We all love festive times like New Year and Christmas. But when you think about the hustle and bustle of work, the rush, the stress, and the inability to control your food that comes with it, it can feel a little overwhelming, right? You don't want to let this stress and weight gain ruin your festive fun. Today, let's talk about eating habits that can help you improve your mood when you're feeling stressed, as well as help you control your weight. These will help you feel calm and relaxed throughout the festive season.
How does blood sugar level affect your happiness?
The best way to cope with the pressures and responsibilities of the holiday season is to keep your mood and energy levels stable. Not only will you feel lighter, but you'll also be less likely to overeat.
Simply put, when we choose foods that are easily absorbed by our bodies, our blood sugar levels stay the same, rather than going up and down suddenly . This helps a lot in controlling our emotions. Think of a fish or chicken curry with bran rice, or something like a lentil stew with kurakkan bread, or a stew of chickpeas or green beans. These are the good quality carbohydrates or carbohydrates mixed with protein that we should choose.
But when we eat foods that are quickly digested, such as cakes and buns made from sugar, bread flour, our blood sugar levels suddenly go up and then suddenly drop. When our blood sugar levels crash, we start feeling irritable, anxious, and extremely hungry . Then we reach for a piece of chocolate or a candy that comes our way. This causes us to get stuck in a cycle of high and low blood sugar levels again.
The 'Feel-Good' Chemical - Let's Make Our Mind Happy with Serotonin
High-protein diets may help you lose weight, but they won't make you happier. This is because our bodies need a chemical called serotonin, which makes us feel happy.
Simply put, `Serotonin` is a "feel-good chemical" in our brain.
The raw material needed to make this `Serotonin` is the amino acid `Tryptophan`. Carbohydrates are like the vehicle that carries this `Tryptophan` to the brain. When your blood sugar level decreases, which means when the amount of carbohydrates decreases, the amount of `Tryptophan` that goes to the brain also decreases. The result? Your mood suddenly drops.
In fact, research has even found that following a very low-carb diet for just two weeks increases fatigue in overweight adults and reduces their motivation to exercise.
A chemical called `Serotonin` also prevents weight gain. How does that work? When you've eaten enough, it sends the "enough is enough" signal (satiety) to the brain, and it also reduces your appetite.
Let's control mood swings caused by stress.
We usually say to stay away from sugary, simple carbohydrates. But when you feel stressed or irritable during the day, you need a quick solution.
"If you're feeling down during the day, eat a small snack that's just carbohydrates," experts say. This is because eating protein with carbohydrates disrupts serotonin production. High-fat meals slow down digestion.
When you're feeling stressed, eating a simple, quickly digestible sugar, or carbohydrate, is actually your body's natural way of coping with that stress. But remember, don't add protein or fat to it.
The best way to manage this kind of afternoon stress is to eat a small snack of low-fat, quickly digestible carbohydrates . For example, a boiled potato, some salted popcorn, a low-fat cracker biscuit, or a low-fat cereal that is high in fiber.
About 20 minutes after eating this, your brain starts producing `Serotonin`, which controls the desire to eat those high-sugar, high-fat foods. So, at such times, eat a small snack like this and distract yourself by doing something else you enjoy.
Other important foods and habits to maintain a happy heart
In addition to carbohydrates, research has shown that a number of other nutrients and health habits can help maintain our mood and, to some extent, alleviate depression.
| Nutrient section | Types of food we can buy |
|---|---|
| Omega-3 fatty acids | These are common types of fish (such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines), flaxseed, nuts such as cashews, and dark green leafy vegetables. |
| Vitamin B-12 | Low-fat meats and fish, low-fat dairy foods. |
| Selenium | Seafood, nuts, lean meats, whole grains, beans, low-fat dairy foods. |
Eat small meals frequently.
Eating several small meals of healthy foods throughout the day can help keep your blood sugar levels steady. This can help prevent mood swings caused by food. Try to have a small meal or snack every three to four hours .
More tips to control weight gain during the festive season
Eating a healthy diet during the festive season will not only boost your mood but also help you control weight gain. Try these tips.
- Never skip breakfast! If you skip breakfast, nothing you eat the rest of the day will work. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast have better moods and energy levels throughout the day.
- Drink plenty of water. The first sign of dehydration is fatigue. If you're feeling tired, drink a glass or two of water before reaching for that box of candy to see if you're still hungry.
- Drink skim milk. It contains the brain-boosting amino acid `Tryptophan' and natural carbohydrates that help transport it to the brain. Milk is also a good drink to rehydrate the body before and after exercise.
- Stay away from alcohol during celebrations. While drinking alcohol may make you feel relaxed for a short time, it can disrupt your sleep, increase stress, and increase anxiety. It's not a good way to improve your mood.
- Instead of high-fat chocolate and biscuits, keep low-fat crackers, popcorn, and saltine crackers on the table.
Take-Home Message
- Maintaining stable blood sugar levels is very important to keep your mood in good shape. To do this, choose carbohydrates that are easy to digest and contain whole grains.
- Carbohydrates are essential for the production of the happy chemical `Serotonin` in the brain.
- When you feel the urge to eat due to stress, control it by eating a small, low-fat carb snack.
- Add foods rich in omega-3, vitamin B-12, and selenium (fish, nuts, greens, dairy foods) to your diet.
- Eating breakfast, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding alcohol are very important for your mental and physical health.
- If you continue to have mood problems or stress despite following these instructions, be sure to talk to your doctor about it.
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න