The next time you want a snack, don’t grab for those potato chips. Instead reach for an apple, an orange, a few carrots or other vegetables and fruits that can help keep driving anxiety and similar negative emotions at bay.
A study in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that folks who ate diets stocked with fruits and vegetables were happier, calmer and more energetic than those who did not. The results came out of an online dietary survey of 281 adults with the average age of 20.
Participants were told to record what they ate and how they felt over a 21-day period. Fruits and vegetables were on the list, separate from fruit and vegetable juices, as was less healthy fare, such as potato chips, cake, cookies and muffins.
“The results showed a strong day-to-day relationship between more positive mood and higher fruit and vegetable consumption, but not other foods,” an article in Science Daily reports.
While the study did not indicate exactly how many fruits and vegetables can turn a day riddled with driving anxiety and a dour mood into one filled with serenity and cheer, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest making fruit and vegetables take up at least half your plate at every meal.
Read the ScienceDaily article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130123195351.htm
Read more about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dietary-guidelines/MY01594
