No food at all is a very bad situation for the average human being. Like Bob Marley sang, "A hungry man is an angry man". Despite this, some foods make us happy. There is definitely a Mood – Food relationship. This mood-food relationship is explained by neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers transmitting our thoughts and actions to the brain. Food affects our mood in at least two ways;

 Psychologically ‡ This has to do with our perception of the food and not the nutrients contained in the food. For instance, it may be that a food is comforting and reminds us of family meals while growing up, a pleasurable association with childhood; it may be the temperature of the "comfort" food - like warm hot chocolate - that is the comforting element, helping you to relax or fall asleep. A popular phrase is "Mama’s cooking’. Men in particular like their mother’s cooking and even older men reminiscence about their mothers’ cooking.

This kind of psychological feeling towards certain foods has a mood elevating effect on the person. They sometimes crave for these foods and associate a period of happiness with the food which they want to recapture. They tend to feel happy when they eat those foods; especially when they are prepared exactly how they used to be done in the past. Do you have any food that you have a nostalgic feeling about? Such food may have a mood elevating effect on you.

 Physiological ‡ This is how both the macronutrients (carbohydrate, proteins & fats) and micronutrients (minerals & Vitamins), as well as other substances like anti-nutrients in the food interacts with our body and affect our mood. The food we eat affects the neurotransmitters, thus changing our moods. The nutrients in foods are precursors to the neurotransmitters, and they decide how much of the neurotransmitter is produced.

It is complicated, though, because foods are made of many nutrients that interact together. It suffices for us just to know that the type and amount of nutrients in our food, affects the neurotransmitters which control our mood. Lack of key nutrients like the vitamin B group and folic acid, could also make us unhappy grumpy people because the body doesn’t have the right nutrients to use to produce relevant neurotransmitters. Unfortunately, it is difficult to know whether this is happening or not since there is no direct barometer to measure such nutritional deficiencies until a major disorder develops! People now then see the requisite professionals who detect that there had been a nutritional deficiency for long.
Certain foods have a direct effect on our mood which can easily be felt. These foods are everyday foods and everybody can attest to their effect;

Carbohydrates: Amongst all foods that we eat, carbohydrates are the number one mood elevating foods. This is principally because of the effect of carbohydrate on serotonin levels. Serotonin is a key chemical tied to our mood. Higher levels of serotonin influence our concentration, as it is relaxing and calming and helps to keep us from being depressed.

Carbohydrates help to raise the levels of serotonin in the body. A decrease in serotonin levels may increase the appetite and cause carbohydrate cravings. Stress buster foods, which are high in carbohydrates, are whole grains, fruit, high fiber cereals, rice and potatoes. It is important to note that carbohydrates which are high in fibre are particularly healthy. This is because there will be a controlled and continuous release of nutrients into the blood stream as opposed to the sudden rush produced by simple sugars. They later tend to make people feel depressed afterwards and quickly in need of another replacement.

Fats: If there is one macronutrient that we continually talk about in this column; it is the right type of fat. No human being can survive without fats. Our brain is mainly made up of fatty acids. So is our nervous system. The important thing is to eat the right type of fats. Day old babies now know that trans fats and high molecular weight fatty acids are suicidal to our health. Eating too little of the right type of fat can make you feel grouchy. Unfortunately, some misguided people go on a fat-free diet when they are trying to loose weight!!

This is VERY WRONG. You loose weight quicker with the right type of fat in your diet. This is probably why such people are usually very highly strung, irritable and unhappy. Foods high in fat increase endorphins and make you happy. Endorphins are opiate-like chemicals that are the "feel good" neurotransmitters. The latter also affects our enjoyment of sex. To help keep your moods on an even keel, choose healthy fats such as monounsaturated fats found in groundnut oil, palm oil, olive oil, almonds and avocados.

Additionally, essential fatty acids like the Omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood (especially mackerel, salmon, and shrimp), walnuts and olive oil may also help to reduce depression.
Protein - Protein increases alertness and helps to give us more energy. Protein has an amino acid called tyrosine, which increases the levels of three neurotransmitters; dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. Norepinephrine and dopamine are responsible for alertness and excitement. Low levels of norepinephrine and dopamine may make one feel anxious.

The Chocolate connection: Why do men give women a box of chocolates? At valentine, chocolates are a favorite gift. It is renowned for elevating our mood. Chocolate may help to get rid of depressed feelings because it is a psychoactive food containing more than 300 compounds that can affect moods. Throughout history, chocolate has been used for many health-inducing purposes. The Aztecs made a frothy, chocolate beverage that was believed to be a stimulant and impart vitality and wisdom. Chocolate, has even been used as an aphrodisiac.

Casanova reportedly ate chocolate before each of his sexual escapades, and a study done in the mid-1990s by Debra Waterhouse, found that more than 50% of the women surveyed preferred chocolate to sex. Dark chocolate has also been shown to be high in flavonoids and good for the heart.