Introduction: In daily life, do you, like many food-loving women, tend to binge eat when you're in a bad mood, hoping to find solace for your fragile soul through delicious food? While food can indeed help improve a bad mood, not all foods are effective. Here are 7 healthy foods recommended by the editor to help you eat well and shake off a bad mood.
1. Too Stressed: Eat a Piece of Chocolate
Imagine: It's 6:30 PM on a Friday. You're hungry and tired, and you've already missed a dinner appointment. And just an hour ago, right before you were about to get off work, your boss just... asked for a favor, giving you a pile of work. The stress hits. What can you eat to quickly calm down?
Now is the time to get the chocolate you've hidden in the bottom of your drawer.
According to experts, chocolate (especially dark chocolate) can help suppress the sudden surge of stress hormones in the body. In an article published in the *Journal of Proteome Research*, Swiss researchers found in a recent study that consuming a small amount of dark chocolate (about 40 grams) can lower the levels of the stress hormones cortisol and catecholamines in the body.
With reduced anxiety, you can better complete your work and make your appointment on time.
2. Lethargic: Have a Spinach Salad
Feeling scattered? Can't focus? Your eyelids keep fighting?
Doctors tell us, "Put the coffee aside and have a spinach salad. High levels of homocysteine in the body can cause blood vessel damage and obstruct blood flow and the delivery of nutrients to the brain. Once blood flow is impeded, a person may feel weak or mentally sluggish."
What foods can quickly boost your energy? You can choose spinach or other green, chlorophyll-rich vegetables, or you can opt for potatoes, whole-wheat bread, soybeans, peas, and mushrooms.
3. Irritable: Try Apple Slices with Peanut Butter
Did you scold your kids? And also yell at a telemarketer? Irritability might be a signal from your body that you need to "refuel."
But remember to refuel correctly!
Don't eat foods that will spike your blood sugar in an hour, or your bad temper will return with a vengeance.
To eliminate irritability, combine foods for both meals and snacks. Combine carbohydrates with a protein or fat. Carbohydrates are quickly broken down and burned in the body, making them an important source of energy. Adding some fat or protein to your food slows down digestion, keeping your blood sugar and energy levels relatively stable for a longer period.
A classic example is apple slices with peanut butter: apples are a healthy example of complex carbohydrates, while peanut butter is an excellent source of fat. Combining these two superfoods will not only give you a tasty treat but also provide you with several hours of sustained energy.
4. Anxious: Have a Serving of Salmon
Are you constantly worried about your fiancé, your marriage, your children? If you are consumed by anxiety all day, you might consider having lunch with a friend.
Chatting with a friend can help relieve your anxiety, and food can do the same—as long as you choose the right one. OMEGA-3 fatty acids can help reduce anxiety, and salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Numerous studies have shown that regular intake of omega-3 can prevent and treat depression, and there is growing evidence that omega-3 can also suppress anger and irritability.
Although some plants contain omega-3, it's best to get it from fish. We find the most effective types of omega-3 for regulating mood in cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and horse mackerel.
5. Furious: Drink a Cup of Green Tea
Maybe the neighbor's dog barked all night, and you couldn't sleep a wink. Or maybe your colleague took credit for a project you slaved over all weekend.
Whatever the reason for your anger, to quickly calm down, nutrition experts suggest you brew a cup of green tea.
This is because theanine in green tea has a calming effect, and the moderate amount of caffeine in green tea won't make you fly into a rage. Furthermore, green tea is gentler than coffee.
6. Feeling Blue: Whole-Wheat Bread with Low-Fat Milk
Do you need a mood boost? Your sadness might be caused by work or relationships, or it could be related to insufficient vitamin D in your diet.
This nutrient (vitamin D) has many functions in the body, one of which is to help the body produce 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin). 5-hydroxytryptamine is a neurotransmitter known as the "feel-good hormone," which can make you feel calm, relaxed, and happy.
People with low levels of vitamin D can turn to low-fat milk, whole-wheat bread, and mushrooms.
Depending on your diet, you may need to consume calcium and vitamin D together for better absorption.
7. Menstrual Period: Have an Egg and Lettuce Sandwich
During your period, you might usually crave comfort foods (like mac and cheese, french fries, ice cream). Want to try something different? How about an egg and lettuce sandwich?
A dietitian from the U.S. says that in previous generations, it was very common for women to consume a large amount of carbohydrates.
The benefit is: carbohydrates can increase the body's 5-hydroxytryptamine levels, thereby improving your mood. But try to avoid sugary, high-fat carbohydrates like donuts or fries that make you lethargic and even irritable, as they cause your blood sugar to spike and crash.
To combat PMS, you should also consume it with protein-rich foods that contain tryptophan, like eggs, sunflower seeds, or chicken, as these foods can increase the synthesis of 5-hydroxytryptamine.
An egg and lettuce sandwich on whole-wheat bread is the perfect combination of a carbohydrate and a tryptophan-rich food.
Make one now: Mix chopped hard-boiled eggs with mayonnaise, add one teaspoon of non-fat or low-fat plain Greek yogurt and half a teaspoon of whole-grain Dijon mustard.