You Can be an Optimist by Lucy MacDonald

Author:Lucy MacDonald
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: You can be an Optimist: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
ISBN: 9781780287225
Publisher: Watkins Media
Published: 2013-11-30T00:00:00+00:00

Eat smart

It is no secret that a healthy, balanced diet provides your body with the range of nutrients it requires to function effectively – for example, to maintain your energy levels, to strengthen your muscles and bones and to support your immune system. However, the food you eat also influences the way your brain works – your ability to concentrate and, importantly, the buoyancy of your mood. While eating a generally healthy diet will help you to feel happy, there are certain specific aspects of nutrition that you can focus on to regulate your mood.

If you find that your mood and your energy and concentration levels fluctuate during an average day, you may need to take steps to maintain a steady blood-sugar level. It is when your blood-sugar level drops that you are particularly likely to become irritable, unhappy or confused. To stop this happening, make sure that you do not go too long without eating. Above all, you should never skip breakfast. If you do not eat breakfast, you may find yourself going up to 18 hours without food, which plays havoc with your blood-sugar level. If you can, it is a good idea to eat five or six small meals each day – this will help to even out your energy production and your mood. Try to cut down your consumption of caffeine, sugar and highly processed foods, which all lead to a sudden release of sugar into your bloodstream followed by a similarly sudden slump. Instead, maximize your intake of complex carbohydrates, such as those to be found in wholegrains, nuts, seeds and pulses, which release sugar more slowly.

Your mood also relies upon your liver and bowels being able to detoxify your system. As well as damaging your physical health, the retention of toxins in your body impedes the flow of serotonin, one of the “feel-good” neurotransmitters in your brain, leaving you feeling gloomy and lacking in motivation. One way to support your liver is to limit your alcohol intake – if you do not drink at all some weeks, you will give your liver a well-earned rest, enabling it to detoxify more efficiently. To help your gut to eliminate toxins, eat fewer processed and fast foods – the fat and sugar that they often contain interferes with the digestive process. At the same time, make sure that you eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as wholegrains and beans. These foods are high in fibre, which keeps your gut moving, and antioxidants, which aid detoxification.

However, forcing yourself to follow too strict a dietary regime may be counter-productive. The mood-boosting benefits outlined above may be outweighed by a demoralizing sense of privation. Therefore, you should allow yourself occasional sugary, fatty or alcoholic treats – whatever you happen to miss. Indeed, certain high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods, such as ice cream and chocolate, have been found to raise serotonin levels, which is perhaps why they are sometimes known as “comfort foods”. For women, a particularly good time to

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