3 Foods That Are Making You Mad

 

Make no mistake about it, the food and mood relationship is very tight. In fact, it is so tight that simply eating too much of the wrong food can turn any beauty into a beast!

We don’t give nearly enough credit to the sensitivity of the human body, nor the ability of food to keep you emotionally balanced or throw you right off the rails. In reality, food can make you sad, food can make you happy and invariably, food can make you mad!

Known not so endearingly as “food swings,” it is becoming more and more evident that some foods have a real power to totally disrupt internal harmony and send you searching for a scrap.

Researchers are saying that abrupt changes in behavior, angry tendencies and sudden “out of character” thoughts or actions may be the result of something you ate at your last meal.

Trans fats

Trans fats interfere with the metabolism of omega-3s, which can make us mad.

A study out of the University of California demonstrated that the more trans fatty acids we consume, the angrier we become. This is because trans fats interfere with the metabolism of omega-3s – the essential fatty acids that we need to keep us perky and balanced. Lack of omega-3s has been clearly linked not only to depression but also to antisocial behavior.

Lead author Dr. Beatrice Golomb says, “We found that greater trans fatty acids were associated with greater aggression. This adds further rationale to recommendations to avoid eating trans fats as their detrimental effects may extend beyond the person who consumes them.”

The University of California study does not prove causation between trans fats and aggression; it has been theorized that angry people simply gravitate towards junk food more than others in an attempt to alleviate their anger.

However, it may be a vicious cycle between feeling angry and eating trans fats; a person eats trans fat-filled snacks to try and feel better, instead feels worse, which results in more anger.

Why are trans fats so dangerous?

Trans fatty acids, or trans fats as they are more commonly referred to, are “fake” fats that clog arteries, increase the levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and lower high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in the blood. These deadly fat impostors are formed when vegetable oils harden to create shortening or margarine.

However, trans fats are prevalent in more foods than shortening and margarine, and we often consume them without knowing it. Fried cookies, chips, frozen waffles, and crackers can contain from 30 to 50 percent trans fatty acids. Donuts, an American staple, may contain up to 40 percent, depending on the brand.

These dangerous fats are added to processed foods to make them more palatable, increase their shelf life and improve flavor. In fact, 80 percent of trans fats come from processed foods, while the remainder comes from meat and dairy.

The FDA already knows about this

The FDA has only been aware of the dangers of trans fats for 20 years, and in the 1980s they were even thought to be safer than natural saturated fats such as coconut oil and beef tallow. Studies demonstrating the serious detriments of trans fats to our diet were brought to the FDA in the early 1990s, after which six years of silence ensued.

In November of 2013, the USDA made the determination that partially hydrogenated fats are not “generally recognized as being safe for use in foods.” However, the complete removal of these fats from our food supply will take a very long time. At this time, their removal is entirely voluntary. There are still a great number of popular foods that contain high levels of these dangerous partially hydrogenated fats.

Processed carbs and sugar substitutes

Though delicious, processed carbs may leave you feeling mad and foggy.

Processed carbs are another food that studies have linked to angry behaviors. Nutritionist Natalie Duhamel states that along with paving the way for cancer, diabetes and heart disease, refined sugar can make people feel depressed, angry and even promote a tendency towards violence.

According to Dr. Alex Richardson of Oxford University, “Prison studies suggest that many inmates have poor blood sugar control, compounded by a high-sugar diet. We all know how it feels when blood sugar drops – we feel moody, foggy. Apply that to someone with a disturbed background.”

Nutritionist Nicolette Pace, who believes strongly in the connection between anger and food, says that refined carbs may make us feel good in an instant but it is short-lived. Foods loaded with empty calories just don’t give the body what it needs to cope with the stresses of everyday life.

Phenylalanine is an amino acid naturally found in many proteins such as meat, milk, bananas and eggs. However, this natural amino acid is found in an isolated, processed form in aspartame, the artificial sweetener used in NutraSweet, Equal and some diet sodas, as well as a number of other products. Fifty percent of aspartame is composed of phenylalanine.

Conditions such as ADD, ADHD and behavioral and emotional disorders have been linked to high levels of phenylalanine in the body and brain.

Not eating enough

Too little food causes serotonin to dip, making you mad.

Not only do certain foods promote aggressive behavior, but if you have a tendency to skip meals or live a very stressed life, you may also be susceptible to Jekyll and Hyde behavior. Another study found that when our serotonin levels dip, it triggers areas of the brain that regulate anger and may result in uncontrollable emotions.

In addition, deficiencies in nutrients, like magnesium or manganese, vitamin C, or some B vitamins, may shorten our fuse, so to speak. Oxford University researchers tested the theory of nutritional deficiency and behavior with prison inmates.

They found that when they gave inmates vitamin supplements, they demonstrated less aggressive behavior. According to study leaders, there was a strong correlation between nutritional deficiencies and a propensity towards aggressive behavior.

The answer

Once again, the answer to stable emotions and the ability to cope with difficult situations is real food – just eat real food. Investigative journalist and health advocate Michael Pollan warns us to avoid anything that is an edible-like substance and stick to real food. He gives readers a list of rules for determining whether or not something has any nutritional value.

• If your grandmother or great grandmother would not recognize it as food, don’t eat it.
• If it has five or more ingredients, do not eat it.
• Shop on the perimeter of the grocery store.
• Don’t eat anything that won’t rot apart from honey.
• If you cannot pronounce some of the ingredients, leave it on the shelf.

In her book Real Food, author Nina Planck tells readers that real food is old, it has been eaten for a long time. Real food, Planck says, is also traditional. This means that fruits and vegetables are best when they are fresh, local and seasonal. Grains are always best whole, and oils unrefined. Food is best prepared in a traditional manner, not mechanically processed or radiated in the microwave.

Real food is farmed, processed and prepared in ways that have been around for thousands of years. Real milk come from grass-fed cows that range free on pasture that is not tainted with pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

Healthy eggs come from hens that eat grubs, not grain. Olive oil is cold pressed. Tofu comes from fermented, non-GMO soybeans.

Real food gives your body what it needs to remain balanced, energized and emotionally stable.

 

yogaesoteric
September 29, 2018