Planning a Mood

Carbohydrates calm you down and proteins lift you up, but how do you plan your meals throughout the day to best use these moody foods?

Women typically juggle more than one job. Work all day, rush home to children and we’re stressed.

So how does anyone deal with stress? Food can help, if you know how to use it.

I’m not sure we all know what to do, we know where we want to be, but we don’t know what to do to get there.

A group of female business owners is interested in the growing research on how foods can help us handle stress or increase our level of performance.

You look at proteins and recognize where you put them in the day so you continue to feel alert and clear and you recognize carbohydrates make you feel calm and you put them throughout the day so you continue to feel calm throughout the day. And you enjoy that balance.

Thom used to eat a diet high in carbohydrates and low in meat. What he didn’t realize was that he was getting too many carbohydrates and too little protein.

“Not paying attention, noting I was sleepy, hungry or both by mid-morning.” says Thom.

If you are going to be spending a day in strenuous mental activity, make sure every meal you eat has protein.

You should plan your meals around the mood you want to be in. If you need to be alert all day, eat a high-protein breakfast and lunch — save the carbohydrates for a calming dinner. It’s also important the proteins you choose are low in fat. Too much fat can slow you down.

Still…a potato is not the same as a valium and steak can’t make you ace a test, but food is a cheap, easy and safe way to change your mood and improve your quality of life.