Brianna Collins Ingram English 1102 October 16, 2012 A 3-Sided Essay Draft 2: Who knows what theyre

talking about? In the process of researching the topic Food and Mood I noticed three major groups of people talking about the topic. These three main groups are psychologists, nutritionists, and regular people who suffer with mood problems and are looking for a solution. These three groups of people are the main ones sharing their experiences and knowledge on how foods effect the brain and ones chronological health or mind. Psychologist A psychologist would take a more scientific stand on the topic of food and mood. Because they are educated on the subject of the mind which in this case houses the mood, they would be able to better analyze the effects of the alterations within ones mood; thus being able to better explain the duration between food and mood and the correlating effects. They see it as a this is happening this way because and can provide vivid detail on what they predict is happening. Out of the three it is only expected that psychologists had the most to say. I read various articles by psychologists discussing their research and other psychologists research on the topic food and mood. Out of those articles there was a common association with comfort foods foods that improve moods, These foods are associated with good thoughts and warm feelings that reconnect people with meaningful associations to others (Serani). Psychologists also tend to

chemically explain what takes place when certain foods are consumed and how they are affecting our body biologically. For example, in an article by Dr. Susan Serani a psychologist herself, she explained how the chemical structure of what one eats communicates with the body, which can affect cognition, influence mood and the bodys physical status. She influences her own patients to consume foods that vary in vitamins and minerals and contain omega-3. A psychologist can explain to you how carbs are a feel good food and how they increase a brain chemical called tryptophan, which is converted to serotonin, a calming "feel good" neurotransmitter. (Juli) Nutritionist A nutritionist is an expert on nutrition and diet, so their writings obtained a lot of information on specific foods rather than chemical interactions and breakdowns that a psychologist would discuss. A psychologists focus is the brain or mind and how the environment effects it, a nutritionist however, focuses on the body as a whole and how what one puts into it affects it. Nutritionists tend to be more specific than other groups when it comes to the type of foods that are being discussed. Nutritionist can tell you exactly what to eat. They would know carbs are calming and how eating those during certain times of day can affect you. They would know the proper amount to consume on a daily base and the appropriate type. Nutritionists would also combine some sort of activity to go along with the food one is consuming to result in a better mood. A nutritionist viewpoint is not so focused on one thing but rather on how different things such as food, exercise, and sleep can come together and affect ones mental state and physical wellbeing.

Average Joes Finally are the regular people who are experiencing issues with their moods. The articles that were written by regular people all tended to be somewhat a cry for help. They can give better examples of what they are experiencing and a better or more down to earth description of what foods personally effected them and how. In this case it is in the perception of the lab rat, rather than the scientist, which is really a different perspective on this topic. Since this group of people is generally not a psychologist and is not educated in the topic there is generally more opinionated things being discussed amongst them. For example, while reading these kinds of articles they all have I and my and tell stories about their lives and what is happening with themselves. By doing this they are allowing others to learn by their experiences. While in comparison to the other groups they lack the scientific studies and the facts. But they give more insight and personal descriptions of how food affects mood rather than collected data from a study or what you learned in school. These are people just like you and I, who have noticed problems within themselves regarding their moods and are looking for alternatives or a better way to handle their problem. Most of these people view the topic as a way to help others who are experiencing what they are. They provide advice from their experiences, such as keeping a log of what you eat, or a food diary discussing how you feel after eating. They dont have anything but personal experience to back up what they say. And that is basically what they are talking about, themselves and how what they ate affected them be it good or bad.

Work Cited: Geary, Amanda. Mind guide to food and mood. 2010. Mind. Online. Web. 16 October 2012 Goodfriend, Gillian. Food and Your mood: Nutrition and Mental Health. NCPAD. Online. Web. 16 October 2012 Juli. Friday Fun: Food and Mood. 22 July 2011. Psych Your Mind: applying psychology to everyday life. Online. Blog. 16 October 2012
Serani, Deborah, Psy.D. Comfort Foods Improve moods. Two Takes on Depression. 7 April 2011. Psychology Today online. Web. 16 October 2012