Moody? Maybe It’s Your Diet.

Why is it that some days you’re ready to throw down at the gym, and others you’re not willing to throw yourself off the couch? How can your physical motivation change from day-to-day, or even hour-to-hour? Perhaps, it’s time to check in with your diet.

You’ve heard it before: you are what you eat. But, what if we were to tell you the food you’re eating may be affecting your mood and even your workout stamina.

Let’s take a look at some of the common foods that drain your mood:

1.Diet soda. Diet soft drinks may seem like the healthy option, however, these sugary drinks are loaded with chemicals including artificial sweetener. Those who regularly consume diet soda often report issues including headaches and mood swings.

2.Sugar. We’ve all experienced a sugar high, and crash, at least once. The truth is it leads to a rise in blood glucose. As your blood glucose rises, your body releases insulin to return it to safe levels. As blood glucose normalizes, you may experience an energy dip with mood changes and irritability.

3.Caffeine. A cup of coffee may be the only thing keeping you awake in the morning, but caffeine works on the adrenaline centers of the brain and can trigger anxiety throughout the day.

Try some of these mood-boosting alternatives:

1.Proteins. Protein should contribute 10 to 35 percent of your daily calorie intake. Protein packed foods also contains tryptophan, which is known to increase mood and mental clarity.

Try: Lean meats, yogurt, beans, or almonds.

2.Plant-based foods. Folic acid, or folate, helps your body to process and lower homocysteine levels. High levels of homocysteine are associated with damage to blood vessels. Impaired blood flow may leave you feeling sluggish or slow.

Try: spinach, kale, potatoes, fortified breads and cereals.

3.Green tea. Green tea contains theanine, which calms you and helps maintain clear concentration and focus. Green tea’s modest amount of caffeine is gentler on your body than coffee and is even known to speed up the metabolism.

Try: one cup a day!

Don’t let mood-draining junk foods leave you lethargic and unmotivated on your fit-journey. Weight-loss goals are all about gaining control. By choosing to nourish your body with healthier foods you’ll create a positive shift in your mindset, appearance and even your life.