Managing Your Food and Your Mood

How we feel can often be a result of what we eat. But what we eat can also be due to how we feel.
Food and body chemicals interact to keep us going. When our moods change, so do our body chemicals. There are things we can do to manage the foods we eat when our moods change.
Stress often leads to a craving for carbohydrates, because they boost serotonin, which has a calming effect. Choosing more complex carbohydrates, such as whole-grain products, beans and vegetables, can help you increase the nutritional content of your meals and snacks.
“Afternoon lows” are often a result of poor meal timing or food choices. Space meals three to four hours apart and choose low-fat protein and complex carbohydrates for your meals.