Whether you're sipping diet soda to help slash calories or you simply like the flavor, you probably already know it's not the greatest for you. But did you also know that zero-calorie sugar substitute aspartame may be linked to headaches, dizziness, digestive problems, mood changes, Alzheimer disease, multiple sclerosis and some cancers? "Sugar in moderation is a healthy alternative to aspartame," says Ross.
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Mood Booster: Leafy Greens
You're probably already familiar with the myriad reasons you should be incorporating more greens into your diet but you might not have realized the influence one of the main nutrients found in these greens can have on your mood — specifically, B-vitamin folate. "Increasing foods high in folate, like kale, spinach and collard greens, may help stabilize mood by reducing depression," says Amidor. One study published in PrevMED analyzed hundreds of thousands of adults and found that consumption of fruits and veggies rich in folate and antioxidants significantly reduced the risk of depression, anxiety and other psychological disorders.
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Mood Crusher: Processed Foods
A diet high in processed foods, such as processed meats (bacon, sausage, ham), sugar-sweetened soda and sugary foods (desserts, baked goods) is linked to higher risks of depression, says Palmer. Studies that analyzed adults suffering from major depressive disorder found that those who had a diet higher in processed foods had a smaller hippocampus (the area of the brain that controls memory, mood and learning) than those who had a diet high in nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables and fish.
