Nutritional Nuggets
|by Louise Goldberg
Can food have an effect on our mood?
Yes. There is a strong relationship between the
food we eat and our mental health. It is also a
more immediate response than the effect long-term
eating habits have on our physical health. Neurotransmitters are chemical compounds that are
made in our body FROM nutrients in our food.
They regulate body functions like memory, appetite, emotions and sleep. If your child consumes
a very limited diet or does not at least supplement
with a vitamin, it can lead to increased irritability,
fatigue, depression and insomnia. Talk with your
child’s pediatrician or dietitian if you have questions about his diet.
Are there foods that burn more calories than
they have and can help you to lose weight?
While there are a couple foods that use up more
calories to digest than are in the actual food, the
reality is that the difference is insignificant to
produce any weight loss. However, the benefit to
incorporating foods like grapefruit or celery into
your diet is that these fiber rich foods fill you up
and keep your hunger levels under control. If you
eat these foods in place of higher calorie foods, like
pastries, fried foods or juice, you are sure to see
results.
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