Are you feeling down or depressed? It is a known fact that depression increases in the wintertime. So if the darker dreary days or Fall and Winter 'get to you,' increase your intake of complex carbs. Eat more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Yes, these are carbohydrate foods but they are the complex (or good) carbs. These carbs boost your serotonin levels. Serotonin is a mood-elevating chemical in the brain. By the way, these are good foods you should be eating anyway.
Would you believe researchers at a West Virginia university a few years ago said the scent of mint is an appetite suppressant? In their research they found that people who chewed a piece of minty gum or applied a mint-scented lotion when they had an urge to snack throughout the day, consumed around 3,000 calories less per week. So if you are struggling with weight or urges to snack, why not try this. What have you got to lose? Up to 3,000 calories a week is almost a pound of weight loss a week!
According to an article in Circulation: Heart Failure, an American Heart Association Journal, a serving of dark chocolate once or twice weekly led to a 32% reduction of heart failure risk for women. Remember though, a serving is only about 1 ounce. And that is dark chocolate, not milk chocolate or what is known as white chocolate which both have too much fat and sugar! So, when you want to indulge in chocolate, be sure it is dark chocolate and keep that indulgence down to an ounce or two a week.
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Whenever possible, you should eat whole foods, not processed foods. This means to eat a food as near as possible in its original state. In other words, eat an apple rather than an apple pastry. Eat fresh or frozen peas rather than buying a can that is loaded down with salt and other preservatives. The closer a food is to its natural state, the healthier it is for your body. If you live where you can, you should buy your foods daily or several times a week rather than once or twice a month. If that is not possible or you catch a good sale on something, go ahead and buy extra and freeze it for later.
