[vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Food Choices Really Do Affect Your Mood and Emotions! Happiness… It’s what we all want out of life. Being vibrant, healthy and full of vitality is the key to not only a good life, but one that is happy and fulfilling. Well it is certainly difficult to be happy when our health is challenged, but understanding the major role food plays and knowing that choosing foods that support our health can be fun, delicious and satisfying puts us in control.

Food choices have a profound effect on mood, energy, clarity and overall well-being. Wise choices provide the body with sustainable energy, enabling it to better deal with challenges and opportunities. Poor food choices, on the other hand, often made when tired, grumpy, irritable or even depressed, “feed” the problem instead of helping to overcome it. These decisions can lead to a downward spiral of poor food choices and cravings and less than positive mood swings, fatigue and depression. Remember, food and mood go hand in hand.

Which foods affect body chemistry most dramatically? Well, we know that when we eat foods that are high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, our bodies go through radical chemical fluctuations, throwing us into unbalanced swings of energy and mood. Conversely, when we eat foods that are complex in nature, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, or whole grains like brown rice or steel cut oatmeal, changes to our blood chemistry are slow and stable thus keeping us in balance. From a nutritional perspective, staying in balance is key.

How to balance your body chemistry and thus your emotions to support a happy life:

1. Walk away from overdoing sugar or caffeine or alcohol.
2. Choose complex carbohydrates to balance blood sugar and boost your feel good chemical.
3. Include healthy fats and vegetable or lean proteins.
4. Drink plenty of water.
5. Reduce stress.
6. Get a wide variety of whole foods and consider a whole food multi-vitamin to insure that you are getting a balance of nutrients to prevent deficiency.
7. Get exercise, fresh air and sun – (the real vitamin D).
8. Eat a healthy breakfast.
9. Eat more chocolate! Finally a fun suggestion that we can really sink out teeth into. Well, I am not talking about high dairy fat, high sugar laden chocolate. We already discussed the blood chemistry issues with those foods. What I am talking about is good quality sugar free or low sugar dark chocolate or cocoa powders.

It’s simple really… nourish your body with the foods Mother Nature has given you. When you feed your body in a healthy and balanced way, your moods become healthy and balanced. Living in balance brings about true freedom and joy. There is much pleasure in experiencing fabulously delicious foods that support your health and well-being, both physical and emotional. Life is a gift and should be enjoyed by all – with a healthy body, mind and spirit.

The above is an excerpt/summary of a full article I wrote last year for Dr. Nancy Mramor’s Happiest Year of Your Life program.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]