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Mr. Brightside
December 2nd, 2008, 03:05 PM
I have noticed a trend over the last few years, I used to drink a lot of coca cola 3 or 4 cans per day, then I stopped after I realised It cannot be good for you, but now and again i will have some and the next day I feel really down and depressed, this happens every single time, I am not sure weather it is the amount of sugar in coke (there is a link between sugar and depression) or the amount of caffine that takes me high then puts me down with a bump. so I have now stopped it altogether but its got me thinking, I wonder how much certain types of food affect our moods and feelings. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on this board so what are your thoughts on this, how much can food and drink affect our moods and feelings?

Are there certain mood foods that make us feel down or make us feel happy?

If so maybe somebody could post a list of foods we should avoid and list of "Happy Foods" ;)

Kiran
December 2nd, 2008, 03:17 PM
Hi Gollum...this is no surprise really but I am leaving work early today but I promise I'll post some info on this tomorrow :)

Kiran
December 3rd, 2008, 08:37 AM
I have noticed a trend over the last few years, I used to drink a lot of coca cola 3 or 4 cans per day, then I stopped after I realised It cannot be good for you, but now and again i will have some and the next day I feel really down and depressed, this happens every single time, I am not sure weather it is the amount of sugar in coke (there is a link between sugar and depression) or the amount of caffine that takes me high then puts me down with a bump. so I have now stopped it altogether but its got me thinking, I wonder how much certain types of food affect our moods and feelings. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on this board so what are your thoughts on this, how much can food and drink affect our moods and feelings?

Are there certain mood foods that make us feel down or make us feel happy?

If so maybe somebody could post a list of foods we should avoid and list of "Happy Foods" ;)

Both sugar and caffeine are stimulants that give the blood sugar a quick fix boost. It is not prolonged and as it gives a bit of a 'rush', you come down very quickly off that and that leads to a slump, that feeling of being low or down. Most processed foods contain large amounts of sugar, yeast and some other nasty chemicals. Alcohol has a similar effect.
To feel good and to keep a prolonged sense of fullness/satisfaction it is good to eat whole foods that are slow release sugars.
These allow your energy levels to keep going at a steady pace without that rush and slump cycle.
Foods good for this would include vegetables, fruit, grains and pulses, oats are especially good and if you eat meat, good quality, lean meats.
Chocolate is probably the best known happy food...but obviously in small doses and as a treat.

Kiran
December 3rd, 2008, 08:47 AM
10 Superfoods

Include these 10 superfoods in your menu planning for a healthy start to the summer

Tomatoes
Olive oil
Oil-rich fish
Oats
Green vegetables
Chickpeas
Oranges
Garlic
Almonds
Blueberries
What are superfoods?
These are foods that contain high quantities of nutrients, which help the body fight disease and that promote a longer, healthier life.

What are phytochemicals?
Phytochemicals are natural bioactive compounds that are found in plants. Research suggests that phytochemicals, working with the nutrients found in fruit, vegetables and nuts, could possibly help slow the ageing process and reduce the risk of many diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cataracts, osteoporosis and urinary-tract infections.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant known to help fight heart disease and cancer. When tomatoes are cooked, their lycopene content is absorbed better by the body. Adding a little olive oil has the same effect. Tomatoes are also high in vitamin C and a number of other protective phytochemicals.

Olive oil
Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids. These are the so-called good fats, which help reduce harmful blood cholesterol, preventing heart disease. Olive oil also contains essential fatty acids, is a good source of vitamin E, and helps your body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

Oil-rich fish
Fish such as mackerel, sardines, salmon and trout are classified as oil-rich fish and are very good for you because they contain omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids help fight heart disease by reducing the risk of blood clots, lowering cholesterol levels and protecting the walls of arteries. They are also useful in protecting the body against diseases such as Alzheimer's, and help reduce inflammation.

Oats
This cereal is high in soluble fibre, which is broken down in the body, and helps absorb harmful cholesterol in the blood and carry it out of the body. It's especially beneficial if you suffer from high cholesterol. Oats are also a complex carbohydrate, which is broken down slowly in the digestive system, releasing energy slowly, providing you with sustained energy for longer, and helping to reduce the risk of diabetes.

Green vegetables
Green vegetables and salads are high in vitamin C, betacarotene, folic acid, fibre and calcium, keeping the body strong and healthy. Dark green vegetables such as kale, broccoli and spinach also contain carotenoids, antioxidants that help prevent cataracts and blindness in older people. Kale, broccoli and cabbage also contain substances which have been shown to help fight cancer.

Chickpeas
Chickpeas are pulses that contain low-fat protein, soluble fibre, iron, potassium and folic acid. The soluble fibre helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease, also protecting against diabetes and certain cancers, particularly bowel cancer. Include these and other dried beans and lentils, which have similar health benefits, in your diet.

Oranges
These juicy fruits are extremely rich in vitamin C, betacarotene and folic acid, as well as many other phytochemicals and antioxidants that help protect the body against diseases such as cancer and heart disease. The pectin found in the membranes between the segments of oranges may also help reduce levels of harmful blood cholesterol.
Grate the zest of an orange into bakes, salad dressings and salads, as it is also believed to contain substances that help lower levels of harmful cholesterol in the blood. Include grapefruit and other members of the citrus family in your diet as they have similar health benefits.

Garlic
Garlic has antiviral, antifungal and antibiotic properties and studies have shown that it may help protect the body against heart disease, lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure, and help prevent blood clots and cancer, especially stomach cancer. Fresh garlic should be crushed or chopped to help release allicin, the substance that is responsible for some of its health benefits.

Almonds
These nuts contain monounsaturated fats, which help lower blood cholesterol. They are also rich in vitamin E, which is important for healthy skin, has anti-ageing properties and helps protect against Alzheimer's disease. Almonds also contain significant amounts of magnesium and potassium, which help keep your arteries healthy and blood pressure under control. Including unsalted, unroasted nuts, especially almonds, in your diet, will also help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Blueberries
Blueberries contain powerful antioxidants that help slow down the ageing process and help your body fight diseases such as Alzheimer's and heart disease, by helping to lower harmful cholesterol levels in the blood. They are also believed to help protect the body against cystitis and other urinary tract infections. Other berries such as strawberries and cranberries are also packed with health-boosting antioxidants, so enjoy plenty of them when they are in season.

With thanks to the following website for the information above http://www.vivashealth.ie/healthcare-info/family-health/superfoods/

Mr. Brightside
December 3rd, 2008, 12:50 PM
What a fantastic reply, thank you for that Lorri, :clap I do find it hard to give up sugar altogether but I will do one day, I only have it in tea and coffee but I hate the aftertaste of sweeteners. I love chocolate but only eat it now and again.

I have been trying to eat more healthy lately, eating a lot more fruit and Veg instead of bland processed easyfix foods, I will try to incorporate a lot more of these superfoods into my diet. I enoy most of the items on that list especially fish and oranges..

I will keep this list as a reference ;)

:thanks:

Kiran
December 3rd, 2008, 12:53 PM
you're very welcome Sean and if you have anything you want me to check out, just let me know.

:girl_yes3 (1):

planetlove
December 3rd, 2008, 11:42 PM
Keeping your body within its PH balance has a lot to do with your health..

Acidic body's are prone to all disease...people who get sick all the time have acidic bodies.....

Lemon Juice is said to turn from acid to alkaline in the body....
Lemons are said to be better than lime's do you believe it.....

Honey is Great for your lungs skin and also and a good blood purifier .....
A spoon a day is awesome .....

And an Apple a day keeps the Dr. away is always great also....

Lorri i will say your all about the well being of everyone and so am I .....
Every Little thing helps...

V

Mr. Brightside
December 3rd, 2008, 11:52 PM
Honey is Great for your lungs skin and also and a good blood purifier .....
A spoon a day is awsome .....

I have heard Manuka Honey is suposed to be really good for you, Not sure if its true or not..

Kiran
December 4th, 2008, 08:23 AM
Gollum - Oh yes and if you combine it with garlic...its a great one to get rid of coughs that just won't shift!! Thats what helped me finally get rid of my nasty bug I had!

V - Thanks and good to have you sharing info with us :)

mary
December 4th, 2008, 03:56 PM
mmm I like tomato juice, I didn't know it was a superfood, thanks a lot.

Edit: I would love to have a healthy diet, but I'm always in a hurry, as this world of today always is, I can't find the time to cook, that's because is easier to throw some pre-prepared chemical loaded food at the microwave to take the time to actually cook and eat well, the choices are unhealthy food or starve, and I can't function with an empty stomach :cray2, I have no choice.

patrik.
December 5th, 2008, 12:10 AM
Chocolate is probably the best known happy food...and obviously in LAAAAAAAAAARGE doses.

I just :two hearts: chocolate! :D

Kiran
December 5th, 2008, 08:35 AM
Ahem...Patrik....you have slightly misquoted me there methinks!!! lol
I have to agree with you though...lol

planetlove
December 5th, 2008, 04:01 PM
OMG yes
CHOCOLATE IS A FOOD FROM HEAVEN
its great im not sure i know anyone who doesn't like it.
even though i'm learning to love the 75% and 80% pure cocoa
i still love my ferero rochete and my swiss chocolates ..Lindt

here is some chocolate info

The Studies
Taubert's team signed up six men and seven women aged 55-64. All had just been diagnosed with mild high blood pressure -- on average, systolic blood pressure (the top number) of 153 and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) of 84.

Every day for two weeks, they ate a 100-gram candy bar and were asked to balance its 480 calories by not eating other foods similar in nutrients and calories. Half the patients got dark chocolate and half got white chocolate.

Those who ate dark chocolate had a significant drop in blood pressure (by an average of 5 points for systolic and an average of 2 points for diastolic blood pressure). Those who ate white chocolate did not.

In the second study, Serafini's team signed up seven healthy women and five healthy men aged 25-35. On different days they each ate 100 grams of dark chocolate by itself, 100 grams of dark chocolate with a small glass of whole milk, or 200 grams of milk chocolate.

An hour later, those who ate dark chocolate alone had the most total antioxidants in their blood. And they had higher levels of epicatechin, a particularly healthy compound found in chocolate. The milk chocolate eaters had the lowest epicatechin levels of all.

Rana
December 16th, 2008, 06:20 AM
I have heard Manuka Honey is suposed to be really good for you, Not sure if its true or not..

yeah i get that honey you have to get the one that is called "active" honey ..it has alot of really good things in it , i make my kids a cup of regular tea with maunka honey in it when they have a bad cold and a stick of cinnamon when they have a temperature. i went to see a doctor who is also a naturopath ..she said that i consume too much unnatural sugars and that does affect moods etc ..

Mr. Brightside
December 16th, 2008, 01:39 PM
yeah i get that honey you have to get the one that is called "active" honey ..it has alot of really good things in it , i make my kids a cup of regular tea with maunka honey in it when they have a bad cold and a stick of cinnamon when they have a temperature. i went to see a doctor who is also a naturopath ..she said that i consume too much unnatural sugars and that does affect moods etc ..

I have been on the lookout for some, I have never known honey added to tea before I will have to try that :) I am still trying to cut out having sugar in my Tea but I find it difficult..

I love chocolate, especially the re-invented classic Wispa bar, I do tend to sicken myself this time of year though, By the time new year comes I cannot face any more.

SoulChild
December 16th, 2008, 03:02 PM
Gollum - Oh yes and if you combine it with garlic...its a great one to get rid of coughs that just won't shift!! Thats what helped me finally get rid of my nasty bug I had!

V - Thanks and good to have you sharing info with us :)


Yes, I also have a rememedy for coughs/chest congestion using honey chopped garlic, and chopped onion and lemon juice. The combination makes it taste pretty good, and it works!

I know that here in America, industries pump lots of hormones in the animals...so foods like meat and dairy due to the conditions the animals may be put in could have some impact on how it effects us. They say, thats why many young woman are vuluptous now and you can't tell their age...and it could affect your attitude and mood. Pork and salty foods effect your blood pressure....and many foods also effect brain functions.

Modify your diet at any given time for certain situations. For instance, when I am marathon training, I certainly modify to insure I am replacing what I am burning off.

Chocolate is needed during a certain period of the month...every month for me..!:girl_yes3 (1):...LOL

More to come....:gathering:

:thanks: