Good Mood Foods vs. Bad Mood Foods

Adapted from The Mood Cure‘s Chapter 8

Think of the positive words associated with fat: rich, soft, shining, good-natured. In ancient times fat was associated with joy and the sacred. We need good-mood fats! One of the most spectacular is omega-3 and its first home is your brain. By far the best sources are wild salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies, and mackerel. They have about three times more omega-3 than other fish and five times more than flax seed oil. To get enough of the vital omega-3 fats, you’ll need to eat fish more often. The Japanese still eat two and a half pounds of fish weekly, and their depression rates have been nil (as have their heart disease rates).

Another extraordinary good-mood fat is the creamy saturated fat we’ve been avoiding all these years. I call them SATs for “satisfied.” SATs, like butter and coconut oil, actually protect the omega-3s in our brain. Eating more fish oil and SATs replaces the bad mood fats like the rancid vegetable oils (e.g., corn, soy, canola) so overloaded with troublesome omega-6 fat.

Explore The Mood Cure for more surprises on fat. Find out when and why whole wheat and soy products can be serious threats to your mood (and health).