What's eating you? Food affecting your mood?

By SHEILA DEAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 9, 2000

Feeling down? Tired? Edgy? What you're eating and when you're eating it may be factors. Here are some tips to help get your emotions and energy level back on track.

Imagine thick chocolate morsels melting slowly into the buttery, sugar-glaze of batter. The oven door swings open and the fat cookies in neat rows emit the sweet aroma of childhood.

Now consider modern science. We launch rockets into space, clone sheep from cells, surf the world on the Internet. How is it that we cannot stop ourselves from eating that entire batch of cookies in one sitting? While we sit chipmunk-cheeked in the kitchen, scientists are still trying to figure this one out.

It seems obvious that our mood can cause us to seek out food to "self-medicate." Most people at one time or another have turned to food for solace, relaxation, or a quick pick-me-up. But this food-mood connection goes both ways. That is, certain foods or certain eating habits may aggravate or even generate negative as well as positive moods.

Let's say you're having an especially stressful day at work. You have no time to eat nutritiously. You raid the vending machine for candy bars in the afternoon because you skipped lunch. You wash down the candy with coffee, tea or soda in an attempt to keep yourself alert for the remainder of your work day. The problem is that you may also be setting yourself up for increased irritability, sudden fatigue, anxiety or even overwhelming hunger at dinner time that causes you to overeat.

Although complicated, there's nothing novel about the links connecting food, mood and cravings.

No one can explain why we crave foods, yet 97 percent of women and 68 percent of men indulge a craving now and then. You can probably guess that the one food Americans can't seem to live with or without is chocolate.

Chocolate has been described as irresistible, wicked, naughty, essential and divine. Some can't get through the day without it. Others indulge their craving secretly. Research has found that chocolate is liked by almost everyone, and women are by far its greatest advocates. One in every two women reports having cravings for chocolate.

Americans spend more that $5-billion each year on chocolate delights, and our obsession could be partly cultural. Valentine's Day has become an annual tribute to chocolate, with women most likely to get sweets as a present.

Chocolate also is closely associated with indulgence and pleasure. It symbolizes an escape from daily drudgery. Gourmet chocolates are touted as "sinfully delicious" and "wickedly rich." Most people can't resist a little legal "sin" now and again.

Among several theories for chocolate cravings is one that suggests people desire it because chocolate stimulates production of serotonin in the brain, relieving anxiety and depression. Chocolate also contains such stimulants as theobromine and caffeine, which heighten brain activity.

Finally, a compound in chocolate called phenylethylamine, or PEA, stimulates the nervous system, increasing blood pressure and heart rate. Coincidentally, these are some of the same body changes experienced by people in love.

No one really knows all the reasons we love chocolate, but few will deny the cravings are real. And while some food-mood connections may be more fiction than fact, scientific evidence shows that what you eat affects the way you feel and act.

The following recommendations will help your body work to its best ability.

Eat a breakfast that includes some protein and some carbohydrates.

Limit caffeinated beverages to three servings a day or fewer, and don't drink tea and coffee with meals.

Avoid eating sugar alone and limit your daily intake to about 10 percent of total calories.

Eat several small meals and snacks throughout the day, so that you eat about every four hours. This provides a steady supply of fuel to sustain a high energy level.

Eat a moderate-size, low-fat lunch that contains a mixture of protein and carbohydrates. Select at least one serving of protein-rich foods such as legumes, lean meats or low-fat dairy and at least three servings of fruits, vegetables and grains. Those who crave carbohydrates may want to select even more grains and starchy vegetables.

If you crave carbohydrates, plan a carbohydrate-rich snack for your low-energy period of the day.

Avoid overeating in the evening and excessive snacking after dinner.

Consume ample amounts of iron-rich foods.

Avoid severe calorie-restricted diets. Too few calories means too little fuel and nutrients, which can leave you drowsy. People on very low-calorie diets report poor concentration, impaired judgment and bad memory. Long-term food restriction also results in lethargy, tiredness, depression, poor mental functioning and decreased energy.

Drink plenty of water. Low fluid intake is a common, but often overlooked, cause of mild dehydration and fatigue. Thirst is a poor indicator of water needs. A general rule of thumb is to drink twice as much water as it takes to quench your thirst or at least six to eight glass a day.

Avoid alcohol consumption altogether. Alcohol dehydrates the cells and suppresses the nervous system, causing poor attention, inability to concentrate and fatigue. Alcohol also interferes with a good night's sleep.

Exercise is one of the best antidotes for fatigue. People who exercise are more energetic, while the sedentary get drowsy more often. Exercise increases blood flow to the muscles and brain, stimulating the nervous system to produce chemicals, called endorphins, that elevate mood and produce feelings of well-being. Exercise is an especially important part of the treatment of patients with depression and chronic fatigue, as well as hyperactivity.

Record in a journal what times of day you are most energized, tired or in the best and worst moods. Find out what precedes your periods of high and low energy, including sleep, stress, diet and exercise. Once you have identified the source of your fatigue, you can develop a plan to combat the blahs and rev up your engine.

-- Sheila Dean, a registered dietitian and freelance writer, is the chief sports nutritionist at the Ironman Institute in Palm Harbor. She is an instructor at the University of Tampa and St. Petersburg Junior College and the author of "Nutrition in a Nutshell."

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