You’re not feeling the best, you’ve had a bad day and nothing sounds more appealing than a packet of Tim-Tams. Well you’re not alone. Wanting to eat something to ‘cheer yourself up’, without demolishing a box of chocolate donuts, is a common battle for all of us. Failing to resist office treats, that always seem to be lurking near by, is one of the main reasons we put on those extra sneaky kilos.
Although foods like biscuits, chips and chocolate will give you an instant lift, this energy is not long lasting and before you know it you’ll be on a downer and rummaging through the pantry searching for your next hit.
What we really need to be looking for, are foods that are going to stimulate our brain positively, are sustainable and are not going to give us short-term energy bursts. You’d be surprised what actually does work!
Milk
Cutting out dairy is unnecessary, especially when they contain so much positive mind ingredients! Milk products are high in tryptophan, which is what our brain needs to make serotonin. Serotonin is the chemical that makes us happy and content and it is this chemical that anti-depressants originate from. B12 and vitamin D, which are also in milk, are your friendly blues fighters as they helps fight stress, something we could all use a little help in.
Bread, rice and pasta
Yes, the dreaded carbohydrates. Believe it or not, but cutting these out of your diet completely will not help your moods. The reason most of us being cranky when we’re hungry is because we’re not eating foods that sustain us for long amounts of time. Carbs take a while to digest, which means you will fee fuller for longer. It’s just a matter of eating the right ones, think brown everything; rice bread and pasta. This will keep your blood sugar (and your moods) from jumping all over the place!
Blueberries The ultimate stress-busting berry. These goodies are sweet enough to satisfy and rich in anti-oxidants. They are also high in fiber and vitamin C, which is essential for a healthy digestive system. Blueberries will keep well in the fridge so they’re excellent to snack on at work instead of lingering chocolate biscuits. With less toxins building up, and more vitamin C in your body, a positive mind is almost hard to avoid.
So, next time you’re struggling to be positive, try to maintain a good level of carbohydrates, keep-up your skim dairy and snack on scrumptious blueberries until your minds content!
