Dirty Deeds of a Dietitian: The Happy Diet

via spiceboxdesigns

I recently picked up this book while perusing the Barnes and Noble store by my house:

After reading the first few chapters of this book and analyzing my own diet and mood, there is definitely a link between how I feel and what I eat. People with positive attitudes and sunny outlooks are most likely to make healthy food choices and less likely to get sick(that is a known fact). People also with a positive mood also find losing weight easier and tend to sleep better. Did you know that as our stress rises the brain levels of another brain chemical called neuropeptide Y, turns on our appetite for carbs.

There are several things that one can do to reverse all this, such as starting with adding breakfast back in your life. It is amazing how many people have positive results with weight loss just by adding breakfast back into their routine. Maybe cutting down on our coffee will improve your headaches, and mood?

Elizabeth Somer points out in her book (See above) that if you follow the following 10 (tried out and true) secrets below you will have success.   I am going to make a point to follow these as well and see the results.

1. Focus on real food, not processed (junk as we call it)
2. Follow the 1-2-3 Rule for breakfast (1-3 servings of a quality high fiber carbohydrate, 2 servings of a fruit of vegetable, 1 serving of protein) I have actually started this with my oatmeal in the morning.
3. Toss the refined carbs... (seriously)
4. No more than 6% of your calories should come from sugar
5. Add super foods to your diet.
6. Include more mood boosting fats
7. Add the right supplements to your diet
8. Include a few of the right vices in the weekly diet
9. Get smart about which beverages-and how much -to drink
10. End the day with a healthy meal!!

I love how Somer's compares fatty fish(Omega 3's) as "Prozac of the Sea".   She is absolutely right about this... I swear on Omega 3's (Fish Oil) have boosted my mood over the course of this past year.