How to Manage Your Mood with Food: A Meal by Meal Guide
Here is a meal by meal guide to eating for energy and managing your mood with food.
Breakfast
Eating a good breakfast boosts your concentration and revs your energy, particularly in the morning when you may need it most.
You can help keep your blood sugar on an even keel with complex carbohydrates. Avoid refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and white sugar. These have a high glycemic index, which can cause spikes and dips in your blood sugar levels.
The right complex carbohydrates provide your brain and muscles with the steady flow of the energy they need. Grains are great sources of B vitamins, which aid in the metabolic production of energy. Natural whole grain breads and cereals are good carbohydrate choices for breakfast.
For the best breakfast, add a lowfat protein, such as yogurt, cottage cheese, or skim milk, and watch your fat intake as well as your meat consumption (since meat takes more energy to digest).
Mid morning snack
Turns out, snacking may not be such a bad idea. Eating every few hours helps your body use nutrients more efficiently. It stimulates your metabolism, keeps your blood sugar levels steady, reduces stress on your digestive system, and decreases hunger, which means you will be less likely to overeat when mealtime finally rolls around.
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