainable happiness, not a brief moment of spurious excitement that soon reverses itself and leads to depression.

You see, a lot of people try to eat their way tohappinessby eating the "instant joy"foodslike ice cream, donuts, cookies and yes, even twinkies. Sugar can, indeed, make us momentarily uplifted because this refined molecule temporarily boosts bloodsugarand actively altersbrainchemistry. But like any drug, thedepressionafter it wears off is far worse than the brief happiness it appeared to give us. And in the worst cases, we sometimes fall into a pattern of treating that mental rut with yet another hit of sugar to try to keep the happiness going.
This downward cycle of sugar dependence leads us to long-term obesity,diabetesand depression.

As author Timothy Brantley says inThe Cure: Heal Your Body, Save Your Life:
"How did these foods affect theirmoods? Food Group A (Standard American Diet). The subjects all had radicalenergyfluctuations, staying in a cycle of having to manipulate to produce quick energy after a radical drop. The subjects all remarked that they never realized how addicted they were to sugar and other stimulants, likecaffeine, simply to function. The roller-coaster effect on their energy swung them into high and low moods, and many of them got sick consistently."
(http://www.naturalpedia.com/book_Th...)

The Standard American Diet is obviously not the solution we're looking for. But what works better?

Foods for long-term happiness

Fortunately, there are a huge number of other foods that promotelong-term happiness. That's what this article is about: Sharing with you the good news on foods that can supporthealthymoods and promote a positive outlook onlifefor the rest of your life.

And I have to say that list starts withomega-3 oils. High-qualityomega-3sprovide one of the most powerful and sustainable boosts to healthy moods of any commonly-availablefood.

Read up on omega-3s atNaturalPedia:http://naturalpedia.com/omega-3s.html

You can getomega-3oils from fish, quality marine oilsupplementslike Moxxor, chiaseeds, flax seeds and other quality nutritional supplements.

Beware of grocery store foods that claim to be "made with omega-3s" because the actual quantity of omega-3oilsin those foods is usually so tiny that it hardly matters to your daily nutritional intake.

Enjoy healthynuts

Pecansare extremely beneficial to supporting not just healthy moods but healthybrain functionas well. It's the oils in the nuts that do the trick. Read more athttp://naturalpedia.com/pecans.html

Other nuts can also be strongly supportive of healthy moods in the long term: Almonds, pistachios, macadamia nuts and walnuts all have powerful health-supporting properties that affect brain function and thereforemoodexperiences, too. Eat more raw nuts and you'll create better brain balance for the long term!

Adaptogens andgreen tea

Green tea seems to provide a subtle mood lift without all the problems of typical stimulants. Just make sure you're getting decaffeinatedgreentea, and check your source to make sure it doesn't suffer from fluoride contamination (some green teaproductsgrown in certain countries have been known to carry a lot of fluoride).

Adaptogenicherbsare also very, very good at helping your neurology better handlestress. This can often translate into an easier day, reduced stress and improved moods. Adaptogens include ginseng, ashwagandha, rhodiola, cordyceps mushroom and many others.

Herbal tonics for mood support

While we're in the realm of herbs, there are severalherbaltonic products that are well known to help support healthy moods.St. John's Worthas been clinically shown to work as well as antidepressant drugs to ease symptoms of depression. I usually take it withdandelionoryellow dockto provide additional liver support.

Learn more about St. John's Wort at NaturaPedia:http://www.naturalpedia.com/St_John...

Several TraditionalChineseMedicine herbal formulas are also known to help support healthy moods. Chinese herbs are always used in combination, never in isolation, but oneherbthat's found in many mood-supporting formulas isBupleurum.

The history and use of this herb is quite fascinating. Check it out here:http://www.naturalpedia.com/Bupleur...

Eat lots offresh fruitsand veggies

In addition to the omega-3 oils, nuts and herbs mentioned here, focus on consuming large quantities of freshfruits and vegetables. You simply cannot over-eat fresh fruits andvegetables, so eat all you want. They're loaded with mood-liftingnutrientsthat can also help prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Be sure to buy organic produce wherever possible!

What to avoid

This section can be summed up in just two words:Sugar, Caffeine.

Seriously. If you want to maintain healthy moods, it's crucial to avoidrefined sugarand caffeinefrom all sources. That means no caffeinated coffee, no donuts, no cookies, no Pepsi, etc.

These twochemicalsdo more to destroy healthy moods in the long term than probably any other chemicals in the food supply. And yet, ironically, they are precisely the two chemicals that people reach for to try to getshort-term mood lifts.

They do provide short-term boosts, much like adrug. Heroin might make you feel good in the short term, too, but it's highly addictive and causes hugehealthproblems over the long haul. Sugar and caffeine are similarly addictive and problematic; except they're legal and you don't inject them with a syringe. (Well, at least I hope not.)

If you suffer from mood swings or depression right now, the first and most important change you need to make in yourdietis toeliminate refined sugars and caffeine. The second change to make is to start bringing in mood-enhancing health foods such as omega-3s, raw nuts and lots of fresh produce.

But the really important step is to find new ways toenjoy your feedby expanding your experience of all the amazing tastes to be found in the universe of foods provided by Mother Nature. If you've never triedraw foodcuisine, definitely check it out at a local raw food restaurant (or find a raw food chef in your area). You'll be amazed at the new spectrum of tastes and sensory experiences provided by raw foods --and you'll experience huge long-term health benefits from the raw foods, too!

Stay happy with healthy foods

Yes,food can make you happy, but only if you focus on consuming health-enhancing foods that arenatural, non-refined and packed with nutrients. Don't compromise your mental experience of life by turning to sugar, caffeine and other short-term stimulants. Or if you're on those right now, find ways to slowly transition off them while embracing some of the healthier choices I've covered here.

In the long term, you'll discover thathealthy foods = healthy moods.

But give it time: It may take 30 days ofeatingright before you really feel the full effects with improved mood. Foods are not isolated chemicals that kick in right away. Transitioning to a healthier body and brain withhealthy foodtakes some time. But it's time well spent. After all, you get toeat your way to a more positive outlook on life. And that sounds kinda fun anyway, doesn't it?

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Learn more aboutadaptogensat NaturalPedia:http://www.naturalpedia.com/adaptog...

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