Need an instant mood mender? Eat! But make it work for you. Certain foods can help singe fat, build muscle, and maintain your energy levels all day. Take it from Rob Parr, celebrity trainer and author of Star Quality: The Red Carpet Workout for the Celebrity Body of Your Dreams. Here is what he offers as healthy food tips:
Mood: Anxious
Mood Mending Food: Five ounces of lean protein, such as sliced chicken breast or grilled fish. Protein helps your brain produce dopamine, norepinephrine, and other neurochemicals that keep you calmly alert.
Mood: Depressed
Mood Mending Food: Fish.
Regularly eating fish helps minimize depression. Sugars, on the other hand, have the opposite effect, making people even more depressed. Next time you are feeling particularly low, pass on the cookies or ice cream and indulge in a big serving of sashimi (that’s sushi without the rice).
Mood: Unhappy
Mood Mending Food: Chocolate!
Chocolate boosts your mood. Anadamine, a naturally occurring chemical in chocolate, triggers your brain to create feeling good chemicals. Just be sure to stick with the purest chocolate bar you can find (that means it is dark chocolate and contains at least 75% cocoa) to avoid mood-dampening sugars.