Mood Food: Can What You Eat Affect Your Happiness?

According to research, eating regular meals and snacks at the same time every day helps keep your blood sugar levels steady. 

If you feel like your blood sugar might be dipping frequently, talk to your doctor. This could be a sign of hypoglycemia - a health condition that causes people to need to eat frequently.

Skipping meals actually makes your body less able to assimilate food, and you are more liable to overeat at the next meal. 

If you keep yourself from getting too hungry, you may be able to avoid a bad mood.

The biggest bad mood culprits are refined carbohydrates and refined white starches that cause your blood sugar to go up and down like a rollercoaster.

Blood sugar spikes and drops can leave you with a short-lived burst of energy followed by a tired, cranky feeling.

• Protein to help slow the absorption of carbohydrates in your blood and increase the release of dopamine.
• Vitamin D may help relieve mood disorders.
• The vitamins folate and B-12 may help ease depression. Broccoli, lentils, oatmeal, oranges, dark leafy greens are good sources of folate. Vitamin B-12 can be found in cottage cheese, lean beef, and salmon.
• Soluble fiber can slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream and increase serotonin. You can find healthy amounts of fiber in oats, beans, pears, peas, and brussels sprouts.