February is National Hot Breakfast Month

Help your body and mind by giving it the best fuel possible. 

I can't help you save money, your gonna have to see The Krazy Coupon Lady for that but i can help you feel better to enjoy that extra money

What's that got to do with me, you ask?

Well a lot actually. Did You Know……

 What you eat most definitely influences your mood and the way you feel. You can cut back on the foods that can cause a negative impact on your mind, emotions and overall health. By learning what foods are best for our bodies and including them in your diet will not only grow our physical prosperity, it will also influence our mental health, including, for instance, distress and anxiety.

Omega-3
Omega-3 are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are involved in the process of converting food into energy. They are important for the health of the brain and of its chemicals the body uses as a pleasure reward, dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine.
Omega-3 are essential nutrients that are not readily produced by the body, so we must include foods high on it in our diet. Boost your mood with foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids play an essential role in stabilizing your mood throughout your busy day.. The best sources are fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, tuna, and some cold-water fish oil supplements.


Complex Carbohydrates
One way to insure a healthy mind is by giving brain cells what they need we through the carbohydrates in our food. Complex carbohydrates are sugars made up of large molecules contained within fibre and starch. They are found in vegetables, wholegrains, and fruit and are imortant for brain health as they release glucose slowly into our system. This helps us control our moods nd emotions.
Simple carbohydrates found in sugary snacks and drinks create sugar highs and lows that rapidly increase and decrease feelings of happiness and produce a negative effect on our psychological well-being. We often use these types of sugary foods to comfort us when we’re feeling down. But this can create an addiction-like response in the brain, similar to illicit drugs that increase mood for the short term but have negative long-term effects. The biggest bad mood culprits are refined carbohydrates and refined white starches that cause your blood sugar to go up and down like a rollercoaster. Blood sugar spikes and drops can leave you with a short-lived burst of energy followed by a tired, cranky feeling. Increasing intake of complex carbohydrates and decreasing sugary drinks and snacks could be the first step in increased happiness and well-being. Minimize sugar and refined carbs. You may crave sugary snacks, baked goods, or comfort foods such as pasta or French fries, but these “feel-good” foods quickly lead to a crash in mood and energy. Avoid artificial sweeteners as it encourages sugar cravings. Bitter foods like coffee, arugula or broccoli raab shuts down the receptors in the brain that makes us crave sugar. Drink some greens. It is found to decrease sweet cravings from day one. Eat more protein.Protein will help you avoid hunger. Protein to help slow the absorption of carbohydrates in your blood and increase the release of dopamine.

Antioxidants
Oxidationis a normal process our cells carry out to function. Oxidation produces energy for our body and brain. Unfortunately, this process also creates oxidative stress and more of this happens in the brain than any other part of the body. Chemicals that promote happiness in the brain such as dopamine and serotonin are reduced due to oxidation and this can contribute to a decrease in mental health. Antioxidants found in brightly coloured foods such as fruit and vegetables act as a defence against oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain and body. Antioxidants also repair oxidative damage and scavenge free radicals that cause cell damage in the brain. Eating more antioxidant-rich foods can increase the feel-good chemicals in our brain and heighten mood.

B Vitamins
B vitamins play a large role in the production of our brain’s happiness chemicals serotonin and dopamine and can be found in green vegetables, beans, bananas, and beetroot. High amounts of vitamins B6, B12, and folate in the diet have been known to protect against depression and too low amounts to increase the severity of symptoms. Boost your B vitamins. Deficiencies in B vitamins such as folic acid and B-12 can trigger depression. To get more, take a B-complex vitamin supplement or eat more citrus fruit, leafy greens, beans, chicken, and eggs. Vitamin B deficiency can result in a reduced production of happiness chemicals in our brain and can lead to the onset of low mood that could lead to mental health issues over a long period. Increasing B vitamins in our diet could increase the production of the feel good chemicals in our brain which promote happiness and well-being. The vitamins folate and B-12 may help ease depression. Broccoli, lentils, oatmeal, oranges, dark leafy greens are good sources of folate. Vitamin B-12 can be found in cottage cheese, lean beef, and salmon.

Prebiotics and Probiotics
The trillions of good and bad bacteria living in our tummies also influence our mood, behaviour and brain health. Chemical messengers produced in our stomach influence our emotions, appetite and our reactions to stressful situations.Prebiotics and probiotics found in yoghurt, cheese and fermented foods such as kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi work on the same pathways in the brain as antidepressant Medications and studies have found they might have similar effects. Prebiotics and Probiotics have been found to suppress immune reactions in the body, reduce inflammation in the brain, decrease depressed and anxious states and elevate happy emotions.

 Increase your dietary fiber to help you control your blood sugar. Soluble fiber can slow the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream and increase serotonin. You can find healthy amounts of fiber in oats, beans, pears, peas, and brussels sprouts.

8 Tips to overcome strange side effects. 

Side effects that you might not have considered at first include a fuzzy head, memory loss, sleep problems and some irritability.
1) Don’t skip meals. Going too long between meals can make you feel irritable and tired, so aim to eat something at least every three to four hours.
 2) Quit cold turkey. This includes prepackaged foods, sweetened beverages and white flour.
 3) Increase your dietary fiber to help you control your blood sugar.

 4) Drink more water.Thirst is often confused with hunger. Water also helps keep you regular.
 5) Vitamin D may help relieve mood disorders.
 6) Manage your stress to keep cravings under control.
 7) Exercise increases energy and reduces stress.
 8) Get enough sleep.





Incorporating these foods into our diet will not only increase our physical health but will have beneficial effects on our mental health, including reducing our risk of disorders such as depression and anxiety.


When you see The Krazy Coupon Lady, tell her I said Hi and to everyone, Enjoy your breakfast.
If you know of any other foods or tips that may help all of us, please leave a comment and let us know.








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