A Healthy Lifestyle Can Affect Energy Levels And Mood.

lifestyle and mood

A healthy lifestyle increases your stress resistance so the bad days are not quite so bad, and the good days are more attainable.

Lifestyle and mood: Can they all be good days? I go to a high-intensity exercise class every day after work. When I feel overwhelmed and stressed out, it turns my mood completely around, and I feel like a million bucks."

"I shouldn't have blown up at that salesman, but the baby has kept us up every night this week. No sleep on top of work, I can hardly see straight."

"When I have ice cream before bed, I sleep great and have the best dreams."

These statements reflect our beliefs that health behaviors affect our daily energy level and mood. Most of our focus in health education seems to be on prevention of lifestyle-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. But lifestyle habits are easier to change when we realize they can help us feel better today, as well as prevent disease tomorrow. All of us would like to know why it is that some days we simply feel great. Is it hormones? Blood sugar? Biorhythms? Certainly lifestyle is only one part of the equation, but it is a part that you have some control over. A healthful lifestyle increases your stress resistance so the bad days are not quite so bad, and the good days are more attainable.

Exercise for physical and mental fitness

Regular physical activity has always been credited with increasing physical fitness. A growing body of research supports the notion that what affects our physical selves affects our psychological and emotional selves as well, and that physical activity enhances both mental and physical fitness.

Many people agree that aside from chemical substances, exercise is the most potent mood regulator. Physical activity may produce biochemical changes, provide a diversion from stress, build muscles, help you sleep better and help you look better. Many studies have shown that regular exercise improves one's ability to tolerate stress and weather the winds of change without succumbing to stress-related illness

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Food and mood

You probably know people who seem to do fine on a junk-food diet, or sail through the day on only two food groups. Others find themselves extremely sensitive to the composition of their diet. Carbohydrates put them to sleep, sugar knocks them out, too much time between meals sends them into a stupor.

Food improves mood when your eating habits help you maintain a healthy blood sugar level -- not too high, not too low. We've all experienced the fatigue and irritability that can result from being hungry, and the sleepy overstuffed feeling of eating too much. People sensitive to blood sugar ups-and-downs often find that eating five or six small meals a day helps them feel more alert and cheerful than three larger meals. A general recommendation is to eat high-protein meals and snacks when you need to be alert, and complex carbohydrates when you want to relax. Experiment with various foods and meal plans to see what works best for you. Don't forget to make heart-healthy foods the focus of your diet so you stay healthy as well as happy.

Adequate nutrition is essential for well-being. Although we are a country of plenty, many people have marginal intakes of important nutrients. Several neurotransmitters (the chemicals that allow nerve cells to communicate with each other and other cells) are manufactured from dietary components. Serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and acetylcholine are some examples with which you may be familiar. Amino acids (contained in proteins), B vitamins, vitamin C and several minerals are important in the manufacturing of these neurotransmitters. Groups most likely to suffer from marginal nutrition include people with low-caloric intake (less than 2,000 calories a day) and older adults. Probably the worst culprit for mood disturbance is the very-low-calorie diet. While some dieters experience a temporary euphoria, over time food cravings develop, along with fatigue, depression and irritability. Food cravings can lead to binging, frustration and an increasing obsession with controlling food intake and appetite.

Mind-altering food?

While we think of them as part of our diet, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages are actually drugs that have strong effects on mood. That's why they are so popular. Why not rely on these substances to provide the mood regulation that we seek? While a small amount of these substances appears to be safe for most people, larger amounts lead to negative health effects and even interfere with the original good mood produced by the first cup or glass. One or two servings of a caffeinated beverage can provide an uplift, but too much caffeine makes us nervous and anxious, and can lead to sleep disturbances. Too much alcohol makes us ... well, drunk, as well as tired, irritable and stressed. Some people find even one drink leaves them more fatigued the next day.

Your internal energy rhythms

While American culture seems to believe that we wake up in the morning full of high energy that lasts until evening falls, most of us find we have fairly predictable energy highs and lows throughout the day. Instead of fighting your energy rhythms with too many cups of coffee, accept the fact that energy levels vary. Schedule activities around your own rhythms, whenever possible. Use exercise rather than caffeine when you need more energy.

Prevent dehydration

Chronic low-grade dehydration is a common cause of fatigue. Drink four to six glasses of water a day; more if you're exercising.

R and R

The obvious is often overlooked: You need rest and relaxation to stay healthy and maintain your stress resistance. A good night's sleep almost every night is a must. So are activities that allow you to relax and have fun.

A good mood is best achieved by taking all of these recommendations with a grain of salt and plenty of good times. If you're up half the night because it's your only opportunity to connect with some visiting friends, enjoy! Your stress-resistant lifestyle will carry you through the day until you can catch up on your rest tomorrow.

By Barbara A. Brehm, Ed.D. A professor of exercise and sport studies at Smith College, Northampton, Mass.

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To replace the muscle loss, bone loss and metabolic rate reduction associated with the aging process, older adults must perform regular strength exercises.