Low Carb Foods Can Make You Happy – Boost Your Mood With the Right Low Carb Diet Foods and Drinks

For low carb diet foods to make you happy, they need to be the right kinds of low carb foods and drinks. If you’re reading this and thinking about things like ice cream, cookies or sweet rolls as foods that make you feel good, that is not where we’re going with this. Also, we’re not talking about low carb snack foods that are usually lacking in any real nutrition. To understand precisely what we’re discussing, let’s take a look at how certain nutrients affect the brain, the nervous system and your overall mood.

Let’s say you’ve got an important business presentation and your nervous about standing up in front of a group of your peers. Which of these would you choose to calm your anxiety?

A. A diet soda
B. A glass of milk
C. A handful of Gummy Bears
D. A low carb food formula in a health drink

Believe it or not, C is a correct answer if you want a quick fix that’s not really very good for you in the long run. In some people, sugar from candy acts as a short energy boost followed by a quick drop while some people go straight to the crash. However, D, a low carb food formula in a health drink is the best choice. This is because liquids are digested more rapidly and absorbed right away. Assuming that your low carb diet food health drink is made with natural ingredients, including whole foods with complex carbohydrates, then you will gain the most calming effect.

If you thought a glass of milk was the best choice for relaxing, you should know that mixing protein with carbohydrates reduces the carb’s calming properties. So, next time you are eating a high carb cereal, don’t put milk on it if you want to feel less anxious as you get ready to face the day.

Drinking a diet soda with artificial sweeteners is the worst choice you could make. Low carb diet foods and drinks that contain aspartame and saccharin do anything but calm the brain and nervous system. Avoiding these chemical ingredients in low carb foods or drinks is always a good idea, but especially if you are trying to relax. Look for natural low carb drinks without artificial stuff.

The bottom line is that when you want to calm down, you can eat high carb foods, like potatoes, pasta, breads and other starches, or you can drink a naturally formulated low carb food mixture that will give you more benefits. Not only will your brain and nervous system get quick anxiety reduction, your body will get complex carbohydrates it can use for long lasting energy.

An ancient Chinese proverb states, “In times of stress, sweeten the tea”. Our ancestors commonly consumed a spoonful of honey before bed to induce restful sleep. This may run contrary to the popular opinion that sugar gives you quick energy. Instead, recent research suggests that, “all carbohydrates, including sugar and starches have the opposite effect on most ordinary people” (Food-Your Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper-Harper Collins Publishers-1993). There are numerous experiments that show carbohydrates to be more like mild tranquilizers than pick-me-ups.

How some high carb foods act as sedatives, according to experts, could be due to complicated biochemical reactions. One theory is that carbs clear the way for the brain to receive more tryptophan, an amino acid that gets converted into serotonin. Now, researchers are learning more about the ability of serotonin to act as a calming chemical in the brain and nervous system. That’s why you hear about people with low serotonin levels developing greater stress. If you are eating low carb foods on a regular basis and feeling some nervousness or overly revved up energy, make sure you are getting tryptophan and serotonin by eating the right low carb diet foods.

Low-Carb Alcoholic Drinks Uncovered

How to find an enjoyable, low-carb alcoholic drink is something on the minds of many. The recent popularity of low-carb diets put a new focus on carbohydrates in foods. In an effort to capitalize on this situation, dozens of books have been published touting everything from easy, low carb-recipes to how to find a good low-carb friend and live the low-carb lifestyle.

One area that causes concern for low-carb dieters is pressure and influences arising from social situations. A big part of any social occasion – and many other occasions – for many people is alcoholic beverages.

Do alcoholic drinks have many carbs? What sort of drinks should I avoid? Should I abandon drinking altogether? Is there such a thing as a low-carb alcoholic drink?

Fortunately, little sacrifice must be made for the sake of counting carbohydrates. There are enough options and alternatives to allow you to enjoy good beer and other alcoholic beverages. Of course, as with anything else, you just need to make smart choices that fit into your particular low-carb diet and lifestyle. This article should serve as a general guide with basic information about low-carb alcoholic drinks.

Folks who want to enjoy a nice, cold brew and still maintain a healthy diet have a good friend: low-carb beer. Despite what you might guess from witnessing certain new product launches and advertising campaigns, low-carb beer is nothing new. In fact, all light beers are low-carb; just recently have brewers started so vigorously publicizing that fact.

Many people, even those on weight-loss and low-carb diets, enjoy beer regularly. Beer, like most other beverages, contains no fat. Light beer, in particular, is low in calories and carbohydrates. New low-carb beers, capitalizing on the terminology of the day, have been put to market in response to the new dieting trend, and often contain even less carbohydrates than light beer.

When it comes to dieting and weight loss, the “beer belly” is often mentioned, but no such thing actually exists. Consuming too many calories and not exercising enough will cause excess fat to develop in any part of the body, determined mainly by gender and genetics; for the most part, beer is irrelevant.

Most doctors agree the keys to weight loss are moderate food and beverage intake and regular exercise. Whether you’re on a low-carb, low-fat, low-calorie or some other type of diet, beer – especially low-carb beer – can be part of a healthy adult lifestyle.

Beyond beer, there are many more options for enjoyable low-carb alcoholic drinks. Wine is very low in carbohydrates; red wine runs at about two grams, and white wine has a little less than one gram. Straight alcohols are even better. Gin, vodka, brandy, whiskey, tequila, rum, bourbon – all of your favorites! – have no carbs.

Mixed drinks – drinks that contain alcohol and a “mixer” such as soda or juice – are where you’ll find some carbs, though. The exact number, of course, will vary depending on what you mix the alcohol with. You should always use diet soda, and try your best to find low-carb alternatives to fruit juices.

Many liqueurs have relatively high amounts of carbohydrates, and should be consumed sparingly if you’re watching your carb intake. Irish cream, amaretto, triple sec, cointreau and the like should be enjoyed at a minimum. The carb counts vary greatly. Bailey’s Irish cream, for example, has about six grams of carbs; amaretto, one of the highest, has about 17.

As with anything else related to dieting, moderation and common sense are your best friends. Amaretto isn’t the devil. It just has a lot of carbs, so make sure you aren’t suddenly and accidentally carb-loading after two amaretto sours. You can still enjoy plenty low-carb alcoholic drinks – whether it be a low-carb beer, a nice white wine or a whiskey-diet – without sacrificing your low-carb diet.