Food and Mood

So what do they have in common besides that they rhyme? Well, did you know that food affects your mood and your mood affects what you eat? I didn't.

Does this happen in your house? It does in mine.
"What do you want to eat?"
"I don't know. What do you want to eat?"
"I dunno. I don't know if I feel like cooking."
"Well, do you want to go out?"
"I guess!"
"Okay, great!"
"Umm, where do you want to eat?"
"I don't know. Where do you want to eat?"
"I don't know. What do you want to eat?"
"I don't know. What are you in the mood for?"
"Umm, I don't know....."

You are all so hungry, and yet everyone is so indecisive. You have a craving for something, though not so sure what, and you can't decide if you want to cook at home or go out to eat. We've all been in this vicious circle of a conversation before. So what does one do?

When the kids were small, the decisions were always made by me. Yet hubs would come home and bitch complain that he didn't like what I had made. He would get "the look" then and he still gets it. Now I make him partake of the decisions and I get to veto them.

But we have all been in this predicament. Not sure what we are in the mood for and not sure if you want to even go out. From my own personal experience, decisions as to where and what to eat comes with how starved I am at the time. Getting to the point of no return almost inhibits my ability to decide where to eat.

Like tonight. Hubs had 'choir practice' and so it was son and me for dinner. I had a taste for mac and cheese with grilled chicken. But no one makes it like I do and I didn't really want to go out or order out. I had a taste for mac and cheese in my brain but I didn't want to make it but I couldn't get it out of my brain.

I wanted it served to me on a nice neat platter while someone else was massaging my feet.....okay - one can fantasize.

What did son and I end up with? I made my mac and cheese and threw some leftover grilled chicken on top. Son grilled himself a hamburger and had some of my mac and cheese.

Why did we end up eating what we did? Believe it or not, there is actually a reason and a connection to how I was feeling and what I craved.

Protein which comes from meat, dairy, eggs, cheese, fish, beans. The neurotransmitter effect is dopamine and norepinephrine. Eating protein then increases alertness and concentration.

Carbohydrates come from grains, fruits, sugars. The neurotransmitter effect is serotonin. Carbohydrates then cause increased calmness and relaxation.

Excess calories come from all foods but especially those high in fat. The neurotransmitter effect is reduced blood flow to the brain. Excess calories cause decreased alertness and concentration after your meal.



So I craved mac and cheese so I wanted to increase my alertness and concentration yet be calm and relax. Yep that is what I wanted. Added bonus - mac and cheese is a comfort food for me.

So don't be a moody foodie - the most effective way to stabilize mood is to eat a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, and limit sugar, fat, and alcohol. Coupled with exercise, this will keep levels of endorphins, the brain's feel-good chemicals, steady.