Food for Mood
The other crucial mood stabilizer I found was to keep my blood sugar levels stable during the day by eating more protein and complex carbohydrates with every meal, and as my snacks. Protein (nuts, eggs, seeds, lentils, fish, chicken, whey, meats, tofu, yogurt, and sprouts) and complex carbohydrates (legumes, potatoes, corn, vegetables, and unrefined grains) take longer to digest than simple carbohydrates, thereby providing a slower and steadier release of nutrients into your blood.
Low Blood Glucose and its Effects on the Body
Most people eat refined/simple carbohydrates such as toast, cookies, or pastries with coffee for breakfast or snacks, which cause a sharp increase in blood sugar. The rapid rise of blood sugar forces high amounts of insulin and adrenal hormones to be produced, leading to adrenal fatigue, as we saw in the chapter “Your Adrenal Glands.” Rapid insulin spikes in your body also force your blood sugar levels to drop extremely quickly and become unnecessarily low, making you feel tired, hungry, anxious, or irritable in the middle of the day simply due to hypoglycemia. The drops in blood sugar also cause you to crave snack foods more often, causing you to eat unhealthy foods and to worsen your health.
Healthy Portions Per Plate
Ideally, your plate at any meal should consist of 50% green or mixed vegetables, 30% protein, and 20% carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes, corn meal, etc.). You should also snack on proteins such as nuts and seeds during the day to keep your blood sugar stable.
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Dr. Ameet Aggarwal is a naturopathic doctor and psychotherapist (Gestalt, Family Constellations, EMDR) with years of experience treating physical issues, anxiety, stress, depression, abuse, relationship issues and also working with UNICEF, UN Staff, and other large organizations. Dr. Aggarwal focuses on healing the gut, liver, adrenal system and emotions together to optimize health and happiness. His online course (free videos on health.drameet.com/p/intro) has been approved in the highest category for continuing education for naturopathic doctors. Dr. Aggarwal was voted as one of the top 5 speakers on 2 world summits, which earned him recognition as one of the top 43 naturopaths to follow. He practices in Kenya and lectures around the world, teaching students how to treat anxiety and depression holistically. His book “Feel Good” (free videos on https://health.drameet.com/p/mindbodybook is considered to be one of the most comprehensive guides to anxiety and depression.
