Just last October 27, 2015, our company has celebrated its 20th Year Anniversary at the EDSA Shangri-La Isla Ballroom. Many of us had started to go on a diet months before the big day to achieve a svelte figure, get into our ideal weight, and ultimately be able to fit into our gowns—and in the case of gents, pants and tuxedos—perfectly.
I also rode the bandwagon and tried eating less sugar, less processed food, less carbs and also trimmed down my intake of chips to zero. It was during this time that I noticed how food affects mood and emotions. In this post, let me share with you some findings.
1. Our diet and our emotions are dramatically connected.
Eating the right food boosts mental health, as anything we consume can affect our body’s metabolism and hormones. In addition, the nutrients from the food also influence our emotions, concentration and energy because they send chemicals to our brain.
For instance, have you noticed how eating a candy bar or a sugary donut gives you a spike of energy and later crashes it low? This is because consuming sugar, particularly fructose, contributes to insulin and leptin resistance and impaired signaling. In other words, fluctuations in the blood sugar trigger a poor mood.
Avoiding sugar is no easy feat, and this is true for those who have a sweet tooth. However, saying no to it may be the best way to increase focus and turn your mood around. Alcohol has the same effect of leaving you with a short-lived burst of energy followed by a tired, cranky feeling, since it’s a depressant and can disturb sleeping patterns.
2. Eating often enough is important.
I eat breakfast at around 6:30AM and hunger strikes again 30 minutes before our 12NN-lunch break. I found out that this is normal because our body should be fuelled with food every four to five hours. Eating at this suggested regular interval helps to keep blood sugar levels steady and assists in keeping our mood stable. There’s more to maintenance of emotions than eating the right foods. Being too hungry will also strike a bad mood.
3. Certain key nutrients impact our emotions.
When feeling stressed, eating whole-wheat pasta which contains magnesium may reduce stress. Pairing pasta with salmon or any fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help decrease anxiety symptoms. To improve mild depression and reduce anxiety levels, have a meal with red meat, whole grains and legumes. These food contain selenium and selenium keeps your happy hormones balanced.
Getting enough Vitamin C and iron is also key to sustain a healthy and happy mood. Seafood such as clams, oysters, mussels, octopus and liver will aid in iron absorption. Combine these with vegetables such as spinach, bell peppers, and tomatoes that are rich in Vitamin C to help relieve mood disorders.
4. Dehydration contributes to poor concentration and low energy.
Given different lifestyles, the general rule is to drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Because of busyness at work, I could hardly complete the requirement to keep my body hydrated. To solve the problem, I bring a reusable water tumbler to work and refill it at least four times throughout the day to make sure that I reach my daily quota.
Recently, I found a newly launched product by Lock & Lock which replaced my old plastic tumbler. It’s the Lock & Lock Emotion Tumbler that’s made of stainless steel. What I like most about it is that it can be used both for hot and cold liquids and it looks so stylish and hip (available in three colors: black, white, and pink). Mine is pink! 🙂 It’s also easy to clean by the hygienic separable strainer.
Now is also the best time to take advantage of Lock & Lock’s promo: “Bring any used cookware (any brand) and get 50% off your purchase of any Lock & Lock cookware item from Nov 6 to 15, 2015.”
Participating Lock & Lock Boutique Stores are as follows:
- SHANGRI-LA PLAZA MALL – 6F EDSA Shangri-La Plazacorner Shaw Boulevard, Manila
- EASTWOOD MALL – 3F Eastwood Mall, Bagumbayan, QC
- GLORIETTA 4 – 3F Glorietta4, Office Drive, Makati
- BF HOMES – 114 Aguirre St., Paranaque City
- ALABANG – Upper GF AlabangTown Center, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa
- FISHER MALL – 3F Fisher Mall, Quezon Avenue, QC
- QUEZON AVENUE – Megastate Bldg., AranetaAve., corAgno St., QC
- FAIRVIEW TERRACES – G/L Fairview Terraces Mall, Paranaque City
To know more, please visit its Facebook Page: fb.com/LocknLockPhilippines.
Leave a Reply to Jason Panuelos Cancel reply