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15 Mood-Boosting Foods Tired, crabby or blue? Self-medicate with

foods that won't pile on the pounds

by Colleen Pierre, RD

Want proof that food can change your mood? Think Thanksgiving, the

meal that leaves you as sleepy as a dose of Valium. Then there's the

grande

mocha latte; does anything else pick you up quite like a drink that

combines two

caffeine-saturated foods in one foamy cup? And when you're feeling

low--your hard drive just detonated, your credit cards are maxed out,

your college

freshman just arrived home, mid-semester, with a moving van--you

don't reach

for broccoli, do you? No, you grab chocolate, because that's what

makes you

feel better.

Scientists, who once thought the food/mood link was as far-fetched as

alien

abductions, have changed their minds. Today there's plenty of

research on the

mind-altering effects of caffeine and alcohol. Studies on that

nutritional

evildoer, fat, have found that it can help you sleep, make you calm,

and even

ease your perception of pain. And according to one study, you

shouldn't save

chicken soup for the sniffles: Rats who had some slept better and

were more

agile. More important, they felt better--though how researchers

divined that

is a mystery.

While a brisk walk and meditation can also help a foul mood, let's

face it:

Sometimes you just want to eat your troubles away. And why not, when

there's

scientific evidence that some foods can alter your brain chemistry?

Here are some nutritional ways to self-medicate that will fix you up

without

filling you out.

When You're Down in the Dumps

For no particular reason, you're feeling lower than a snake's belly:

a

little on the weepy side, kind of listless, thinking a big chunk of

chocolate

would lift you right up. Sometimes, without much effort--the weather

changes, the

check actually is in the mail--those moods pass, and all's right with

the

world. But if you're stuck in Dumpsville, try the 30-minute miracle

meal: a

low-fat, low-protein, high-carbohydrate snack: Think toasted English

muffin

with a dollop of blueberry jam seeping into those nooks and crannies.

When high-carbohydrate foods aren't bogged down by the presence of

protein

or fat, they allow an amino acid called tryptophan to flood your

brain, where

it morphs into serotonin, a neurotransmitter that boosts mood and

curbs food

cravings (such as your chocolate yearnings). As a bonus, it helps you

tolerate pain and can even help you sleep like a baby. And all that

happens in just

half an hour.

You could also have a piece of whole wheat bread with some honey or a

bowl

of air-popped popcorn, suggests Somer, RD, author of Food &

Mood.

But skip the protein foods such as cheese, chicken, or turkey. " They

suppress

serotonin, " she says, " because all the other amino acids in them

compete with

tryptophan, so it can't get into your brain. " If you really need

chocolate,

avoid the usually creamy, fatty kind (sorry), and drizzle fat-free

chocolate

syrup over cut-up fruit or an English muffin for a do-it-yourself

pain au

chocolat.

When You're Sleepy

If you're not getting enough downtime at night, you can feel

irritable,

intolerant, inattentive, depressed, and more forgetful than folks who

are happily

knocking off the z's. There are medical reasons for insomnia,

but " your

problem might be at the table, not in the bedroom, " says Somer. Here

are some

sleepy-time solutions:

Cut out caffeine. No, it's not really a " duh " suggestion. You know to

avoid

coffee, tea, cola drinks, and hot chocolate because of their caffeine

content, but did you know there's caffeine in energy drinks, those

trendy vitamin

waters, even chocolate and coffee yogurts? It can all add up over a

day--giving you sleepless nights. Switch to decaf or Postum, trade

chocolate for carob,

drink decaffeinated tea, and substitute sparkling water for cola. You

might

feel pretty awful for about 4 days as you go through withdrawal

(headaches

are common), but then you should start sleeping better and feeling

more

chipper. If you can't handle it cold turkey, try cutting out the

caffeine gradually.

Lighten up on dinner. Big meals can keep you awake at night while

your tummy

churns away in overload. Eat a bigger breakfast and lunch instead,

then have

a small dinner consisting of about 500 calories. Add a tiny low-fat,

low-protein, high-carb snack such as a piece of fruit and some graham

crackers, a

small dish of sorbet, or a low-fat oatmeal raisin cookie to tap into

serotonin's soothing, drowsy effects.

Skip the nightcap. Alcohol makes you feel sleepy, but too much too

close to

bedtime interferes with your important REM (rapid eye movement)

sleep, the

phase that leaves you refreshed. Alcohol can also stop you from

dreaming and

can make sleep fitful, leaving you tired and crabby by morning. Limit

alcohol

to one or two drinks with dinner, and have two alcohol-free hours

before

bedtime. If you need a nighty-night drink, have some calming

chamomile or

valerian tea. Or drink a cup of warm milk with a little honey.

Have a chicken sandwich. Or enjoy a banana, sliced avocado, or half a

baked

potato. There's some evidence that people who have a lower copper

intake

(these foods are rich in this vital mineral) are more likely to have

a hard time

getting to sleep and feel less rested when they wake up.

When You're SAD

If winter slides you into the doldrums, but you perk up again in

spring, you

may be highly sensitive to levels of natural light. Seasonal changes

in the

amount of daylight affect your brain, lowering serotonin. Severe

symptoms

signal Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which affects four times

more women

than men and requires treatment with a light box and antidepressants.

For some people, shrinking sunlight also depresses dopamine, a brain

activator. Dopamine is the " search " chemical that makes you joyful,

hungry for

knowledge, and dauntless in seeking out something good to eat. Most

SAD sufferers

will benefit from a high-carbohydrate diet. But here's a twist: If

you find

that eating carbs makes you unable to stop, you may need a little

more

protein instead. Shifting the balance to more protein and fewer carbs

raises

dopamine without carbs' insulin rush, so your blood sugar remains

steady, and your

mood stays even, reports Somer. Check out sample SAD menus that

demonstrate

the differences in _SAD Meals to Make You Happy_

(http://www.prevention.com/article/0,,s1-3-78-306-3249-1,00.html) .

When You're Feeling Dull

Now's the time for a coffee break. Within half an hour of drinking a

cup,

says Somer, you get a mental goose. Your nervous system gets revved,

and you

feel alert and better able to concentrate. Even your reaction time is

faster.

The caffeine in your cuppa joe effectively short-circuits a nerve

chemical

called adenosine that blocks your energy-boosting brain chemicals,

helping them

give you a healthy rush.

But, Somer warns, " caffeine is effective only up to your 'jitter

threshold.'

Add more coffee after this, and you're too buzzed to think clearly. "

Plus,

once caffeine is out of your system, you get a letdown: fatigue that

makes

you want to reach for another cup. And another. And another.

To maintain a pleasant, temporary buzz, limit yourself to one to

three

5-ounce cups of coffee a day, depending on how well you tolerate

caffeine. (Watch

portion size: A mug is usually much bigger than a cup, as are the

servings in

most coffee shops.) If you have trouble sleeping, avoid coffee and

other

caffeinated foods and beverages before bedtime.

When You're Depressed

Eat more fish. Mounting evidence says that omega-3 fatty acids (found

in

abundance in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, sardines, and tuna)

may help

ease depressive symptoms. A recent 9-month study of bipolar disorder

(manic

depression) was stopped after only 4 months because omega-3s were so

effective

at smoothing out moods. Another study showed that eating fish twice a

week

was associated with lower risk of depression and suicide.

Concerned about mercury? Fatty fish are relatively high in this

metal, which

is linked to birth defects and developmental problems in children

whose

mothers were exposed during pregnancy. Stick to wild Pacific salmon,

shrimp,

summer flounder, farmed catfish, croaker, haddock, and mid-Atlantic

blue crab,

all of which contain omega-3s but are low in mercury. Even kids and

pregnant

women can eat up to 12 ounces of these a week.

Don't do fish? Talk to your doctor about taking a fish oil

supplement. Go

to _Consumerlab.com_ (http://www.consumerlab.com/) to learn about

fish oil

supplements that are safe and deliver what they promise. (While some

of the

information is free, full reports are only available by subscription.

For $9,

you can get 30-day access to a single product review; for $24, you

have full

access for a year.)

When You're Irritable

Feeling snappish? Put down that java, and throw away the bear claw

right

now!

" Caffeine is a stimulant for some people, but it may make others

irritable,

especially if they are already depressed, " says Larry Christensen,

PhD,

chairman of the psychology department at the University of South

Alabama. And

sugar, which normally has a soothing effect, can cause depression in

some people.

If you have a short fuse and are depressed, cut out caffeine and

sugar for

about 2 weeks. If you feel better, add as much caffeine back as you

eliminated

for a week or two or until symptoms develop. If you return to biting

off

heads, consider yourself off the stuff permanently. If not, stir in

the sugar,

and see if your symptoms return. Feel nasty or depressed again?

Switch to

artificial sweeteners, or drink your coffee black.

When You're Way Beyond Tired

If you're too pooped to do the things you used to do--and too pooped

to

care--see your doctor. Fatigue can be the sign of a serious illness.

It's one of

the first signs of iron deficiency and anemia, the most common

nutritional

deficiency in the world, especially among children and women of

childbearing

age. The cause? Not getting enough iron from the food you eat.

As good as beans, grains, and veggies are for you, the form of iron

they

provide is weak and hard to absorb. The National Academy of Sciences

estimates

that vegetarians absorb only 10 percent of the iron in their diet,

while a

diet that contains some lean meat, poultry, or seafood will deliver

the average

requirement of about 18 percent. Animal protein not only contains

more iron,

it's a special form called heme that your body absorbs better than it

does

the iron from plants such as spinach (apologies to Popeye). And

there's a

bonus: The heme iron you get in your entree helps you absorb any iron

from the

plant foods in your side dish.

If you're feeling blah or listless, especially if you've cut back on

meat,

try eating shrimp, lean beef, lamb, dark chicken or turkey (without

the skin),

or fish and other seafood in 3-ounce portions twice a day. When meals

don't

include animal protein, add a high-vitamin C food such as citrus

fruit or

juice, melons, berries, dark green leafy vegetables, red or green

bell peppers,

or tomatoes to your meal. You'll at least double the iron you get

from the

other plant foods at the same meal. Adding a multivitamin with iron

helps too.

And when all else fails, wash away fatigue with a glass of water.

Somer says

that chronic low fluid intake is a common, but often overlooked,

cause of

mild dehydration and fatigue.

Shake It Up for Stress!

Your brain cells are capable of making their own chemical mood-

stabilizers

such as serotonin--if they get the right raw material from the food

you eat.

And this shake has it all. Developed by Pawlak, PhD, RD, author

of

Stop Gaining Weight, this stress-defying drink improves your mood and

quiets

stress without withdrawal, rebound cravings, or overeating. The

supplements

give the chemicals in the food an added boost, so you feel better

fast.

Pawlak suggests you carry your shake in a thermos, so it's ready for

your

peak stress times. Skip caffeine for 2 hours before and after, since

caffeine

can limit serotonin's power.

Here's how to make it: In a blender, mix 1 large banana, 1 cup of

pineapple

juice, 1/2 cup of orange juice or strawberries, the pulp of one

papaya or 1/2

cup of papaya nectar, and 1 to 3 teaspoons of flaxseed oil. Process

until

smooth. Drink with a multivitamin/mineral supplement containing 100

percent of

the daily value of nutrients plus 200 micrograms of chromium

picolinate.

..

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