DIET, EXERCISE & MOOD

Mackenzie

Kirtley

According to many studies done over the last two decades, diet and exercise have a large effect on mood. Not only does it affect mood in the short term, diet affects mood in the long term. Short term mood effects include calmness, higher or lower energy, and happiness levels. Depression and desire to exercise are examples of long term mood changes.

INTRODUCTION

The different chemicals in food alter a person’s brain and cause the mood change. Dopamine, for example, makes a person happy and anandamide blocks feelings of pain and depression. Food can trigger a release of or suppress different chemicals in the brain. Serotonin is boosted with cocoa and coffee triggers the release of BDNF, brain-derived neurotropic factor. However, sugar suppresses the activity of the growth hormone BDNF, which is critically low in people with depression.

BACKGROUND

The project will test the effects of diet and exercise on mood. The goal is to see what factors dealing with diet and exercise affect mood so that individuals can be mentally and physically healthy. Unhealthy fast food restaurants along with the number of caffeinated beverages the participant drinks in a certain time period will also be recorded. If more research on this project is completed, it gives the opportunity to increase the health of every person, lengthen the human life span, and can even lower suicide rates.

RESEARCH

Kleiner’s Good Mood Diet focuses on “the food you need to eat, not about the food you can’t eat.”

Examples of food that cause a “good mood”:Whole grainsNutsSunflower seeds

Grape FruitBananasBroccoliSeafoodEgg yolksLean, organic meatsPomegranatesPorkStrawberriesLow fat or fat free

dairy

THE GOOD MOOD DIET

Develop a survey to

give to at least 30

teenagers and adults,

ages 13 and older

While the surveys are

being completed, an

excel spreadsheet will

be made to organize

results

The data, when

received, will be

entered into

spreadsheet and

organized into

categories.

The data will be to see

any patterns and

significant numbers.

METHOD

Gender and Age

Exercise & how often

Eat 3 meals a day?

Snacks? (& type)

Food eaten most frequently

Typical energy level & mood

Scale 1-10, overall how

healthy person eats

Beverages (energy drinks)

Vitamins and supplements

taken

Description of meals eaten

over past week; overall

mood & energy level after

meal

Number of times fast food is

eaten every week & every

month

Does participant show any

signs of or have depression

SURVEY

RESULTS

Participants who frequently ate 4-7 foods from Kleiner’s Diet had higher energy levels and happiness levels than those who ate less than 3 foods from the diet. However, 4 out of every 6 participants who ate over 4 of Kleiner’s diet drank at least 1 to 2 caff einated beverages a day. The participants who ate less than 3 foods frequently recorded that they are usually irritated, tired, and feel “decent” on a regular basis. They also drank at least 1 to 2 energy drinks a day. Only two of the participants exercised who were in the eating 3 foods or less diet category. Their happiness levels averaged to 6 and their energy level also averaged 6.

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http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/how-food-aff ects-your-moods?page=3

Rogers, Peter J . "Long-term Impact of Diet on Mood and Cognitive Function." Cambridge Journals Online. The Nutrition Society, 28 Feb. 2007. Web. 23 Aug. 2014. http:// journals.cambridge.org/action/displayFulltext?type=6&fi d=800652&jid=PNS&volumeId=60&issueId=01&aid=800648&bodyId=&membershipNumber=&societyETOCSession=&fulltextType=MR&fi leId=S0029665101000167

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http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/fal l-2010/you-are-what-you-eat-how-food-aff ects-your-mood#.U_jwvMt0w5s

REFERENCES

Martin, Laura J . , M.D. "Energy Foods Sl ideshow: Foods That Give Your Diet an Energy Boost." WebMD. WebMD, 24 Sept. 2012. Web. 23 Aug. 2014. http://www.webmd.com/parenting/family-health-12/sl ideshow-energy-foods  

Ramnarace, Cynthia. "Can Food Aff ect Your Mood?" CNN. Cable News Network, 27 Nov. 2013. Web. 23 Aug. 2014.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/26/health/upwave-food-mood/ 

Ramos, Rachel. "The Best 7 Anti Anxiety Foods." « Calm Cl inic. Ryan Rivera, n.d. Web. 23 Aug. 2014.

http://www.calmcl inic.com/anxiety/treatment/7-foods-that-fi ght-anxiety 

Haput, Angela. "6 Ways Your Diet Aff ects How You Feel ." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 31 Aug. 2011. Web. 21 Aug. 2014.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fi tness/diet/art icles/2011/08/31/food-and-mood-6-ways-your-diet-aff ects-how-you-feel

Kleiner, Susan M., PhD, and Bob Condor. The Good Mood Diet . New York City: Springboard Pr, 2008. Print.

REFERENCES