may not be the best for you. Of course, Moderation is the key... but you can never have enough coffee. I put in a couple of personal notes about the Coffee and Baked Good consumption that work for me.
Here's the article.8 Foods And Drinks That Could Worsen Your Mood
June 4, 2020 Huffington Post UK
Bad-mood-inducing comfort foods share a few things in common. They often cause sugar spikes, then crashes, which leads to sluggishness, anxiety and irritability. But the mood-worsening effect is more than physiological. Many people think of certain foods as either healthy or unhealthy. When they eat the unhealthy ones, they can feel ashamed, sad or angry.
The joy of eating a doughnut could be quickly offset by its resulting blood sugar spike.
Moderation is key, said Tai Ibitoye, a dietitian. “Regular and excessive consumption of foods that are high in fat and sugar may negatively influence mood, but eating just one cookie can provide pleasure and comfort to some people,” she told HuffPost.
So which comfort foods and drinks could worsen your mood? Here are eight common culprits.
1. Alcohol
Small amounts of alcohol can be fine, and may even improve your mood, Ibitoye said. But regular or excessive alcohol consumption can worsen it — which is hardly a surprise to those who’ve experienced a hangover.
Studies show alcohol has some long-term health perks. But no one should start drinking alcohol for its potential benefits, the Mayo Clinic said. It recommends one drink — the equivalent of one 12-ounce beer or one 5-ounce glass of wine — per day.2. Soda
Soda contains simple sugars that the body absorbs quickly, which leads to a sugar spike followed by severe sluggishness. And simply replacing soda with a diet version is not the solution because sweeteners such as aspartame are often associated with anxiety and depression. One 2014 study showed a link between sweetened beverages and depression among older adults. Water and tea are better beverage alternatives.
3. Caffeine
Ibitoye recommended limiting beverages such as caffeinated tea and coffee and replacing that extra cup with a decaf version. Caffeinated beverages such as coffee cause the brain to release dopamine and serotonin, according to Medical Daily. This is fine in small doses, but too much — often as little as one extra cup — can lead to irritability, agitation and anxiety.
So how much coffee is too much coffee?
Recommendations are constantly changing, but the Mayo Clinic suggested no more than about four cups of coffee per day. (ROB'S NOTE- Unless you're coffee-tolerant. I make my Dunkin' Donuts coffee mild (not super-strong) and I drink between 8 and 12 cups a day. It has no effect on me, unless I want it to!)
4. Baked Goods
Cookies and cakes are chock-full of mood-worsening ingredients such as sugar, which “rapidly breaks down into glucose and can trigger blood sugar spikes and crashes,” Smith said. The good news is that decreasing your baked goods intake can yield quick mood-boosting results.
“Try reducing your sugar consumption by giving up cakes, biscuits, sugary drinks or sweeteners for a few days, and notice how you feel,” Smith said. “Beneficial effects can often be felt very quickly, even within a few days.” (ROB'S NOTE- I have 2 Cookies a night with dried cranberries and Herbal Tea. Just KNOW YOUR LIMITS)
5. Chips
They may be delicious and temporarily comforting, but chips are full of saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and excess salt. This is the recipe for energy spikes and crashes, with correlated bad moods and exhaustion.
Slow-releasing or complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, brown rice and quinoa can raise blood glucose levels more slowly, Ibitoye said. “Choosing these foods can help the brain receive a more consistent flow of fuel for better functioning,” she said.
6. Processed Foods
Whether it’s chips, Pop-Tarts or pizza bites, ready-to-eat processed foods can cause terrible moods. These items contain high amounts of refined sugars, saturated fats and preservatives.
Together, these ingredients cause energy crashes followed by fatigue and dwindling motivation. That doesn’t mean you should never eat them, though. Smith recommended aiming for a healthy diet, particularly at mealtimes, with a few favourite treats here and there.
(ROB'S NOTE- I have 1 Pop tart every day, and have for the last 50 plus years. I used to eat 2, but cut back to 1 and added a protein bar. That and coffee make for my favorite breakfast)
7. Bagels
Bagels are delicious in the moment, but ingesting the carb-rich food can make you feel heavy, bloated and uncomfortable — and therefore down in the dumps. That’s because bagels are packed with simple carbs, typically made from white grains with little to no nutritional value.
They’ll cause blood sugar spikes followed by crashes and foul moods. Instead of an empty-calorie white bagel, aim for some of Ibitoye’s complex-carb recommendations, such as brown rice and whole-wheat bread. (ROB'S NOTE - Brown rice in the morning? UGH)
8. Packaged Deli Meat
Protein is integral to a healthy, happy diet, but some proteins are better than others. Packaged meats and cold cuts are filled with energy-sucking preservatives and additives that cause mood swings and bloating. But alternatives such as lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and homemade cold cuts (made by roasting and slicing the turkey yourself) can do the trick.
These protein-rich foods can actually improve your mood— leaving you happy, sated and energised. “We need protein from our diet for a lot of different processes, including the production of neurotransmitters such as the feel-good serotonin,” Smith said. “Try to add protein to all of your meals to help balance your sugar response.”
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