Cranky Pants Much? 8 Foods that Can Improve Your Mood!

How’s your mood?  How’s your diet?  Ever think that the two are related?  Of course!  We have all been there: after a long tough week we decide we “deserve” to splurge, and pleasure our taste buds with a rich, fatty, downright sinfully delicious dinner out Friday night.  Only to wake up with a nasty sugar hangover (duh), and a negative attitude about life to boot!

What gives?

Well think about it.  What you put into your body as fuel, directly relates to how your body (and mind) relate to the world outside!  We all know that we look, feel, and act best when we stick to a healthy, balanced diet.  Have you ever tried Meatless Monday?  Enjoyed a day of eating nothing but power-packed salads and smoothies?  Allowed yourself unlimited fruits, veggies, and water, and then felt the huge differences in your energy levels, vitality, and overall contentment?  It is so obvious that all we need to do to feel like our optimal selves lies within our decisions about what we put on our plates.  Want proof?  Check out these blissful bites, and start incorporating them into your meals for a chewable dose of daily happy (pharm free!!):

1. Vitamin C

Doesn’t a tall glass of fresh squeezed OJ in the morning just make you smile?  Well there is more to it than just great citrus taste!  Vitamin C deficiency is often associated with low energy, depressed mood, and irritability. All the citrus fruits we know and love (oranges, limes, lemons and grapefruit) are great sources, as are peppers, fresh herbs, and dark leafy greens.  These culinary crusaders  infuse your bod with C, which helps pump oxygen through your body and to your brain, while also helping it to absorb iron, crucial for the production of healthy red blood cells.

In a time crunch?  Love chewy candy?  Try adding these gummy vitamins to your morning routine; they’re chock a block full of the happy vitamin, and taste so good you’ll want to gobble them up daily!