Who hasn't found themselves reaching for the closest food available when they're tired and stressed? More and more research is proving that this isn't all in our mind. Some foods really do lead to a change in our moods  . Carbohydrate   for calm This is how some people medicate  themselves with food -- by reaching for cookies or pasta  whenever they're upset.  Unfortunately, it doesn't always work.  You must eat a meal consisting of 100% carbohydrate, on an empty stomach, to obtain the serotonin   increase so that you have a good mood. To get the wishedfor effect, you must not eat anything for four hours and then eat at least 30 grams of straight carbohydrate. Dry cereal  , a piece of bread with jam, or a potato should _  Protein   for power Of course, sometimes we don't need to be calm and sleepy.Sometimes we need a great deal of mental concentration, so this is when it's important to mix protein and carbohydrate. The protein will prevent the tryptophan   from flooding your brain,and the rise in serotonin  won't occur. Why dessert makes us happy Fat and sugar cause the brain to let go endorphins  , which send pleasure signals throughout the body. This would be fine, except humans are not particularly good at stopping at one cookie or cake. You can also satisfy your sweet tooth by choosing fruit for dessert. Timing your meals for energy Blood sugar drops after four hours of going without food, causing a decrease  in energy. Eating usually fixes this within 20 to 30 minutes, but don't suppose that eating more will cause a faster increase in energy. When you eat has as much of an effect on your mood as what you eat.  If you regularly go for a long period of time between meals, rethink your schedule and plan ahead. The function of protein is   _  .
to help you keep calm and sleepy to make you feel energetic to lead you to slowness to increase serotonin in your brain