I've noticed that when my children are in pleasant moods,
chances are good that I will be, too, and vice versa. This means
I am invested in keeping our moods stable. So what is the
connection between mood and food? Our brain regulates our moods.
In layman's terms, our brain needs four main chemicals, also
known as neurotransmitters, to properly produce steady positive
emotions. These chemicals are serotonin, endorphins,
catecholamines and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The food we
eat provides the building blocks of these four important
compounds. In "The Mood Cure," psychotherapist Julia Ross
explains that there are certain positive feelings associated
with each of the four main mood-enhancing neurotransmitters, and
also certain amino acids that ignite or fuel each of these
neurotransmitters. (The accompanying chart is a summary of some
of her research.) We need all four happy chemicals to have
balanced emotions. Nobody wants to feel euphoria all the time
(although it might be tempting), but feeling relaxed