Food Affects Your Mood

By Alison Nancyeÿÿhttp://www.thelifekitchen.com/

Every time I eat chocolate I know, I mean I literally KNOW that I will feel awful the next day. I don't even like chocolate that much (I'm serious! I'm a savoury girl!) but it's something sooo.... well... look, I don't even know what it is about chocolate that draws me in, but I'm sure you understand the chocolate thing.

Anyway, my hubby brought back a HUGE, and I mean MASSIVE Toblerone box of chocolate from his trip to Malaysia recently and of course I had to show my full appreciation by immediately gorging it down the second I received it.

Now I've known for quite some time that chocolate simply DOES NOT agree with me, which is usually why I avoid it. But when I do succumb to devouring it, I sleep unsettled, I wake feeling VERY ordinary, almost hungover in fact, and wind up feeling really annoyed about everything and everyone in my wake.

So as I sit here in my groggy state (post chocolate feast), I am reminded (yet again!) how much food affects our mood and promising myself (yet again!) to consciously choose food that makes me feel good.

Take the mood food taste test

If you're interested in seeing what foods affect your mood, take the 'mood food taste test' for a week (or month if you're game).

Grab a notebook or use your diary and write down what you eat for dinner (and any sneaky snacks leading up to bed time) every night for a week. Include drinks as well (coffee, tea, alcohol, etc). Then upon waking, take a minute to check in with how you are feeling and make a note of it in your diary or notebook.

At the end of the seven days, scan back over your diet and daily mood journal to determine what foods make you feel great and not so great. This simple little taste test will equip you to be more able to consciously choose foods that help you create a great start (and mood) for your day.

Happy eating everyone :)

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