10 Bad Mood Foods and Healthy Swaps to Make

Food has a MASSIVE influence on how we feel, whether they be mood-boosting foods or the reverse.

What we eat affects the neurotransmitters in our brain.  Neurotransmitters are chemicals from our brain that guide how we are feeling.

Most people have heard of Serotonin and Dopamine.

Serotonin can help us relax while Dopamine can help us feel more focused.  

The food we eat provide building blocks for these chemicals.  But if our brains aren't given the fuel they need to provide the right balance of neurotransmitters we can be prone to mood swings, anxiety, depression, food cravings and much more.

So here are the 10 foods that bring you down and their healthy swaps to feel-good.

1. Agave Nectar.   It is a high FRUCTOSE corn syrup that spikes blood sugar and can easily cause you to gain weight and spiral you into metabolic syndrome which is a collection of conditions including obesity, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance(can you say diabetes?).   Replace the Agave with Manuka Honey, Organic PURE maple syrup.
2. Alcohol.   Alcohol triggers the brain to produce more feelings of stress and anxiety.  As a depressant, alcohol reduces serotonin, the "feel good" hormone.  Replace with a glass or 2 of red wine a week. Try gluten free alcohol. Or, better yet go alcohol-free and relax with some probiotic rich fermented cold drinks like Kombucha.
3. Added sugars and Artificial Sweeteners.   Sugar is HIGHLY addictive and blunts the brains response to making Dopamine. that neurotransmitter that gives us the feeling of euphoria, bliss, "happiness".  Artificial sweeteners are just as bad as added sugar as it increases your risk of diabetes and obesity 2 fold.  There are side effects associated with these types of sugars as well: migraines, dizziness, mood disorders!  Replace with raw honey, erythritol blends like Surkin Gold, or Monk Fruit sugar.
4. Margarine and other butter like substitutes.   Besides being one molecule away from plastic(leave a bucket of margarine outside, flies wont even come near it and it doesn't melt)margarine and butter like alternatives are high in Omega 6 fatty acids which are pro inflammatory.  Replace with grass fed butter or ghee a clarified butter.
5. Coffee.   Most conventionally produced coffees are highly toxic because of MOLD.  In addition to mold, coffee, especially in large amounts(more than 1 or 2 cups per day) can wreak havoc on your hormones and adrenal glands making you feel dependant on coffee, depressed and sometimes jittery.  Wired and Tired.  Replace with organic coffee and reduce the amount, or completely forego coffee altogether and try Organic Green Tea which has the antioxidant ECGC.
6. Cocktail Mixers.   They are packed with sugar.  Replace with red or sparkling wine, dark beer, or vodka with soda water and fresh lime juice.
7. Deli Meats.   Many of these, like hot dogs and bologna, are processed meats packed with fillers, preservatives, sugar and salt.  Replace with sliced meat from the Deli counter that is nitrate and nitrite free, gluten free and low sodium.  
8. Egg Whites.   Eggs are almost the perfect food. Packed with protein, B vitamins and choline, so they are excellent for the brain.  But all the good stuff is found in the YOLK.  Replace egg whites with the whole egg.  Opt for organic, free range/cage free eggs.  YES! There is a difference.  You can see it in the yolk.  A cage free organinc HAPPY egg yolk is a rich dark orange color and packed with more flavor.
9. NON-Organic fruits and veggies.   By regularly eating non-organic you can be getting regular doses of neurotoxins.  Monsanto's Roundup which is highly used in conventional crops has been linked to cancer.  Also genetically modified foods(foods created in a lab to grow bigger and faster) can introduce bacteria and disrupt your gut flora leading to mood swings, autoimmune disorders among others.  Replace with as much organic food as possible.  Shop at local farmers markets to get good deals on organic and non-gmo in season fruits and veggies.
10. Nuts and seeds.   Super handy and nutritious when not roasted in oils which increase the omega 6 pro inflammatory response in your body.  Replace with raw nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.