★MOOD FOOD

Mood Food Journal

This thread is dedicated to (healthy foods) that create good moods.

• Mouthwatering Picture of a Blood Orange
• Mouthwatering Picture of another favorite Orange of mine -Cara Cara
• Mouthwatering Picture of Peppers, Cabbage and More
• Mouthwatering Picture of Grapes
• Mouthwatering Strawberries
• Mouthwatering Nature’s Candy Strawberries-Grapes
• Mouthwatering Sweet Crisp Apples
• The Veggie Case Picture
• Lemons
• Luscious Assortment pumpkins..gourds…

Pickled ginger makes me feel good – I have no science to back it up – but just had a nori roll and feel like the luckiest person on earth at this moment :)

In response to laurie- does first things first~‘s post:

I know dark chocolate is a great antioxidant mixed with nuts and cranberries gives you a wonderful sense of well being. However it should be eaten during the day and then a good long walk right after!!!

Really want to hear more about healthy mood enhancing food. Out of the ordinary ones that we dont hear about all the time.
i.e we know about the benefits of comfort foods e.g mashed potato, chicken soup but thats because it evokes memories of warmth and comfort….but what about the foods that are proven to have health benefits and improve mood….?
Are there any super foods that you swear by that you know always hit the right buttons…

eg:
Calming foods (to relax, soothe and re-balance)
Energising foods (to boost energy and relieve fatigue)
Happy foods (serotonin boosting healthy goodies)
Sleepy foods (that aid restful sleep and promote good dreams)

I know this community will have lots of suggestions that are unique to each of you. Cant wait to hear your miracle cures!!!!

;o)

Just bringing this back into the recent threads to remind you foodies to post your healing foods when you get a moment (as per above)….

RE:Energising foods (to boost energy and relieve fatigue)

I have recently felt the benefits of ginseng and guarana in a supplement combined with b vitamins that I must say has increased my energy levels, but I am not a fan of supplements if I can get the benefits from foods – because lets face it thats a more enjoyable way of getting health kicks!

In response to anoushka_f’s post:
Just remember that guarana has caffeine, if that matters to you. It’s chemical composition is just like caffeine.

I will start posting good foods next week.

In response to laurie- does first things first~‘s post:
Thanks Laurie. I am actually bothered by caffeine – but it ‘said on the pack’ that is was a natural substitute for caffiene. I guess thatproves you should never fully trust what you read!

I just thought of another one:
energy boosting food – dried fruit: packed with energy and b vitamins – although I am also a bit worried about consuming too much sugar – even if it is natural….

GI diets are Ideal for keeping your blood sugar balanced. If your sugars are embalanced your moods will also be! Trust me. B-50 complex, Valerian, Calcium complex & Evening primrose all work for stabolizing stress & mood.
Also eating a lot of foods rich in Vitamin C with no extracts prove very healthy for stress. Doing these will prevent complications with your adrenal glands with release of seratonin & adrenaline.
Peanut butter’s effects as a mood lifter is often mistaken for chocolate. Chocolate has 0 effect on your seratonin, sorry!

Lol, your totally right. When you read labels you have to use your logic

And of course as we know foods aren’t everything, but they are a phenomenal foundation to feeling great!

can anyone tell me what foods cause your mood to dip low please as im trying to heal depression naturally and giving up sugary things is feeling like giving up smoking its a struggle but i think sugar is the main cause of low feeling,love flowergirl

In response to flowergirl’s post:

I’ve started eating dates lately.. I notice I don’t crave sugar as much.. Actually I don’t crave my beloved chocolate at all.. I get all the sugar I need from my dates.. really.. dates are great and they kick in fast.. I’m gonna keep eating them and enjoy noticing my health improvement..

thank you so much folks for your understanding ,tons of great advice and encouragement.It is challenging because im a veggie and intolerant to potatoes,wheat ,pineapple,oranges and tomatoes,but justplanned a menu which covers us all, well i had but realised i included tomatoes in things like quorn bolognese sauce,need a rethink .I feel better already with all your ideas to try .thanks again ,love flowergirl

thanks laurie for your advice ,re the bloods i am due to go back to g p for b p and cholesterol check ,b p was 160/103 despite being on meds and she wants me to take another pill,cholesterol was 10 – sky high and wants me to go on statins -not at all keen on them .I know my lifestyle in recent times hasnt helped but am now learning how much good food /exercise will help and going to ask her if she can refer me to a nuritionist and start to get sensible .Did a shop yesterday and got lots of brown rice ,couscous,dates,fruit and veg ,oat cakes and one packet of kit kats .The ice has gone now thanks topouring rain and so its wellies and waterproof coat and im off out with my dog for a good walk .I dont do any exercise at the moment – used to walk a lot but since my daughter became dangerously underweight we havebeen getting buses/taxis everywhere .As she was suicidal/self harming and at risk of heart attack i could not leave her for a while and got used tositting around .Now she is still low weight and withdrawn but does go for little walks herself and i can leave her for a little while – i have to for my own mental health .
Always loved walking with dogs and going to get back to daily 3-5 mile walk ,its me time when i can think .I am starting that this morning and will havea lovely hot bath when i come in Also will start on mini trampoline as its fun put on i pod with rock tunes and bounce away .Always wanted to do yoga so will look for a class ,also have a d v d so can start learning at home .I love your last sentence ,thats my affirmation for when i wake up “great thinking,exercise and healthy food are the foundations for my joyfull life”
It means so much to have the encouragement from you all thank you ,love flowergirl

after reading my last post im suprised at how low i have become since then .Have been to the health shop this morning and asked if there is anything else i can try for depression as ive beenon st johns wort for about 2 months .They suggested 5-HTP complex which also has b vits ,magnesium and valerian.Im weepy, no motivation,exhausted ,and just not coping at all .I am hoping i can get up enough to do the things that help – walks ,healthy eating etc .I also am considering taking spirulina .

Cautions with 5 HTP:

Your combo will probably make you pretty sleepy.

Concurrent drug use: 5 HTP should not be used if taking:
Anti-depressant drugs (different classes SSRI’s and MAOI’s)
(I would assume St.John’s Wort would be included)
Barbiturates and other tranquilizing drugs
Antihistamines and cold medications
Alcoholic beverages
Antibiotic Medications The principal reason for not combining 5-htp with these classes of medications is that many of them may also increase serotonin levels or affect other neurotransmitters, but by different biochemical mechanisms. The combination, in some cases, has the potential of acting synergistically to dramatically increase serotonin levels. This combined action could have adverse effects.

Alcohol and 5-HTP should not be taken together. Allow at least six hours between use of alcohol and 5 HTP.

Warning: 5 HTP can increase the effect of some tranquilizing drugs.

Link

2 of the best foods that I know and have experienced are Guava and Bananas. Both of these simply boost your energies and lifts your mood like anything.

hi Laurie and thaks for this info – you are very helpfull .
I will be taking 5htp instead of st johns wort to see if i can avoid antidepressants from gp .
Luckily i dont drink alcohol,only have flower essences that have a little bit of brandy as preservative but its miniscule .
i’m only on 2 codiene meds a day now and will take 5htp at bedtime ,

Mood food to me sometimes isnt the healthiest or clinically proven/serotonin raising food. Sometimes its about what reminds you of the past.
My example of the day, something I havent eaten since I was a child, but evokes such happy feelings – cheese and pickle sandwiches with white bread….
I never eat white bread and rarely eat cheese, because I know its not part of my personal dietary requirements, but my God it does lift my mood and remind me of simpler times!!! :O)
Perhaps its because I am listening to my inner child’s requests!

In response to anoushka’s post:
i love home made rice pudding ,mum always made it for us and it still feels comforting .

Hello Sweet Flowergirl,

My favorite beverage right now is Celestial Seasonings iced tea with stevia extract. The flavors I love to mix are: Berry Zinger, Black Cherry, Blueberry, Raspberry and Country Peach. There are boxes called samplers with all of these flavors. I am ecstatic over the fact that they have greatly reduced my caffeine addiction. The fruity, sweet, uplifting flavor will add a little sunshine to your mood. Love, Danae

Is the ice tea decaf? The flavors sound delicious.

yes, they are decaf!

I believe I hit on this topic in another thread concerning being body conscious. I mentioned that since I’ve been making healthier food choices my body feels energized and my mind more clear.

I really didn’t know where to begin and so I just started trying different things and learned what I liked and what I didn’t. I love Kale in a few different ways but mostly when made into chips.

I’m not certain what garlic does for a person , but I have heard it is good for the heart and liver. I crave it often and usually feel satisfied after indulging myself. The bad part of that is I use to make garlic toast and I try not to eat bread of any kind but will eat multi grain when I do. Since I didn’t like eating the bread I just started finding different ways to use garlic and just eat that now.

I have an active job and I dehydrate. Simply water wasn’t doing the job well enough for me so I have desired a taste for powerade , vitamin water and life water. I buy the zero sugar, zero calories. I was using gatorade but as of yet have not found any with no sugar.

I have not really paid much attention to how foods make me feel good. I know what foods make me feel bad and so I guess I will have to start paying may attention to what I eat and how I feel after.

Hey everyone. Spinach is a super food and whenever I eat it I think I can actually feel it giving me energy. A lot of folks probably don’t like spinach, but, here is a trick you might want to try if you don’t like it.

Add some nutmeg, a pinch of brown sugar and a little butter. I know, nutmeg sounds crazy, but, it might surprise you by how well it goes with spinach.