Nutrition : Mood, Food, and Low-Carb Diets
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By: Kevin Pederson
 
Date Submitted: 2010-01-07 13:29:33 - Article Views: 20124
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Emotions or moods and diet share a complex dynamic and inter-relationship that is still quite difficult to decipher. For some odd reason, the brain can get feelings of revulsion, euphoria, and even a moderate intoxication at the prospect of food. Revulsion towards food is usually something that occurs in anorexic patients.
The question of why food affects our mood has been easier to answer now with the progress of biochemistry in the last century. Food that affects the way the brain functions is clubbed under the bigger palm of nootropics. Nootropics work at either increasing the release of neruochemicals, making their interactions more powerful, or act as reuptake inhibitors. There are three chemicals in the brain that affect the mood - dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
It is on this fundamental that most antidepressants are created. Carbohydrates don't really play an active role in this system but there is a more complex relationship in the reward mechanism of the brain.
Our brain rewards our behavior - especially when we achieve something, with the release of dopamine. This is what motivates us to achieve, act, or indulge in something. As an example, when we finish a task at work, the sense of achievement and euphoria is purely from the action of dopamine. When we indulge in some kind of foods this can trigger an unnecessary rewarding from the brain. This is actually a normal reaction because it is necessary for us to be rewarded for eating; especially, when we are hungry.
Carbohydrates are a quick source of energy and its presence or excess makes us feel happy through this pathway. This becomes a problem when we seek rewards by indulging in those habits that cause dopamine release.
Considering this complex interaction, which is the fundamental mechanism behind addiction, the question then arises of how to beat this system. Understanding that the food high that you are getting from ingesting carbohydrates is just a mistaken brain release is the first step. You need to shift your objective to eating a low carbohydrate diet and make that the point of achievement. You then end up training your brain into accepting this as the more acceptable behavior.
This needs to be supported by other mechanisms like ensuring that there is adequate serotonin in the system. This can only be done by ingesting tryptophan from dairy, eggs, and spirulina. Norepinephrine is created by the body as a counter-balance and cannot be acquired from the diet. |
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 Author Resource Required for Reprint:
Kevin Pederson, authors web content for http://www.diethealthclub.com a complete online resource featuring diet, health and fitness. This article is focused on teaching you how to make food basket for christmas holidays
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Article Source:
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best low carb diet  human mood low carb diet food mood effects |
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