How Setpoint Diet Can Boost Your Energy and Mood

If you struggle with low energy and mood, it may surprise you to learn that the setpoint diet can help. The setpoint diet is more than just a weight-loss plan. It is a lifestyle plan designed to help you become the best version of YOU.

Need to lose weight permanently? The setpoint diet has the solution for you. Need more energy, a better mood? The setpoint diet can help you with that, too. How can the setpoint diet help you lose weight and boost your energy and mood? It’s all about nutrition.

Poor nutrition is either the underlying cause or contributing factor to most health conditions and diseases, including weight gain and obesity. The quality of the foods and beverages you consume either heals or harm your body and your health. This includes your level of energy. It includes your emotional state (mood). For good or ill, you cannot escape the effects of nutrition on your health and well-being.

The foods on the setpoint diet plan have been scientifically proven to heal your hormones and lower your setpoint weight, promoting long-term weight loss. The foods also work together to ensure a slow and steady release of energy. You will not experience extreme energy fluctuations on the setpoint diet. (Most people don’t mind the energy highs they experience after eating a candy bar or other sugary treat. It’s the energy crash coming shortly thereafter that bothers them.)

The foods on the setpoint diet also give your brain the nutrients it needs to brighten your mood. Some of the foods on the setpoint diet help increase serotonin levels in the brain, a target of many antidepressant medications. It should be noted, however, that there is no proof manipulating serotonin levels improves depression.

Setpoint Diet, energy, and mood

The setpoint diet focuses on whole foods that provide the nutrition your cells need. The effects of these foods are based on peer-reviewed clinical research studies showing how nutrition affects the brain, body, and mood.

You usually know whether you need to lose weight. But how do you know if you need to improve your energy and mood? Just ask yourself these questions: Are you easily fatigued? Do you lack the energy to play with your children or go to dinner with your spouse? Do minor physical activities, such as walking to the mailbox, wear you out? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you likely have an energy problem that is at least partially caused by poor-quality diet and lifestyle factors.

As for mood issues…Are you “down in the dumps” a lot? Sad? Angry? Do you have sudden angry outbursts? Do you experience frequent, unpredictable mood changes? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you likely have a mood issue that is also at least partially caused by poor-quality diet and other lifestyle factors.

If you have any energy and mood issues, you’re not alone.

Energy and Mood Disorders

Hundreds of millions of people worldwide experience energy and mood disorders. Let’s discuss some of these disorders.

Energy Disorders

There are no conditions specifically listed as energy disorders, not even chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). That’s because fatigue is normally a symptom of something else, such as a side effect of medication or a sleep disorder. Fatigue is also a common symptom of many diseases, including obesity, congestive heart failure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, and various types of cancer. The development of these diseases, though, is almost always linked to poor-quality diet and other lifestyle factors.

(That said, there has never been an underlying medical cause found for the extreme fatigue of CFS.)

Mood Disorders

Mood disorder is a blanket term for all types of depression and bipolar disorders. Unlike energy disorders, the number of mood disorders is plentiful. Here are some of the most common mood disorders.

Depression

Depression is defined as a persistent feeling of sadness and worthlessness. It affects the mind, body, and emotions, often interfering with everyday activities. Major depressive disorder, also called clinical depression, is a severe form of depression that can significantly increase the risk of suicide. More than 18 million American adults (around 9.5% of the U.S. population) in a given year experience a depressive disorder.

Categories of depressive disorders include:

• Major depressive disorder
• Persistent depressive disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Postpartum depression
• Premenstrual dysphoric syndrome
• Seasonal affective disorder
• Atypical depression

Anxiety

Though not defined as a mood disorder, anxiety can be a mental illness that often negatively affects mood. In fact, anxiety disorder is the most common mental illness in the U.S. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million U.S. adults suffer from an anxiety disorder every year. (That’s slightly more than 18% of the U.S. adult population.)

There are several types of anxiety disorders, including:

• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety
• Specific phobias
• Panic disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Many people experiencing mood and energy issues either suffer in silence or regularly take prescription medication. Most psychotropic medications used to treat depression and/or anxiety come with a variety of side effects. Some of these side effects are just bothersome; others are dangerous.

Many clinical research studies indicate that placebos may be as effective or even more effective than antidepressant medication in treating most forms of depression. The “placebo effect” is when a patient experiences a beneficial effect from a treatment that cannot be attributed to the treatment itself. But because the patient believes the treatment — medication, surgery, etc. — is “real,” he or she feels better or recovers from the condition.

Why should you take the risk of potentially dangerous side effects of these medications when they may not be any more effective than a placebo? We’re not telling you to stop taking your medication(s). In fact, we advise you to always talk to your healthcare provider about any health concerns. All we ask is that you consider the possibility the setpoint diet can boost your energy and mood better than medication!

Food, energy, and mood

Most people accept the fact that the foods they eat affect their health. But many people don’t link food and nutrition to low energy and mood issues. Science is clear that food does, indeed, affect your energy and mood. Here are some ways certain types of foods or beverages affect energy and mood.

Sugar/starches

Sugars and starches are aggressive calories, meaning they are quickly converted to glucose and absorbed into the bloodstream. This causes a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. (If you drink a sugar-sweetened beverage, the rise in blood sugar levels will be more extreme.) The result?

That blood sugar spike causes that short burst of energy you feel shortly after consuming sugars and/or starches. This usually feels good. But in response to this high amount of glucose dumped into your bloodstream, your pancreas releases a similarly large amount of insulin. Insulin’s job is to clear excess glucose from the bloodstream. With so much insulin on the job, your elevated blood glucose levels quickly fall. This creates an extended and extreme drop in energy, affecting both your energy and mood. You may feel extremely tired. Lethargic. Moody. Irritable. Sound familiar?

Caffeine

Coffee is a popular morning drink because it contains caffeine, a stimulant. But many foods and headache medications also contain caffeine, and all of them affect your energy and mood.

In moderate amounts, caffeine does energize you. It can even enhance physical and mental performance. But if consumed in excess, caffeine can trigger hyperactivity, anxiety, and mood swings. It is not a long-term solution for low energy, either. Like other stimulants, caffeine needs to be replenished every few hours to maintain its “high.” Otherwise, your energy level will drop as the caffeine leaves your system. You may be unusually tired or have trouble focusing. This makes caffeine a poor choice as a long-lasting energy booster.

Heavily processed foods

Heavily processed foods — such as breakfast cereals, frozen dinners, and pastries — are loaded with sugars and starches. With no fiber to slow glucose absorption, these foods cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels that give you a jolt of energy. But about 30 minutes later, your blood sugar drops, creating just the opposite — fatigue and lethargy. You may even become irritable or angry. In fact, research shows over-consumption of heavily processed foods can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mood issues.

To make matters worse, heavily processed foods are not filling. A short while after eating them, you’ll probably go back for a second or third serving. The result on your blood sugar will be the same, with your energy and mood suffering accordingly.

Alcohol

Anyone who drinks alcohol or sees someone else drink alcohol knows it affects energy and mood. Alcohol usually relaxes you. It can make you happy, the life of the party — initially. But alcohol is a depressant. This substance has been known to trigger feelings of stress, anxiety, anger, and rage.

Plus, as the good-feeling “buzz” of the alcohol wears down, depression and fatigue often occur. Researchers believe this is because alcohol reduces levels of serotonin in the brain.

Fried foods

Research shows fried foods are bad for health in general, mostly because they are usually fried in unhealthy fats, such as lard or trans fats. But how does this affect energy and mood? Well…

New, cutting-edge research shows over-consumption of “bad fats” can inflame the hypothalamus, known as neurological inflammation. Among other important functions, the hypothalamus helps regulate emotions and energy levels. If it is inflamed, it cannot send or receive the signals necessary to regulate these functions.

Studies show neurological inflammation may be one of the main causes of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and other energy and mood issues.

The SANE Setpoint Diet way to boost energy and mood

The food groups on the setpoint diet work together to regulate your blood sugar levels. Because of their slow absorption into the bloodstream, they provide energy that lasts all day. You won’t experience energy slumps on the setpoint diet.

In addition, these foods provide all the nutrition your cells need, automatically improving your energy levels and mood. (By contrast, heavily processed foods lack nutrients.)

The setpoint diet is easy to incorporate into your life, and the food groups are easy to remember. Here are the 4 food groups:

Non-starchy vegetables

The fiber content of non-starchy vegetables ensures slow glucose absorption into your bloodstream. This prevents blood sugar highs and lows, keeping your energy levels steady all day and your mood bright.

Enjoy at least 10 servings of non-starchy veggies per day. Either fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables at each meal or whip a few servings together into a green smoothie. Here are some energy-boosting non-starchy vegetables to try:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Eggplant
• Endive
• Kale
• Spinach

Nutrient-dense proteins

Nutrient-dense proteins have little effect on your blood sugar levels. Plus, it takes your body a long time to digest protein. Like non-starchy vegetables, consuming protein promotes stable blood sugar levels.

Enjoy 3-5 servings of nutrient-dense proteins per day, 30-55 grams per meal. Fill one-third of your plate with nutrient-dense protein at each main meal. Here are some great nutrient-dense proteins to boost your energy and improve your mood:

• Chicken
• Cottage Cheese
• Egg Whites
• Grass-Fed Beef
• Nonfat Greek Yogurt
• Salmon

Whole-food fats

Whole-food fats also have little effect on blood sugar levels, and they taste great. As for your energy levels and mood…they help out there, too. Eating good fats is necessary for health. The majority of our hormones are made from fat. Our brain is mostly fat. So, eating whole-food fats has a positive effect on energy and mood.

Enjoy 3-6 servings of whole food fats per day. Fill the remaining one-third of your plate with whole-food fats at every main meal. Here are some great whole-food fats to get you started:

• Almonds
• Avocado
• Chia Seeds
• Flax Seeds
• Olives
• Whole Eggs (This is whole-food fat because more calories come from fat than from any other macronutrient.)

Low-fructose fruits

Eating occasional low-fructose fruits keeps you from overeating refined sugar. Plus, it contains fiber to slow glucose absorption, keeping blood sugar levels stable.

Feel free to enjoy up to 3 servings of low-fructose fruits per day. Here are some great low-fructose fruits:

• Blueberries
• Grapefruit
• Lemons
• Oranges
• Peaches
• Strawberries

The setpoint diet is a delicious, enjoyable way to boost your energy and brighten your mood. So, what are you waiting for? Click here to get your free Quick-Start Guides.

Next step: Learn how the Setpoint Diet can boost your energy and mood with SANE

Ready to finally break free from the yo-yo dieting rollercoaster by balancing your hormones and lowering your body’s setpoint weight?

Want to know the exact foods and serving sizes that are scientifically proven by over 1,300 peer-reviewed research studies to boost metabolism, burn fat and enjoy virtually effortless weight loss like a naturally thin person?

Download the free SANE metabolism boosting food list, cheat sheet, and “Eat More, Burn More” weight loss program by clicking here .