.product_section .product_form, .product_gallery { opacity: 1; } .multi_select, form .select { display: block !important; } .image-element__wrap { display: none; }

Your Cart is Empty

Foods that Destroy Your Mood

October 22, 2013 3 min read

Drained. Easily Irritated. Irritable. Sounds familiar? Despite getting sufficient hours of sleep every night, I wake up feeling completely knackered in the morning and irritable all day long and thought about what the reasons could be. Hmmm… stress could be a factor but after reflecting back on my mental food diary, I began wondering whether it could be my diet that has been affecting my mood.

Many studies have been done analysing the chemical properties of various foods and how it affects your body. For instance, foods can be precursors to neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which can influence the way we think, feel, and behave. Other chemical reactions can be fluctuations in blood sugar levels that will affect our energy and mood and be aware whether or not our body is deficient in certain vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. Foods that Destroy Your Mood 1. Soy

Being Chinese, this is rather difficult to avoid and after cutting out dairy, I’ve been using soymilk as a substitute for my coffee. Soy contains goitrogens, which can negatively impact your thyroid and lead to exhaustion and irritability.
Alternative: almond milk (my new favourite milk substitute!)

2. Diet Soda

Addicted to Coke Zero? I was! Diet soft drinks contain artificial sweeteners that wreak havoc to our bodies and mood and can also make us hungrier and crave even more sugar!
Alternative: if you really want something fizzy, try sparkling water instea

3. Sugar

Sure, you may need a pick-me-up. Sugar may give you that temporary high but this rise in blood glucose level is very short lived. This is because your body will respond by releasing insulin to normalize your glucose level and you will feel a sudden a drop in energy.
Alternative: I use natural sweeteners like Stevia – although still controversial, I am still keeping my eye on this alternative

4. Coffee

It’s a vicious cycle. Every morning, I’m sleepy and so I crave my morning coffee with soymilk. This caffeine may be another type of pick-me-up but this can trigger anxiety and cause irritability
Alternative: I started mixing green powder with almond milk and if you have time, my boyfriend swears by his crazy green juices and smoothies for energy!

5. Processed Foods

Anything highly refined or saturated with trans fat can not only lead to a wide array of diseases but studies have shown that eating a diet high in processed foods increases the risk of depression
Alternative: Try sticking to a diet filled with nutrient whole foods and make sure you get well balanced meals

Foods that Make You Feel Good 1. Foods High in Selenium

Studies have shown that if you are deficient in selenium, it can make people more irritable and depressed
Eating foods high in this nutrient can support thyroid function and therefore, boost your mood but be careful not to OTT in selenium because our bodies only need small amount
Example: brazil nuts, liver, shellfish

2. Complex Carbohydrates

Refined carbs should be limited but do get your complex ones in! Complex carbohydrates can boost the level of serotonin in your brain and elevate your mood but again, make sure they are minimally processed so they do not cause spikes in your sugar level.
Example: sweet potatoes, steel cut oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice

3. Omega-3 Fatty Foods and Fatty Plant Foods

Transfatty Foods is a NoNo but not all fats should be treated the same. Omega-3 rich foods and Fatty Plant Foods can decrease the likelihood of someone suffering from mild depression and also, your glowing skin will thank you!
Example: fish, chia seeds, walnuts, avocados, and coconut oil

4. High-Folate Foods

Deficiencies in folate has been linked to depression because it can decrease serotonin levels in the brain
Example: dark leafy greens (spinach, broccoli, kale) and legumes (Beans and lentils)

5. Iron-rich Foods

Women often suffer from low energy levels during the time of the month because we become deficient in iron when we menstruate
Therefore, we often feel exhausted, depressed and irritable
Example: pumpkin seeds, legumes, sea vegetables, spinach

So if you feel like you've been in the dumps lately, trying incorporating some of these suggested foods and see how you feel! Good luck xoxo Struggling with your food choices? Click here to check out our 14-Day Nutrition Guide.

Also in BodyRock Store Blog

What Happens To Your Butt When You Sit All Day?

July 14, 2019 3 min read 123 Comments

Do you think your booty looks a little flat? This might be why!

12 Ways To Make Your Belly Flatter By The End Of The Day

July 08, 2017 4 min read 5 Comments

7 Ways To Stop Binge Eating In It's Tracks

June 22, 2017 2 min read

Do you ever find yourself knuckle-deep in a bag of Cheetos?

Shipping & Delivery

Due to COVID-19, shipping systems the world over are experiencing abnormal delays. There is an enormous demand on postal and delivery services as online shopping has skyrocketed, due to store closures and stay-at-home mandates. This is an unprecedented situation, and we are working around the clock to fulfill your orders as quickly as possible. To be clear, we are filling orders in 4-6 days, and we are shipping immediately after that. Once shipped, our shipping partner, UPS, will get your order out to you as quickly as possible. Thanks for your support and understanding.

Are you in Canada? Specifically, are you outside of a metropolitan centre? We need to alert you to a disruption in shipping due to COVID-19. Our preferred shipping provider, UPS, has informed us that they cannot guarantee express shipping for many locations. We have also seen that packages delivered to Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, etc, are not waylaid, but packages delivered to areas just outside of these cities are being held in transit for days or even weeks. UPS has discontinued their guarantee of 1-4 day delivery, which you can read more about here. Therefore, we can guarantee early fulfillment but not early delivery of our goods from our warehouse to your door at this time.

We want you to start your fitness journey with us as quickly as possible, that’s why we send every package to the USA & Canada via expedited or standard shipping with our partners at UPS. Once your order is received and processed, it typically takes 2-4 days to get to you once it leaves our warehouse. That’s our commitment and we stand by it.

We ship within Canada and the United States via UPS with Standard & Expedited shipping (whichever is faster)

For locations outside of the US and Canada, we ship using FedEx International (EUROPE and Other Nations), which is usually in transit for 7-10 business days, depending on location.

We ship all of our physical products with UPS, from our warehouse location in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Delays caused due to custom withholds are not included in these estimated delivery times.

Returns & Exchanges

BodyRock Equipment

We offer a 30-day return policy, as long as: it is not more than 30 days past the date of delivery; and your item is in its original condition and packaging with the original order number. Refunds will be issued when the equipment is received back to the BodyRock warehouse, minus the original cost of shipping, and the customer is responsible for the costs of return shipping. To request a refund on physical product purchases, please contact us.

Digital Products

We cannot issue refunds on digital goods such as e-books or videos, as these are non-tangible goods that are irrevocable once the order is placed.

Clothing

All of the BodyRock clothing is made to order and so is final sale. If you have any questions about sizing prior to placing your order, please contact us.

Item Added to your Cart

Goto Cart