Mood

Having ice cream may not lift your mood

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Do you often rush for comfort foods such as chocolate or ice cream in order to boost your mood?

Scientists have found the idea that eating certain foods makes us feel better when we are in a bad mood may be a myth.

On the other hand, people may simply feel better after some time has passed, regardless of what they eat, according to a new study.
Researchers asked study participants to pick foods that they thought would make them feel better if they were in a bad mood, such as chocolate, cookies or ice cream.

They were also asked to choose foods that they liked, but that they did not think would boost their mood, ‘Live Science’ reported.
Participants then watched a 20-minute video intended to elicit feelings of sadness, anger and fear. They rated their mood immediately after the video, and three minutes later.

In those three minutes, they were served either their comfort food, a food they liked, a granola bar, or no food at all.
As expected, participants were in a bad mood immediately after watching the video. Three minutes later, their mood improved, regardless of whether they had their comfort food, another food, or no food at all.
“We were incredibility surprised by those results,” said researcher Heather Scherschel Wagner, a doctorate candidate at the University of Minnesota.

Before the study was conducted, the researchers believed that there was something to eating comfort food, said Wagner.
“Whether it’s your comfort food, or it’s a granola bar, or if you eat nothing at all, you will eventually feel better. Basically, comfort food can’t speed up that healing process,” Wagner said.

Source: Indian Express

Mood swings: 5 quick ways to brighten up your day

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There are many times when you just lose your temper, or feel depressed, or just feel a sudden burst of different emotions rushing through you simultaneously. Well, no need to feel embarrassed or awkward about your sudden mood swings. No matter what the reason is, there are ways to bring your mood swings under control. Take a look at some of them.

A balanced diet

Proper food intake is a great solution for mood swings. Take a healthy diet that will not only keep you fit, but also allow you to balance your mood. Choose green vegetables, salads, and fruits as part of your diet. It covers all the necessary minerals, vitamins (A, C, E) and nutrients which are essential for a body. Stay away from complex carbohydrates and processed foods, and also limit your caffeine intake. Have green tea or herbal tea to rejuvenate yourself, instead of consuming the regular tea and coffee.

2

Work out
A great workout not only keeps you fit, but also helps in triggering the “happy hormones” in your body. If you are not able to do any heavy exercises, then join yoga camps or simply dance! Choose an exercise routine that is comfortable, and save at least 30 minutes daily, for fitness. A simple walk in the garden, accompanied with some deep breathing exercises, can work wonders too.

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Sound sleep
A woman has a lot of responsibilities to handle, and to fulfill them efficiently, it is important to get enough sleep. Insufficient sleep causes irritation and headaches. At least, 7 to 8 hours of sleep is essential, so plan your daily routine accordingly.

4

Drink Water
Water cleanses your body, and gives you energy. At times, when you feel completely exhausted, two glasses of water with some glucose can be really refreshing. Caffeine and alcohol intake can cause mood swings, and so, should be avoided completely. These can be replaced with some juice or healthy soups. Also, water is your best friend if you wish to enjoy gorgeous skin and a healthy body.

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Help from sun gods!
The sun might be an enemy for your skin at times, but it is certainly a great doctor for your mood swings. Some amount of exposure to the sun is good to get rid of depression and other negative feelings. Enjoy 15 minutes of walk in sun light to lighten up your mood. Always wear your sunscreen before you go out. Enjoy your walk in the early morning hours when the sun is not too harsh.

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These simple ways can definitely help you get your mood swings under control, especially during the time of your menstrual cycle.

Source: yahoo lifestyle

The better your mood the healthier you eat!

Previous research has found that emotions affect eating, and that negative moods and positive moods may actually lead to preferences for different kinds of foods. For example, if given the choice between grapes or chocolate candies, someone in a good mood may choose the former while someone in a bad mood may choose the latter. The research reported in this article looks at the “why:” Why, when someone is in a bad mood, will they choose to eat junk food and why, when someone is in a good mood, will they make healthier food choices?

To get at the “why,” we married the theories of affective regulation (how people react to their moods and emotions) and temporal construal (the perspective of time) to explain food choice. Conceptually, when people feel uncomfortable or are in a bad mood, they know something is wrong and focus on what is close in the here and now. We hypothesized and demonstrated that this kind of thinking gets us to focus on the sensory qualities of our foods – not things that are more abstract like how nutritious the food is. Analogously, we hypothesized and demonstrated that when people are in a good mood, things seem okay and they can take a big picture perspective. This kind of thinking allows people to focus on the more abstract aspects of food, including how healthy it is.

We studied these hypotheses in four laboratory experiments. In the first study, we investigated the effect of a positive mood on evaluations of indulgent and health foods by examining 211 individuals from local parent-teacher associations (PTAs). Next we studied whether individuals in a negative mood – who had read a sad story– evaluated indulgent foods more positively and whether those who were in a positive mood indicated a desire to remain healthy into their old age. 315 undergraduate students participated in this study. In the third study, involving 151 undergraduate students, we altered participants’ focus on the present versus the future along with their mood and measured how much healthy and indulgent food they consumed. To get more direct insight into the underlying process, the fourth study, involving 110 university students, focused specifically on the thoughts related to food choice and differentiated concrete taste versus nutrition benefits.

Ultimately, the findings of all the studies combined demonstrated that individuals select healthy or indulgent foods depending on whether they are in a good or a bad mood, respectively. The findings also indicate the integral aspect of the time horizon, showing that individuals in positive moods who make healthier food choices are often thinking more about future health benefits than those in negative moods, who focus more on the immediate taste and sensory experience. Finally we found that individuals in negative moods will still make food choices influenced by temporal construal which suggests that trying to focus on something other than the present can reduce the consumption of indulgent foods.

Source: eureka Alert