Many of you might have picked up some fancy food to uplift your mood, whenever you felt a little low. But, are you sure it really worked for you? Well, maybe or maybe not! And, it is not just about making the wrong food choices during the time you feel depressed. Even on normal days, you might pick up something thinking that you are making a healthy choice. But, it might not really be doing good for your emotional health. Well yes, there are a certain food items that are harmful for your mental wellness.
So, let us take a look at a few food items that can turn your good mood into a bad one.
Well, we all know it is not a healthy thing for your body. But, what you might not know is that it is not good for your mood either. These drinks make you feel high on energy instantly, as they contain carbohydrates that are quickly absorbed into your bloodstream. But, this raised sugar-level crashes down as fast as it goes up, hence giving you a mood swing.
Healthy Alternative: Go for citrus fruits juices with just a bit of soda added in it.
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Packaged nuts usually contain high levels of sodium and monosodium glutamate (MSG) that can lead to headache, irritability, mood swing and anxiety.
Healthy Alternative: Go for the natural ones with no salt added to them. And, if you really want to eat the salted ones, then better roast them on your own while keeping a check on the amount of salt you put in them.
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Just like aerated drinks, chocolates (except dark chocolates), give you an instant high because of the sugar rush in your blood. But, as soon as it comes down, not only you feel low on energy, but you also experience a sharp dip in your mood.
Healthy Alterative: Pick your favourite fruit and eat it to satiate your sweet tooth. The fibres, pulp and fruit skin will ensure that the sugar enters your system gradually, and you do not end up with a low mood.
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Easy to get and easy to eat, you might pick them up quite often for obvious reasons. But, you will think twice after you read this piece of information! They are fried in saturated oil full of omega-6 fatty acids. These acids can lower your brain activity by blocking the mood enhancing omega-3 fatty acids and bring in the negative feelings instead.
Healthy Alternative: To calm down that craving to munch something, try almonds or any of your favourite nuts, instead of a pack of potato chips.
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A lot of you may get tempted to pick them from the supermarket shelf thinking that ‘soups’ are healthy. But, let us make it clear to you- they are not! By consuming canned soups, you also take in a high quantity of bisphenol-A (BPA) in your body, a chemical largely used to make plastic. Most of the cans are coated with this chemical, and that is how it enters your body. And, it can leave you depressed and give you a few more mood disorders.
Healthy Alternative: First rule, of course, is to avoid canned soups and prepare a healthy one with fresh vegetables on your own. And, even if you bring home one of those, then do not microwave it in the same can. Rather, pour it in a glass bowl and then heat it.
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Also known as yofu, soy yoghurt is made by adding soy milk to yoghurt bacteria. It might soothe your digestive system, but the omega-6 fatty acid present in it will block the good omega-3 fatty acid, which is a mood enhancer.
Healthy Alternative: For fulfilling your need of dairy products in your diet, go for coconut milk, cocoa butter or whole milk, as they contain very low quantity of omega-6 fatty acids.
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Unfortunately, we end up eating pesticide-sprayed fruits and vegetables almost every day. They contain neurotoxins that damage the brain cells leading to depression and mood changes.
Healthy Alternative: In this case, you need to be careful while picking up the veggies from the market. There are a lot of stores these days that sell organic foods. So, better shop for your fruits and vegetables from there.
Now that you know what all food items you have to avoid to stay happy, also check these 10 Common Foods That Improve Your Mood
They are usually derived from the animals that are not fed healthy diets. Furthermore, processed meats are injected with nitrates, dyes and other preservatives that can cause depression, migraines, and other mood disorders.
Healthy Alternative: Go for fresh and unprocessed meats, like steak, grilled or roasted chicken, turkey, etc.
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Excess amount of caffeine can also spoil your good mood. It triggers your pituitary gland and gives you an adrenaline rush. And, then comes the ‘caffeine crash’, which can make you feel really low. Furthermore, it can leave you sleep-deprived, adding to the woes of your mental health.
Healthy Alternative: Go for herbal tea to soothe your body instead of consuming normal tea or coffee.
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Well, if you have been taking any of these foods quite regularly, then it is time to change them. So, eat the foods that are healthy not only for your body, but also for your mind.