According to many studies done over the last two decades, diet and exercise have a large effect on mood. Not only does it affect mood in the short term, diet affects mood in the long term. Short term mood effects include calmness, higher or lower energy, and happiness levels. Depression and desire to exercise are examples of long term mood changes. INTRODUCTION

The different chemicals in food alter a person’s brain and cause the mood change. Dopamine, for example, makes a person happy and anandamide blocks feelings of pain and depression. Food can trigger a release of or suppress different chemicals in the brain. Serotonin is boosted with cocoa and coffee triggers the release of BDNF, brain-derived neurotropic factor. However, sugar suppresses the activity of the growth hormone BDNF, which is critically low in people with depression. BACKGROUND

The project will test the effects of diet and exercise on mood. The goal is to see what factors dealing with diet and exercise affect mood so that individuals can be mentally and physically healthy. Unhealthy fast food restaurants along with the number of caffeinated beverages the participant drinks in a certain time period will also be recorded. If more research on this project is completed, it gives the opportunity to increase the health of every person, lengthen the human life span, and can even lower suicide rates. RESEARCH

Kleiner’s Good Mood Diet focuses on “the food you need to eat, not about the food you can’t eat.” Examples of food that cause a “good mood”:  Whole grains  Nuts  Sunflower seeds  Grape Fruit  Bananas  Broccoli  Seafood  Egg yolks  Lean, organic meats  Pomegranates  Pork  Strawberries  Low fat or fat free dairy THE GOOD MOOD DIET

 Develop a survey to give to at least 30 teenagers and adults, ages 13 and older  While the surveys are being completed, an excel spreadsheet will be made to organize results  The data, when received, will be entered into spreadsheet and organized into categories.  The data will be to see any patterns and significant numbers. METHOD

 Gender and Age  Exercise & how often  Eat 3 meals a day?  Snacks? (& type)  Food eaten most frequently  Typical energy level & mood  Scale 1-10, overall how healthy person eats  Beverages (energy drinks)  Vitamins and supplements taken  Description of meals eaten over past week; overall mood & energy level after meal  Number of times fast food is eaten every week & every month  Does participant show any signs of or have depression SURVEY

RESULTS Participants who frequently ate 4- 7 foods from Kleiner’s Diet had higher energy levels and happiness levels than those who ate less than 3 foods from the diet. However, 4 out of every 6 participants who ate over 4 of Kleiner’s diet drank at least 1 to 2 caffeinated beverages a day. The participants who ate less than 3 foods frequently recorded that they are usually irritated, tired, and feel “decent” on a regular basis. They also drank at least 1 to 2 energy drinks a day. Only two of the participants exercised who were in the eating 3 foods or less diet category. Their happiness levels averaged to 6 and their energy level also averaged 6.

Magee, Elaine, MPH. "How Food Affects Your Moods." WebMD. WebMD, 15 Dec Web. 22 Aug moods?page=3http:// moods?page=3 Rogers, Peter J. "Long-term Impact of Diet on Mood and Cognitive Function." Cambridge Journals Online. The Nutrition Society, 28 Feb Web. 23 Aug S&volumeId=60&issueId=01&aid=800648&bodyId=&membershipNumber=&societ yETOCSession=&fulltextType=MR&fileId=S S&volumeId=60&issueId=01&aid=800648&bodyId=&membershipNumber=&societ yETOCSession=&fulltextType=MR&fileId=S Hopf, Sarah- Marie. "You Are What You Eat: How Food Affects Your Mood." Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science. DUJS Online, 3 Feb Web. 23 Aug mood#.U_jwvMt0w5shttp://dujs.dartmouth.edu/fall-2010/you-are-what-you-eat-how-food-affects-your- mood#.U_jwvMt0w5s REFERENCES

Martin, Laura J., M.D. "Energy Foods Slideshow: Foods That Give Your Diet an Energy Boost." WebMD. WebMD, 24 Sept Web. 23 Aug Ramnarace, Cynthia. "Can Food Affect Your Mood?" CNN. Cable News Network, 27 Nov Web. 23 Aug Ramos, Rachel. "The Best 7 Anti Anxiety Foods." « Calm Clinic. Ryan Rivera, n.d. Web. 23 Aug Haput, Angela. "6 Ways Your Diet Affects How You Feel." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 31 Aug Web. 21 Aug and-mood-6-ways-your-diet-affects-how-you-feel Kleiner, Susan M., PhD, and Bob Condor. The Good Mood Diet. New York City: Springboard Pr, Print. REFERENCES