You just eat a handful of cookies when the sensation comes. It is not happiness, but it should be. It is a mixture of guilt, anxiety and softness, with a hint of bad mood . It has nothing to do with what you expected after eating cookies. In the middle of a pandemic , stuck at home, it was the last thing you needed. What is happening?
The idea of comfort foods, also called food comfort foods and emotional, it seems great in theory, but many of the most famous fall short with regard to nutrition. Instead of a nice warmth, you feel uncomfortable. (And we are not talking about depression, something that should be treated by doctors.)
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Coffee should give you energy, but in fact the result can be reversed.
“Excess sugar and carbohydrates are among the main factors responsible for a bad mood,” says nutritional therapist Claudia Smith. “If you overdose, you may experience spikes and drops in blood sugar, which can cause symptoms such as moodiness, irritability, anxiety, fatigue and difficulty concentrating.”
Why comfort food makes us tick
Foods like cookies or potato chips activate the reward triggers in our brains, says Smith. They give us a good feeling, something we look forward to – which is why sales of this type of product have increased because of the coronavirus pandemic. Psychologist and wellness consultant Lee Chambers tells HuffPost that these foods trigger dopamine, a pleasure-inducing neurotransmitter – only that pleasure is fleeting.
“Emotional eating is a cyclical process. The bad mood leads you to eat foods that probably increase the amount of sugar in your blood, bringing a dose of dopamine, but that soon passes and we feel guilty ”, says Chambers. “This combination often makes us feel dissatisfied, guilty, ashamed and sorry.”
Worse, it is easy to overdo the consumption of these foods. “Over time, excessive consumption of highly palatable foods can lead to reduced sensitivity to this brain reward response,” says Smith. “You have to eat more and more to experience the same effect.”
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The donut may bring joy at first, but after your blood sugar drops, a bad mood is inevitable.
These are the 8 foods and drinks that can worsen your mood
These comfort foods that cause moodiness have characteristics in common. They cause blood sugar spikes followed by sudden falls, which cause drowsiness, anxiety and irritability. But the effect of this change in mood is more than physiological. Many people classify foods according to the impact they will have on their health. Eating something that is known to be unhealthy can trigger feelings of shame, sadness or anger.
Moderation is key, says Tai Ibitoye, a registered dietitian in the UK. “Regular and excessive consumption of foods high in fat and sugar can negatively influence mood, but eating just one cookie can provide some people with pleasure and comfort,” she told HuffPost.
So, what comfort foods and drinks can make your mood worse? Here are eight very common culprits.
1 – Alcohol
Small amounts of alcohol can do you good and even improve your mood, says Ibitoye. But regular or excessive alcohol consumption can affect you – which is not exactly a surprise for those who have had a hangover.
Studies show that alcohol has some long-term health benefits. But no one should start drinking alcohol for its potential benefits, according to the Mayo Clinic. The recommendation is to consume a 350 ml beer or a 120 ml glass of wine per day.
2 – Soda
The soda contains simple sugars that are quickly absorbed by the body, which leads to a spike in sugar followed by a sudden drop. Simply replacing the soda with a diet version is not the solution, as sweeteners like aspartame are often associated with anxiety and depression. A 2014 study showed a link between sugary drinks and depression among older adults. Water and tea are better alternatives.
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3 – Caffeine
Ibitoye recommends limiting your intake of coffee and teas that contain caffeine – it may be better to opt for a decaffeinated alternative to that extra cup. Caffeinated drinks cause the brain to release dopamine and serotonin, according to Medical Daily. In small doses, there is no problem, but if we go over the point – which may simply be an extra cup – the result can be irritability, agitation and anxiety.
When is the coffee too much? The recommendations change constantly, but the Mayo Clinic suggests no more than four cups a day.
4 – Cookies and cakes
Cookies and cakes contain many ingredients that worsen mood, such as sugar, which “breaks down quickly into glucose and can cause blood sugar spikes and drops,” says Smith. The good news is that decreasing your intake of this type of food can cause rapid changes – and for the better – in your mood.
“Try to reduce your sugar consumption by giving up cakes, cookies, sugary drinks or sweeteners for a few days. Notice how you feel, ”he says. “The beneficial effects are usually felt very quickly, in a matter of days.”
5 – French fries
Few foods are as pleasurable as chips, but they are full of saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and salt. It’s the perfect recipe for spikes and power outages – and the bad mood and exhaustion that come with it.
Complex or slow-release carbohydrates, such as whole grains, brown rice and quinoa, increase blood glucose levels more slowly, says Ibitoye. “Choosing these foods can help the brain to receive a more constant flow of fuel,” she says.
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6 – Processed foods
Be it industrialized snacks, cookies or sweets, processed foods bought at the supermarket can affect your mood too much. They contain large amounts of refined sugar, saturated fats and preservatives.
Together, these ingredients cause power outages followed by fatigue and decreased motivation. This does not mean that they are prohibited. Smith always recommends seeking a healthy diet, especially at meals, with the freedom to eat a candy or cookie from time to time.
7 – Bagels
Bagels are delicious at the time, but this type of massy bread, full of carbohydrates, can make you feel heavy, bloated and uncomfortable. This is because bagels contain many simple carbohydrates, usually refined white grains, with little or no nutritional value.
They cause spikes in blood sugar, followed by sudden drops and moodiness. Instead of a bagel, why not look for some whole grain ?, suggests Ibitoye.
8 – Cold cuts and sausages
Proteins are an integral part of a healthy and happy diet, but some are better than others. Cold cuts and sausages contain many preservatives and additives, which suck energy and cause mood swings and swelling. Alternatives like lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and homemade cold cuts (like a roasted and sliced turkey breast at home) may be the solution.
These foods are rich in protein and can improve your mood. “We need proteins for many different processes, including the production of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, which is responsible for good feelings,” says Smith. “Try to include protein in all of your meals to help balance your body’s response to sugar.
