You may not realize this but your food has quite a big role to play in how you feel. You probably already know that chocolate can make you happy, but what about food that makes you feel down? Here is a list of some foods to limit in your diet if you want to maintain positive energy.
- Artificial sweeteners and Aspartame: these are just chemicals that have been found to cause headaches and digestive problems. They can be found in diet drinks and most things that say sugar free.
- Sugar will make your day a little bit worse. It is often disguised with different names such as dextrose, fructose, corn syrup, lactose and sucrose. Read your labels – you will be surprised how many packaged goods contain sugar. Eating too much sugar can cause diabetes, depression and weight gain.
- Processed meats: choose your meats wisely, convenient packaged meats and holiday hams can be full of sugar, salt, fillers, and nitrate preservatives that can trigger low moods, migraines and even swollen ankles.
- Soda: they have no real nutritional value. They’re full of sugar and chemicals. Why not drink water, ice teas, or natural organic juice instead? Or you can just make your own soda: combine sparkling water with fruit juice.
- White flour: it’s added to nearly everything processed or packaged, from soups to salad dressing. It is high in glucose and will drag your mood right down.
- Food colourings should be avoided. They’re not always natural and have been linked to ADHA in children and adults.
- Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG, is commonly used in packaged foods to enhance flavor and extend shelf life. This can lead you to be anxious, nervous and give terrible headaches.
Try healthy foods that will will improve your mood, take up yoga, get more exercise or go for a massage if you need like your mood is down, don’t reach for the junk food.