motd Sunday Aug 28, 2011

[Guest guest]

IN THE MOOD

Sunday, 28 August 2011

So tell me truth, what kind of

mood are you in today? There are so many

possibilities. Are you feeling down today?

And if you are feeling down, how do you cope? Do you

turn to food? Are you feeling up today?

Well, when you're feeling up, how do you celebrate?

Do you call on food? Oh-h-h-h, now I get the

picture. I see the kind of mood you're in, regardless

of how you feel. You're in the mood...for food!

Well, I have to tell you. That's

not such a good thing, my friends. See, when you

overeat to accommodate your mood swings, you're

actually using food to "feed" your moods. And,

chances are, when you do, you end up indulging on too

much food. Of course, when you overfeed your

body, you put on a couple of pounds, which grows to

ten pounds and, before you know it, you've gained 15

pounds. (You get the picture, don't you?) Yep, you

keep right on gaining weight and, as you do, you end

up in a really, really bad mood.

You get angry with yourself for overeating and gaining

weight. And worse, that anger you feel

then has to be fed. Oh, my! Sounds like

trouble brewing here.

Well, cheer up because I'm here to help. How? Get a

load of this. There are some foods that can actually

help put you in a better mood. (And no, I'm not

talking about a hot fudge sundae, either.) The foods

I'm gonna tell you about work to stabilize your blood

sugar which helps prevent you from becoming irritable

or cranky. So, which foods should you include that

will put you in a better mood?

Oatmeal. It's one of my breakfast

favorites. Oatmeal contains plenty of fiber and

slowly-released carbohydrates, unlike those "quick"

carbs you get from eating sugary snacks. (So that's

what they mean by a "sugar rush"!) Take it from

me and start your day with a hot bowl of good-for-you

oatmeal.

Lentils. Have you ever cooked them? They're

so easy to prepare and you can do so many things with

them, from soups to salads to some great side-dishes.

Lentils are another good source of carbs and protein.

Then there are chickpeas,

also known as garbanzo beans. They're chock

full of good-for-your-body fiber. I love to add them

to my salads and I also like hummus made from

chickpeas. And oh yeah, I make an excellent

minestrone soup, to which, chickpeas are an excellent

addition.

Wild salmon. Oh I love it. Hmmm, now I

wonder what makes them "wild"? I know, they must let

those salmon watch one of my Sweatin' To The

Oldies DVDs. Hey, that's gotta drive

them wild! LOL. No, wild salmon are called

that because they're actually caught in rivers and

streams as opposed to being raised on a farm. Salmon

is an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty

acids. So, count salmon among your mood-boosting

foods.

Look, when you're eating

healthier, your body feels better and you can count on

ending up in a better mood. Hey, it's just a win-win

situation for your body...and your mood. I

hope you're in a good mood on this lovely Sunday. And

the next time you go grocery shopping, include some of

these good-for-your-mood-foods on your shopping list,

okay?

Love,