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A quote from a fantastic, in depth article in Harvard Magazine sums it up:

“As far as our hormones and metabolism are concerned, there’s no difference between a bowl of unsweetened corn flakes and a bowl of table sugar. Starch is 100 percent glucose [table sugar is half glucose, half fructose] and our bodies can digest it into sugar instantly.”

Healthy foods that affect your mood are the first step toward wellness.

Why turn to prescription drugs when your mental health could be improved with a trip to the grocery store?

Caffeine

The effects of caffeine on a person’s mood are well-known and backed up by lots of scientific evidence. Its presence in the body helps produce serotonin which is the chemical that is associated with those who are generally happy.
For those suffering from depression, often a lack of serotoninis to blame. In fact, a recent study was released which showed that women who drink coffee daily are at a lower risk of suffering from depression than their caffeine – free peers. Of course, the use of caffeine should be moderated as it does also have well-known unpleasant effects like insomnia and anxiety, but there is no reason that a person should not be able to drink a couple of cups of coffee a day.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, when ingested in small amounts throughout the day, have been shown to improve a person’s mood. The key is moderation and maintaining a balance of insulin in the bloodstream. Big swings in sugar levels have a way of causing big swings in mood.

Tryptophan

The amino acid tryptophan, commonly associated with turkey, is believed by many people to be a kind of sedative. It is also somewhat controversial. While some nutritionists believe that the sleepiness after a thanksgiving meal would occur after any large meal with or without turkey, others continue to believe that tryptophan helps blood sugar to get to neurotransmitters, which in turn affects mood. A diet rich in tryptophan may have an effect on serotonin production in a person’s brain.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help with a person’s mood as these fatty acids aid in brain function in those areas of the brain that are concerned with mood and behavior. These fatty acids are found in fish oil and can be taken either in pill form or by increasing the amount of fish in the diet. One study of people with bipolar disorder showed considerable improvement in mood among participants taking fish oil supplements when compared those taking a placebo.

Folic acid

It is thought that a deficiency folic acid, which is found in fruits and certain leafy vegetables, is thought to have an effect on mood, possibly causing depression. Foods such as spinach and legumes are rich sources of the chemical, so a person who is depressed may want to try increasing the amount of these things in their diet.

You don’t always hear good news about potatoes when it comes to your health, however, purple potatoes are a different story according to Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.

On average, diastolic blood pressure — the bottom number in a blood pressure reading — dropped by a statistically significant 4.3 percent and systolic blood pressure — the top number in a blood pressure reading — dropped by 3.5 percent.
While eating potatoes, most of the subjects — even those on anti-hypertensive medications — experienced lower blood pressure, and none of the subjects gained weight.

Baked and boiled potatoes are best while frying at high temperatures seems to destroy the health benefits of potatoes.

Enjoy in moderation and improve your health/

Maybe.

A person loses a great deal of water in the form of sweat when engaging in prolonged exercise. An athlete even more so.

It is therefore necessary to rehydrate, that’s why sports drinks provide water, carbohydrates, and electrolytes so the athlete’s performance might improve.

That said, sport’s drinks like Gatorade also provide empty calories.

Unless you’re in the middle of an Olympic training workout, this amount of excess calories is simply unnecessary.

Here are some of the Gatorade ingredients that will NOT enhance anyone’s workout: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Artificial Colors, Brominated Vegetable Oil.

Gatorade is fortified with a variety of different vitamins and minerals, including some fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A. Fat-soluble vitamins cannot be excreted from the body when they are consumed in quantities too large, so side effects may occur. Drinking too much Gatorade, and consuming much more than your recommended amount of vitamin A, can lead to vitamin toxicity, also known as hypervitaminosis A. The National Institutes of Health say that the symptoms of hypervitaminosis A include blurred vision, fatigue, headache and nausea.