Summary: Avoiding 6 common foods that lower your mood will help you keep it in check.
You’ve probably heard that certain foods can play a role in brightening your mood, especially certain fruits and vegetables like spinach, swiss chard, citrus, bananas, and berries. These foods contain certain micro nutrients that can decrease inflammation or boost things like serotonin, which increases your feeling of happiness.
On the flip side, there are also certain foods that can ruin your good mood. Your stomach is referred to as your second brain, and that’s because there is a significant mind-gut connection. 80-90% of your body’s serotonin is produced in your gut, meaning what you eat can make or break your upbeat attitude. While you can eat tons of good foods, you can also easily ruin their effects with something that will bring you down. To help you avoid that bad mood, here are six foods that you should avoid.
- Fast Food. You might have noticed that you don’t feel good after a greasy meal, and for a good reason. Fast food is filled with trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils, which cause an imbalance in your omega-3’s and can increase depression, aggression, and pessimism.
- Diet Soda. Diet sodas are calorie-free because an artificial sweetener replaces the sugar in a regular soda. These sweeteners contain an amino acid called phenylalanine, which hinders your production of serotonin.
- Margarine. As we mentioned above, trans fats are not great for your mood and margarine is pure trans fat. Grab some real butter instead, and you’ll be doing your body and mind a world of good.
- Canned Food. Canned foods often contain large amounts of sodium and MSG, which has been shown to interfere with mood and memory. When buying something canned, look for lower sodium and BPA-free cans.
- Cereal and Snack Bars. While you might think you’re choosing something healthy for your body by grabbing a granola bar, be sure to check the label first. These cereals and bars can be filled with sugar, which may give you a temporary boost but end up in a longer-term crash.
- Packaged Sweets. As mentioned above, sugar is not a good mood-booster, but beyond that, packaged sweets often contain artificial colors. This artificial coloring is known to decrease attention spans, especially in children.