Guest Blogger: The Food Mood Girl, Lindsey Smith

I am super excited to welcome Lindsey Smith, The Food Mood Girl, as my first guest blogger.  I connected with Lindsey through an online "Happy Hour" via the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.  She had just released her book, Junk Foods & Junk Moods.  I immediately ordered it because I knew I would find it helpful in my personal journey in deciphering the links between my nutrition and my emotions.  I highly recommend Junk Foods & Junk Moods to anyone interested in learning more about how food affects our moods - and how to make changes towards a healthier path both physically and mentally.

For local friends, Lindsey will be at Perry Hall Yoga this Sunday, 4/15 from 2-3:30 presenting a workshop & discussion based on Junk Foods & Junk Moods.  Along with your reservation, you will receive a signed copy of her book.  Please join us!!  RSVP here:  Junk Foods & Junk Moods at Perry Hall Yoga

Junk Foods & Junk Moods:

When What We Eat Affects How We Feel

By: Lindsey Smith

I admit it. I used to be a junk food addict. It all started with watermelon sour patch gummies at age 4. Eventually I found myself hooked on Twix bars, and the madness continued once I discovered the Chocolate Brownie Frappuccino. It seems like I upgraded my junk addiction to the newest sugary treat.

This junk food cycle went on for years before it eventually caught up. No matter how much sugar I had, it was never enough. No matter how much caffeine I consumed, I was still tired. And despite my young age, I just felt drowsy and depressed.

I found myself in a continuous cycle of junk foods and junk moods. Have you ever found yourself in a similar cycle? You seek anything from energy to comfort to sweetness in the form of junk, yet the end result is always the same: low energy, guilt, and depression.

You see--there is a deep, intricate dance that happens with the food we eat and how we feel. Let me explain.

When first consumed, junk food can taste really good and give us the energy or high we need. We may feel great and energized for a short amount of time until eventually the CRASH happens! The once energizing food now leaves us feeling tired, cranky, and lethargic.

Junk food can also be very addictive and often times, the chemicals and additives found in junk food can link to depression, weight gain, and other serious health conditions. However, the addiction is what keeps us coming back for more. A little bit is never enough. We start to crave the same high junk used to give us, which results in us needing more and more to reach the same point.

Sound like you?

Well, don’t fret just yet. Most of us have experienced this type of continuous cycle at one point or another.

Instead, let’s remember that food is fuel. It helps sustain us, keep us energized, and give us essential nutrients we need to feel good in both our mind and our body. So it is essential that we feed our bodies not just simply “to get by,” but to keep our minds emotionally stable and our bodies healthy.

To do this—let’s start with my recipe for health and happiness. This recipe will help you fuel your body with mood boosting foods and activities that will then help you curb cravings and kick the junk food habit for good!

Recipe for Health & Happiness

Ingredients:

Think Good Thoughts- Thinking positively not only boosts your mood, but it also improves your health! 95% of serotonin and other stress hormones are found in your gut. This means that your gut is actually the first responder to stress. (Come on—we’ve all experienced butterflies in the stomach!) With that said, any negative thought or emotion you have starts in the gut and can lead to serious digestive issues. These issues can cause weight gain, nausea, and other conditions. So free yourself and start incorporating some positive affirmations into your life. One of my favorites is, “I am complete and whole right now.” Find one that works for you!

Eat Real Food- Is this simple enough or what? Eat more food—more real food that is. Eat food that doesn’t have a package, a marketing claim, or an ingredient list longer than the credits from Star Wars. Keep it simple—fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes. These are all REAL food and you can count on them to give you energy, keep you sustained, and boost your mood!

Love Yourself- Often times, this is the most challenging ingredient; especially since our society constantly puts images in our head to make us feel like we are way less than perfect. However, appreciating yourself and your body is a crucial step to take! Start right now and just think or list all the reasons why you are amazing. Repeat daily into your life until the sentence turns into paragraphs!

Directions:

Combine all three ingredients and repeat as necessary. Remember, this is a life long journey to health and happiness and you’re well on your way!

Bio: Lindsey Smith, known as the “food mood girl,” works with people who have a habit of looking to food for all the wrong nutrients:  comfort, reward, fun, and acceptance. Through her own journey, Lindsey learned that junk food simply cannot cure our junky moods or meet our emotional needs.  Through speaking and coaching she motivates, equips, and inspires people to sort out their relationships with food so they can live a healthy, balanced life. Lindsey is also the author of Junk Foods & Junk Moods: Stop Craving and Start Living! For more information, visit www.FoodMoodGirl.com!