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Moods & Foods – Nourishing Your Brain
Many things in your life affect your moods, stress,
relationships, expectations, and even illness.
Balancing your moods can be achieved by finding the
right blend of activities and relaxation or personal
“time outs.”
Food plays a role, and so do non-foods, such as
caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and drugs. Reducing or
eliminating non-foods can have an immediate positive
impact on how you feel.
Additives, such as artificial food colours, have been
shown to cause hyperactivity in children.
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Nitrites and nitrates, found in sandwich meats, can be
carcinogenic.
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Sulphites can cause allergic and asthmatic reactions.
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Sugar and sweeteners, aside from creating a vicious
cycle of craving and consuming, also add to obesity,
diabetes, hypoglycaemia and Candida (yeast).
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Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, and saccharin
have been linked to behaviour problems, hyperactivity,
allergies, and have been known to mimic the symptoms of
multiple sclerosis.
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MSG causes behavioural reactions and headaches,
depression, and mood swings.
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Artificial flavours may cause behavioural reactions.
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Refined flour interferes with insulin production, which
in turn affects your moods.
The way food is prepared has an impact on not only its
nutritional value, but how well you digest it and
absorb it. Concerns around health and its connection
to food revolve around food that has been irradiated,
microwaved, and genetically modified because they may
cause allergic-type reactions, immune dysfunction, and
possibly contribute to cancer.
And yet, nutrition, what we eat, is important for
nourishing the brain, nervous system, and entire body.
When our brains and nervous system are fed the foods
they need, we can be stronger physically as well as
emotionally.
So how do we know we are eating food to nourish our
brain?
Begin each day with a whole, pure, fresh and natural
diet and eat a variety of foods throughout the day. A
ratio of 60% raw to 40% cooked is easier to achieve
with all the fresh fruits and vegetables that are
available during the summer. Rotate your food choices
so you’re not eating the same foods all the time.
A diet that is high in fats and low in fruits and
vegetables may not only be bad for your heart and
contribute to cancers; it may also be a cause for
depression and aggressive behaviour.
The health of your brain depends on a diet that has
enough omega 3 (which most North Americans are
deficient in), most commonly found in fish, walnut, and
flax oils.
Carbohydrates (from vegetables) can be soothing to your
brain and help to smooth out moods. Protein food
(eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts, seeds, and green
leafy vegetables) are also necessary for a healthy
brain.
Well that’s a lot to take in and remember. Perhaps
this will help:
Fats build your brain.
Proteins unite it.
Carbohydrates fuel it.
Micronutrients defend it.
Remember, you are what you eat!
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