Just came across this one on the net (http://www.more2hug.com/moodfood.html):
The Mood-Food ConnectionHave you ever experienced a day when in the morning you felt great, but after lunch, you felt down and tired? What if we told you that eating certain foods could improve your mood, provide uplifting energy and make you feel like Einstein? Well okay, maybe not Einstein, but every little bit helps, right?
The key to understanding the connection between the food we eat and our mood and level of alertness lies in understanding a little about how the brain functions. The brain communicates by chemical substances passed from one nerve cell to the next. These chemicals, called neurotransmitters, are made in the brain from the food we eat. The neurotransmitters that are most sensitive to diet and influential in affecting mood are serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine.
Dopamine and norepinephrine are alertness chemicals. When they are produced we think and react more quickly, we feel more motivated, we are more attentive and overall, we are more mentally energetic.
Serotonin is a calming and relaxing chemical. When produced, feelings of stress and tension decrease, we feel sleepy and/or sluggish and our reaction time is slower.
Now that you have a better understanding of the role neurotransmitters play in brain function, let's look at the relationship between these neurotransmitters and the foods we eat.
Foods that make you feel alert The best way to eat for alertness is to have meals that contain protein, are low in fat, and have carbohydrates that won't drag you down. Mid-day is when your brain's supply of dopamine and norepinephrine is beginning to wane. When you supply the tyrosine (from eating protein), your brain will be ready to make it into more of the two alertness neurotransmitters (dopamine and norepinephrine).
Examples of some protein-packed foods are: fish, shellfish, poultry (without skin), very lean beef (trimmed), low-fat cottage cheese, skim or low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, dried peas and beans.
Foods that make you feel calm Eating carbohydrates without protein has a calming affect. How calming depends on the type of carbohydrates and the amount and time of day they are eaten. Eating carbohydrates that are low on the Glycemic Index will promote the more focused and calming aspect of serotonin release and less of the sleepy, sluggish feeling,
Low-Glycemic Carbohydrates: Brown rice, buckwheat, whole-grain rye bread, sourdough rye bread, pita bread, sweet potato, most wheat pastas.
Eating foods that require a strong insulin response, foods that are High-Glycemic, gets the most tryptophan into the brain and has the most serotonin produced.
High-Glycemic Carbohydrates: Sugar, white bread, rice cakes, wheat crackers, bagel, instant rice, baked potato, rice, pasta.
More foods that make you feel...
Smart: Eggs, milk, liver, beef - According to research studies, these foods contain choline. Adults performed better in memory tests after eating foods containing choline. If you have a presentation or exam in the morning, make yourself an omelet for breakfast.
Prunes - Prunes contain twice the antioxidant of most other fruits. Antioxidant-rich diets disable reactive oxygen molecules linked to memory loss and mental deterioration.
Oatmeal - Foods that are low in fat and contain whole-grain carbohydrates give your brain memory-enhancing glucose.
Alert: Apples, grape juice, avocadoes and broccoli - These foods contain Boron, which is responsible for hand-eye co-ordination, attention and short-term memory. Boron-rich foods also maintain healthy bone and blood-sugar levels.
Lemons - The smell of lemons can induce the feeling of alertness.
Energized: ;D
Oranges, apples, soy milk and yogurt - These foods are slow digesting carbohydrates and can supply a steady source of fuel for your body.
Sunflower seeds - Sunflower seeds contain magnesium which helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, and keeps heart rhythm steady and bones strong. It is also involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. Just a handful of sunflower seeds will give you half of your daily magnesium needs.
Tuna - Tuna makes a great lunch or after-workout meal. Tuna contains the protein needed to repair muscles and it supplies tyrosine which your body can then use to create the two alertness neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine.
Happy: ;D ;D ;D ;D
Salmon - Salmon or any other cold-water fish contains the mood-elevating vitamin B12 as well as omega-3 fatty acids that may assist in preventing depression. Omega-3 raises serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin regulates mood and reduces irritability. Eating fish to regulate your mood isn't instantaneous, it is a long-term process and therefore it would be beneficial to regularly incorporate fish into your diet.
Bananas - Bananas contain vitamin B6, which is known to build serotonin levels. If you regularly drink alcohol or if you are taking birth control pills, you could be depleting your body of vitamin B6.
Chicken livers - Chicken livers are high in folic acid, which promotes the brain's production of feel-good neurotransmitters.
Sexy Nuts - An amino acid called L-arginine found in nuts and sesame seeds enhances blood flow throughout your body, including the genital area. Eggs and meat also contain small amounts of L-arginine. There are studies that have focused on this amino acid and its role in treating erectile dysfunction.
Chocolate - Yes! Everyone's favorite! This treat releases pleasure-enhancing endorphins into the brain and also contains phenylethylamine, a stimulant associated with love and sexual attraction.
The other side of the Feel Good Equation While all of the above will help you feel better throughout the day, there are also foods you should avoid if you find that you're feeling sluggish more often than you'd like.
Avoid large, high-fat meals. Fats stay in the stomach longer, diverting blood away from your brain, muscles, and other tissues, which in turn can make you feel sluggish for up to six hours.
Break the bread-first habit. Swig down some milk or bite into that salmon -- protein primes the brain to produce dopamine, a chemical that keeps you alert. Carbohydrates, on the other hand, cause the body to release serotonin, a calming brain chemical.
Have at least one iron-rich food per day. Iron helps transport oxygen to your tissues. Good sources of iron include red meats, the dark meat of chicken or turkey, oysters, clams, iron-enriched breads and cereals, raisins, dried apricots, and legumes.
Don't eat too little. Many people deserve far more calories than they think. Most active people can consume 2,000 to 2,400 calories per day and still maintain the same body weight.
Watch your intake of alcohol and coffee. Alcohol is a sedative that can also cause dehydration. Coffee can pep you up in the short term, but can cause you to drop like a ton of bricks later on. Counter every glass of alcohol or coffee with one glass of water.
Some Final Tips
Try to drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water per day. Water can help to control your appetite and works as a cleansing agent for your body!
Eat breakfast and make an effort to eat three meals per day. This helps to keep your blood sugar balanced, and can maintain your energy level.
Consult with your personal physician about what vitamin supplements may be of particular benefit for you!