Suffering From The “Pissy Mood Syndrome”?
01 Dec 2007
Do you feel like kicking the cat? Or telling the boss to go to hell? Or feel that it’s getting harder and harder to get your act together? If so, the solution may not be to reach for Prozac. Some authorities claim the answer may be on your dinner plate. So how does food affect our moods?
Dr. Khursheed Jeejeebhoy, Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto, reports in The Medical Post, that certain foods are often associated with a feeling of happiness and an optimistic mood.
Jeejeebhoy cites studies from the department of psychology at the University of Wales. Students were given a variety of breakfast combinations. Researchers discovered that a breakfast low in calories, carbohydrates and fat, but high in fiber, gives a boost to happiness and helps memory.
Jack Challen, a food expert, reports that people’s moods have become worse in recent years due to a combination of stress and junk foods. He says this leads to irritability, impatience, anger, panic attacks, fuzzy thinking and addictive behaviour which he labels the "pissy mood syndrome".
But does science back up these claims? Researchers say that food intake affects mood due to biochemical messengers in the brain called neurotransmitters. These control mood, thoughts and behaviours. Serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine are the most sensitive neurotransmitters.
Serotonin has a calming effect providing a general sense of well-being. So if you’re having a gloomy day, concentrate on stress buster carbohydrate foods that release serotonin such as whole grains, high fiber cereals, fruit, particularly bananas and avocados, chicken, rice and potatoes.
Dopamine and norepinephrine are responsible for alertness, increased energy, and speedier reaction times. So if you feel sluggish, what your need are good sources of protein such as meat, chicken, fish, nuts, soy products, eggs and diary products, rich in these neurotransmitters.
Tired at lunchtime? Add four ounces of protein to the noonday meal. But if you have trouble sleeping increase the amount of carbohydrate at the evening meal.
But remember, overeating, regardless of the amount of protein in a meal, is a prime cause for drowsiness. This is why heads start to droop after the Thanksgiving dinner as food-overload directs blood to the stomach away from the brain. Light meals that contain 300-to 500 calories are the right prescription for an alert mind.
Omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood, particularly salmon, shrimp and lobster along with walnuts may also help to decrease depression.
Nutritionists say that drinking several glasses of water daily keeps people well hydrated and combats moodiness. So be careful on an up-and-down day to limit caffeine and alcohol intake as they’re both diuretics causing urinary frequency and dehydration. But also remember the relaxing effects of an alcoholic drink at day’s end.
One clear message is to limit sugar intake. Foods high in sugar are bad mood foods. They provide a short temporary lift in mood, but an hour later the "sugar highs" are followed by "sugar blues". This means shunning packaged foods that are usually loaded with sugar.
Still feeling as if you want to kick the cat? Before you toss in the towel and reach for Prozac, try a little chocolate which contains over 300 compounds that can have an effect on mood.
Chocolate has been used for centuries for health-inducing purposes. The Aztecs concocted a frothy, chocolate beverage that was believed to impart vitality and wisdom. It’s been reported that Casanova ate chocolate before each of his many sexual escapades. Maybe this helped Casanova. But what about his partners? A study done several years ago showed that more than 50 percent of women surveyed preferred chocolate to sex!
Today, due to the stress of modern society too many people reach for anti-depressant drugs which are associated with side-effects. It makes much more sense to first try changes in lifestyle. A healthy diet is a good start. And we know that daily exercise increases the body’s supply of endorphins, a morphine-like substance that makes the sky look bluer. Try these measures. Even the cat will be pleased there’s less of that "pissy mood syndrome" in the home.
