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Yes, you really can eat your way to happiness, but perhaps not in the way you might first imagine. By "happiness," I mean lasting happiness, not the fleeting kind of sensory happiness that might be experienced from sucking the cream filling out of a twinkie. And that's the distinction that really matters here: When I talk about happiness, I'm talking about sustainable happiness, not a brief moment of spurious excitement that soon reverses itself and leads to depression.
You see, a lot of people try to eat their way to happiness by eating the "instant joy" foods like ice cream, donuts, cookies and yes, even twinkies. Sugar can, indeed, make us momentarily uplifted because this refined molecule temporarily boosts blood sugar and actively alters brain chemistry. But like any drug, the depression after it wears off is far worse than the brief happiness it appeared to give us. And in the worst cases, we sometimes fall into a pattern of treating that mental rut with yet another hit of sugar to try to keep the happiness going.
This downward cycle of sugar dependence leads us to long-term obesity, diabetes and depression.
As author Timothy Brantley says in The Cure: Heal Your Body, Save Your Life: "How did these foods affect their moods? Food Group A (Standard American Diet). The subjects all had radical energy fluctuations, staying in a cycle of having to manipulate to produce quick energy after a radical drop. The subjects all remarked that they never realized how addicted they were to sugar and other stimulants, like caffeine, simply to function. The roller-coaster effect on their energy swung them into high and low moods, and many of them got sick consistently."
The Standard American Diet is obviously not the solution we're looking for. But what works better?
Foods for long-term happiness
Fortunately, there are a huge number of other foods that promote long-term happiness. That's what this article is about: Sharing with you the good news on foods that can support healthy moods and promote a positive outlook on life for the rest of your life.
And I have to say that list starts with omega-3 oils. High-quality omega-3s provide one of the most powerful and sustainable boosts to healthy moods of any commonly-available food.
Read up on omega-3s at _NaturalPedia:naturalpedia.com/omega-3s.html
You can get omega-3 oils from fish, quality marine oil supplements like Moxxor, chia seeds, flax seeds and other quality nutritional supplements.
Beware of grocery store foods that claim to be "made with omega-3s" because the actual quantity of omega-3 oils in those foods is usually so tiny that it hardly matters to your daily nutritional intake.
Enjoy healthy nuts
Pecans are extremely beneficial to supporting not just healthy moods but healthy brain function as well. It's the oils in the nuts that do the trick. Read more at naturalpedia.com/pecans.html
Other nuts can also be strongly supportive of healthy moods in the long term: Almonds, pistachios, macadamia nuts and walnuts all have powerful health-supporting properties that affect brain function and therefore mood experiences, too. Eat more raw nuts and you'll create better brain balance for the long term!
Adaptogens and green tea
Green tea seems to provide a subtle mood lift without all the problems of typical stimulants. Just make sure you're getting decaffeinated green tea, and check your source to make sure it doesn't suffer from fluoride contamination (some green tea products grown in certain countries have been known to carry a lot of fluoride).
Adaptogenic herbs are also very, very good at helping your neurology better handle stress. This can often translate into an easier day, reduced stress and improved moods. Adaptogens include ginseng, ashwagandha, rhodiola, cordyceps mushroom and many others.
Learn more about adaptogens at NaturalPedia_http://www.natural...
Herbal tonics for mood support
While we're in the realm of herbs, there are several herbal tonic products that are well known to help support healthy moods. St. John's Wort has been clinically shown to work as well as antidepressant drugs to ease symptoms of depression. I usually take it with dandelion or yellow dock to provide additional liver support.
Learn more about St. John's Wort at NaturaPedia_http://www.naturalpedia...
Several Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal formulas are also known to help support healthy moods. Chinese herbs are always used in combination, never in isolation, but one herb that's found in many mood-supporting formulas is Bupleurum.
The history and use of this herb is quite fascinating. Check it out here_http://www.naturalpedia...
Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies
In addition to the omega-3 oils, nuts and herbs mentioned here, focus on consuming large quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables. You simply cannot over-eat fresh fruits and vegetables, so eat all you want. They're loaded with mood-lifting nutrients that can also help prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Be sure to buy organic produce wherever possible!
What to avoid
This section can be summed up in just two words: Sugar, Caffeine.
Seriously. If you want to maintain healthy moods, it's crucial to avoid refined sugar and caffeine from all sources. That means no caffeinated coffee, no donuts, no cookies, no Pepsi, etc.
These two chemicals do more to destroy healthy moods in the long term than probably any other chemicals in the food supply. And yet, ironically, they are precisely the two chemicals that people reach for to try to get short-term mood lifts.
They do provide short-term boosts, much like a drug. Heroin might make you feel good in the short term, too, but it's highly addictive and causes huge health problems over the long haul. Sugar and caffeine are similarly addictive and problematic; except they're legal and you don't inject them with a syringe. (Well, at least I hope not.)
If you suffer from mood swings or depression right now, the first and most important change you need to make in your diet is to eliminate refined sugars and caffeine. The second change to make is to start bringing in mood-enhancing health foods such as omega-3s, raw nuts and lots of fresh produce.
But the really important step is to find new ways to enjoy your feed by expanding your experience of all the amazing tastes to be found in the universe of foods provided by Mother Nature. If you've never tried raw food cuisine, definitely check it out at a local raw food restaurant (or find a raw food chef in your area). You'll be amazed at the new spectrum of tastes and sensory experiences provided by raw foods -- and you'll experience huge long-term health benefits from the raw foods, too!
Stay happy with healthy foods
Yes, food can make you happy, but only if you focus on consuming health-enhancing foods that are natural, non-refined and packed with nutrients. Don't compromise your mental experience of life by turning to sugar, caffeine and other short-term stimulants. Or if you're on those right now, find ways to slowly transition off them while embracing some of the healthier choices I've covered here.
In the long term, you'll discover that healthy foods = healthy moods.
But give it time: It may take 30 days of eating right before you really feel the full effects with improved mood. Foods are not isolated chemicals that kick in right away. Transitioning to a healthier body and brain with healthy food takes some time. But it's time well spent. After all, you get to eat your way to a more positive outlook on life. And that sounds kinda fun anyway, doesn't it?
參考譯文：
是的，食物真的可以使人快樂，只是可能和你想的不太一樣。我所謂的「快樂」是長久的快樂，而不是口中充滿奶油派時，這種短暫的、感官上的刺激。這之間的分別非常重要：我所提到的快樂，是持續性的快樂，而不是過后即會使人感到憂郁的短暫性刺激。
很多人喜歡吃可以「立即使人感到快樂」的食物，如冰淇淋、甜甜圈、餅干及奶油派等。糖分確實可以使人短暫地提振精神，因為這種精制的成分可以暫時提升血糖濃度，改變大腦的化學變化。但是就如同藥物一樣，當短暫的快樂消退之后，隨之而來的負面情緒往往影響更大。最壞的情況是我們可能會因此掉入莫名的陷阱，反復地以糖分維持精神上的刺激。
這種依賴糖分的惡性循環長期下來即會使人肥胖、罹患糖尿病及憂郁癥。
如同《救命療法》(The Cure: Heal Your Body, Save Your Life) 一書的作者提摩西布朗特利在書中提到的一樣：這些食物如何影響人們的情緒？采用一般美式飲食的人，體力時好時壞，并且必須反復地補充低落的能量。他們都未發現自己已經過于依賴糖分及咖啡因等刺激物。大幅波動的體力也使得他們的情緒忽起忽落，很多人因此不斷地生病。
一般美式飲食顯然不是我們想要找的答案。但是還有更好的方式嗎？
可以維持快樂的食物
所幸實際上還有很多食物可以讓人維持長久的快樂。這篇文章的主旨即在于此：告訴你可以讓你的人生充滿正面能量，并且增進正面情緒的食物。
首先要介紹的就是 ω-3。優良的 ω-3 可以提供比其它食物更好的能量，而且持續更久。
前往 NaturalPedia 即可獲得更多有關 ω-3 的信息：naturalpedia.com/omega-3s.html
你可以從魚類、Moxxor 等高質量的魚油補充品以及奇異子 (Chia Seed)、亞麻籽等營養補充品中獲取優良的 ω-3。
要當心一般商場中聲稱「以 ω-3 制成」的食品，這些食品中的 ω-3 含量實際上可能非常少，對你的每日營養素攝取量沒什么幫助。
有益健康的美味堅果
富含健康油脂的胡桃不僅可以維持正面的能量，還可以增進大腦功能：
其它如杏仁、開心果、澳大利亞堅果及核桃等堅果也都可以長久且有效地維持正面能量，并且都有強力的保健作用，可以增進大腦功能，常保身心健康。
適應原及綠茶
綠茶可以穩定情緒，避免一般刺激物可能造成的問題。只是必須確定其中不含咖啡因或是受到氟化物污染 (已知某些國家出產的綠茶制品含有大量的氟化物)。
適應原藥草 (Adaptogenic Herb) 則非常有益于神經系統，可以幫助紓解壓力，增進生活質量及正面能量。常見的適應原包括人蔘、南非醉茄 (Ashwagandha)、紅景天 (Rhodiola) 及冬蟲夏草 (Cordyceps) 等。
前往 NaturalPedia 即可獲得更多有關適應原的信息:www.naturalpedia.com/adaptogens.html
可維持健康情緒的藥膳食補
既然我們已經提到中藥，那就來談論已知可以維持正面情緒的藥膳食補。臨床上已經證實貫葉連翹 (St. John’s Wort) 的效用和抗憂郁癥藥物一樣，可以減輕憂郁癥的癥狀。我通常會將其與蒲公英或是皺葉酸模 (Yellow Dock) 一起服用，以保護肝臟。
前往 NaturalPedia 即可獲得更多有關貫葉連翹的信息：www.naturalpedia.com/St_Johns_wort.html
許多傳統的中藥配方都有助于維持正面能量。中藥通常是幾種藥草混合在一起使用，從來不會單獨使用。很多用來維持正面能量的配方都含有柴胡 (Bupleurum)。
這種藥草的歷史及用法非常有趣。詳情參訪：http://www.naturalpedia.com/Bupleurum.html
大量食用新鮮蔬果
除了 ω-3、堅果及中藥之外，大量食用新鮮的水果及蔬菜也是很好的選擇。新鮮的水果及蔬菜可以愛吃多少就吃多少；其中豐富的營養素除了可以提升正面能量之外，也有助于預防癌癥、心臟疾病及糖尿病等疾病。但是請盡可能購買有機的水果及蔬菜。
必須避免的食物
可以濃縮為兩個名詞：糖分及咖啡因。
如果你想維持正面的能量，避免所有含有精制糖分及咖啡因的食物是很關鍵的。意思就是含有咖啡因的咖啡、甜甜圈、餅干及百事可樂等都不能吃。
這兩種化學物質長期下來對于正面能量的破壞，可比其它食物中的化學物質還要嚴重。所謂短暫的快樂即是這兩種化學物質的作用。
它們確實可以帶來短暫的快樂，就像毒品一樣。海洛因也可以讓你在一時之間感到非常快活，但是它非常容易上癮，而且長期使用會造成嚴重的健康問題。糖分及咖啡因具有相似的成癮性及問題 ─ 除了它們合法且不需要使用針頭注射以外。
如果你經常情緒不穩或是患有憂郁癥，首先最重要的就是在你的飲食中避免含有精制糖分及咖啡因的食物。第二則是食用可以改善情緒的健康食品，如 ω-3、生堅果及大量的生鮮蔬果。
但是真正重要的是找到盡情享受大自然所給予的天然美食的方式，如生食料理。你一定會對生食的全新口感及感官體驗感到非常訝異，而且長期食用生食也非常有益健康。
健康食品可常保快樂
所以，食物確實可以讓人感到快樂，但是只有食用完全天然、不含精制成分，而且營養豐富的健康食品才有用。千萬不要為了短暫的快樂向糖分及咖啡因等刺激物妥協。如果你有攝取這些成分的習慣，請盡可能想辦法擺脫它們，試試我提的這些健康食品，然后慢慢改變飲食習慣吧。
長久下來，你就能感受到健康飲食與良好情緒的緊密關系。
但是羅馬不是一天造成的：你可能需要維持正確的飲食習慣長達 30 天之后心情才會開始有所改變；天然食物并不像化學藥劑一樣可以立即見效。以健康飲食改善身體及大腦健康需要一些時間，但是一切都是值得的；只要吃得正確，你會人生的看法也會更積極正面，聽起來不是很棒嗎？
相關閱讀：讓你快樂的食物
