Feel Good Foods

Sweets and other high-fat foods provide a quick fix for a foul mood. Unfortunately, while their effects don't last, the pounds they pack on do.

According to Cheryl Hartsough, RD, director of Wellness and Health Programs at The Aspen Club in Colorado, the following chart can help you choose the right food to counterbalance your mood.

When you feel depressed, avoid cake, ice cream, and pastries; eat whole grain entrees such as pasta primavera or rice and beans.

When you feel sleepy and lethargic, avoid sweets, pizza, and high-fat foods; eat low-fat, high-protein foods such as broiled or baked fish, veal, poultry, nonfat or low-fat cheese, and egg white omelets.

When you feel tense, anxious, or stressed, avoid chocolate, cake, and ice cream; eat fresh fruit, dried fruit, pasta, whole grain bread, baked potato, rice, and vegetables.

In short, always assess your mood before taking that first bite. If you must binge, make the binge work for you and not against you.