A lot of studies have found that cutting calories can wreak havoc on your mood but if you want to rid yourself of all that crankiness, you should know that you can do it by making small changes in your diet. A study published in Biological Psychiatry has shown that when you are hungry, the levels of serotonin (a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite and sleep) fluctuate, making it hard for you to control your anger. If your fuse is really, really short when you are on a diet, there are a few things you can do that will significantly improve your mood. Here is how you can rid yourself of crankiness by changing your diet:
There are a lot of studies that show that of all the bad-mood triggers out there, hunger is one of the biggest culprits. But if you want to get rid of crankiness, you can always count on whole grains since they will increase the serotonin levels in your body and your mood will significantly improve. Brown rice and beans are a great serotonin-boosting combination.
Eat more food that is chock full of vitamin B folate since this will definitely boost your mood and it will help you ward off the drum rolls of depression. A lot of studies have shown that the levels of folate are lower in people who suffer from depression than in people who are not depressed, so eat lots of leafy green vegetables, beans, fortified grain products or citrus fruits.
Turkey meat is actually one of the best anxiety-busting foods since it’s high in tryptophan, an amino acid that has a positive effect on stress. It helps your brain produce those feel-good chemicals like serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Also, eggs, chicken, nuts, cheese and seeds are good sources of tryptophan.
A lot of studies have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids combat inflammation and lower the levels of depression, anxiety and stress. You can find them in flax, walnuts, chia or oily fish like salmon.
The perfect food to eat that will get you rid of all that crankiness is a cup of low-fat Greek yogurt with berries or even with a small handful of almonds. It will provide you with sustainable energy and you’ll avoid those nasty mood swings that make everyone get out of your way when you are hungry.
Whether you like it hot or ice-cold, you should drink some black tea more often. This can be your ticket to beating stress because it decreases the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Studies have also shown that black tea improves memory and it can help you get rid of headaches.
In order to get rid of that crankiness caused by your diet, you could try nibbling some dark chocolate every now and then (not too often though!) since it stimulates the neural activity in the regions of the brain associated with pleasure and reward. It’s also packed with antioxidants like flavonoids and it can significantly reduce stress hormones.
Does your diet make you cranky? What do you do to get rid of all that crankiness? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section!