Mood Foods.......... Part 14

I don't know how 'they' come up with these 'fact,' but supposedly this is what we eat when we are angry or stressed out: Potato chips, corn chips or nuts. Why? Apparently crunching hard foods releases aggression and tension in the jaw. Now what could we do to change that pattern? Chew sugarless gum, pretzels, carrots or low-fat crackers.

If we are sad, broken hearted or depressed we eat: Chocolate, ice cream, or cheese. Why? The smooth consistency soothes us. Chemically, chocolate contains a mood-elevating substance that acts like an antidepressant. What could we eat for a better alternative? Nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt, hot chocolate or vegetable soup.

Now what if we are happy? We tend to eat: Pizza, chips with dip or cake. Why? Traditionally, we associate such foods with celebrations. Of course vegetarian pizza (without cheese), shrimp cocktail or watermelon would be better choices.

I still think all the things eaten because of a mood could be eaten in small portions, but the danger of this is when we are in one of these moods, it is hard to stop at a small portion. Takes some real work and commitment......

Trivia

If you sell things on eBay or if you are packing to move, here is a tip for packing things. We all have old bills, newspapers and magazines, etc. laying around (most of us do, anyway), so if you don't have a little shredding machine, go buy one; they are very cheap. Then shred these old bills, papers, things you'd normally throw in the garbage or put in a recycle bin. Make this your own recycle endeavor. Shred these all up, put them in a plastic bag until you are ready to mail something or pack a box; then put your items in a box and surround them with these shredded papers to cushion the items. This is a great way to 'kill two birds with one stone' so-to-speak; make good use of your throw-away papers and save on packing papers because you are using what you already have on hand.