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Certain Foods And Drinks Can Trigger A Bad Mood

Published

1 year ago

March 14, 2024

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Our relationships with food is complicated. Sometimes after consuming a delicious meal that we know is bad for us, our body feels sluggish. Or sometimes you have a craving and go in search for a particular flavor profile. Some people love sweets and others love savory. Food is an important part of our daily life and drives some decisions. But did you know certain foods and drinks can trigger a bad mood?

A lot of our favorite comfort foods and beverages, like fries, mac and cheese, cookies, sodas and coffee drinks tend to provide side effects with no nutritional value. The quick burst of energy and dopamine they provide is fleeting, leaving you feeling cranky and hungry soon after.

“Emotional eating is a cyclical process where low mood leads to eating foods likely to spike your blood sugar, giving us a dose of dopamine, but then it drops at the same time as we start to feel guilty,” psychologist Lee Chambers. “This combination often makes us feel a lack of satisfaction, with feelings of guilt, shame and regret.”

Here are some foods and beverages which could be guilty of making you grumpy.

Coffee

While coffee generally makes us feel great first thing in the morning, too much of it can make us feel jittery and irritable. If you’re particularly sensitive to caffeine, you might even have trouble sleeping at night. In order to prevent this, it’s helpful to limit your coffee and caffeine intake, including teas, sodas, and the like. If you need a pick me up during the day and have already had some coffee, consider eating something filling, with protein. If you’re in a time crunch, stock up on energy bars and have them around your car and house.

Junk foods

Fries, pizza bites, chips and other kinds of comforting junk foods contain high amounts of saturated fats, refined sugars and more. These can cause energy crashes and can make you feel tired for long periods of time. While it’s unrealistic to never eat these kinds of foods, we should all aim for consuming relatively healthy foods throughout our days, keeping you energized, that way we can enjoy the times we consume those kinds of meals. Here’s why fast food makes us cranky.

Alcohol

Having a cocktail or a glass of wine is fun, until it isn’t. The substance is a depressant, slowing parts of the brain and creating a delay to how we react to outside events. It’s why drunk people are uncoordinated and can fall easily. It’s also why they should never drive. Alcohol also causes a loss of inhibition, which is why there’s angry or very emotional drunks who say things they’ll later regret. But the bad mood often kicks in the next morning, when you wake up with a crippling hangover that equally cripples your otherwise productive day.

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The Best Cocktails To Welcome Spring

Published

1 week ago

March 21, 2025

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The darkness of winter is slipping away and bright, warm spring has arrived – and here is the perfect cocktail to toast it’s return!

It always seems winter is the longest season, but now warm weather, longer days, and the blooming of plants have arrived. Here are the best cocktails to welcome spring. Migrating birds return to their base and plants began to reemerge. And while the weather can be a bit wacky, the promise of a fun summer is right around the corner. Fun fact, more babies are born during spring. Many families gain an additional member during this period, making spring officially the season of babies. All this give multiple reasons to toast with something refreshing.

RELATED: Beer Sales Flatten Thanks To Marijuana

Lemon Lavender Gin Rickey

Why not give a refreshing classic cocktail a spring twist by making it even more light and refreshing? The refreshing cocktail of gin, lime juice, and soda water, originated in Washington, D.C. in the late 1880s and was named after Democratic lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey who frequented Shoemaker’s bar. The addition of lavender provides a little flair for the taste buds.

Ingredients

3 ounces gin
4 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
4 ounces seltzer water
2 sprigs lavender
2 wedges of lemon

Create

Pour gin, lemon juice, and honey over ice in a cocktail shaker and shake well
Strain into two glasses filled with ice
Top with seltzer
Garnish each glass with a sprig of lavender and a slice of lemon

The Desert Bird

You can hear the birds chirping as they emerge or return from winter. This sweet-yet-bitter drink celebrates the return with a treat for the mouth. You can use either mezcal or tequila for equal results. Or do a taste test.

Ingredients

1.5 ounces bacanora, mezcal, or tequila
.75 ounces pineapple gum (or simple syrup mixed with equal parts pineapple juice)
.50 ounces Campari
.50 ounces fresh lime juice
1 pinch salt
1 sprig mint, for garnish

Create

Combine all the ingredients together in a shaker
Strain over ice into glass
Serve with mint leaf

The Spring Bloom

With this cocktail, reflect the spring like atmosphere outside with a beverage in a glass. Combing the flavors of spring over ice with vodka will be a floral bouquet for your mouth!

1 ¹/₂ ounces vodka
³/₄ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
¹/₂ ounce honey syrup
3 ounces soda water
1 sprig fresh rosemary (for garnish)
1 pinch lavender salt (for garnish)

Create

Combine vodka, lemon juice, honey syrup, and ice in a shaker
Shake 30-40 seconds
Strain the mixture into a glass with fresh ice
Top off with soda water
Give it a swirl with the sprig of fresh rosemary
Finish with a pinch of lavender salt

RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails

Kentucky Spire

While the Kentucky Derby is still a couple of months away, you can still celebrate with a good bourbon. This drinks adds a layering of flavors to allow you to kick back and take in the moment.

Ingredients

1.5 oz Bourbon
2 oz Lemonade
1 oz Cranberry Juice
Lemon zest for garnish

Create

Add ice to a lowball glass
Add lemonade and cranberry juice and stir with spoon
Add bourbon and stir until thoroughly mixed
Garnish with a lemon zest

Sweet Tea Smash

This drink will give you a little extra energy to enjoy the longer evenings. Tea is the second most caffeinated drink after coffee, so use this for a pick up on enjoyable spring evenings.

Ingredients

1 oz bourbon
1 oz iced tea
4 Mint leaves
2 Lemon wedges
1 tsp simple syrup
Mint sprig for garnish

Create

In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves and lemon wedges
Add bourbon, tea, simple syrup, and ice to cocktail shaker
Shake until chilled, roughly 20 seconds
Strain into a chilled glass with fresh ice
Garnish with a fresh mint sprig

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How Cannabis Can Help You During Lent

Published

4 weeks ago

March 5, 2025

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Even a planned sacrifice can use a little help, here is how marijuana can help you during Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. This time is observed in many Christian traditions, including Catholic, Lutheran, Moravian, Anglican, United Protestant, and Orthodox. It is usually a 40-day period, which echoes the time Jesus spent fasting in the desert. The time is thought to symbolize testing, trial, and renewal. In addition to donating time, talent and treasure along with self reflection, the true believer believes you should give us something you love. For some it is wine or alcohol, for others it could be more.Here is how cannabis can help you during Lent.

RELAETD: Is GERD Helped By Cannabis

Cannabis use during Lent, a traditional Christian period of fasting and spiritual reflection, is a complex and controversial topic requiring careful consideration. While some may view cannabis as incompatible with Lenten practices, others argue it can potentially aid in spiritual growth and personal reflection when used mindfully. Done correctly, it can help you reach your goals.

Studies suggest cannabis can be used as a replacement for alcohol and can improve overall health. It offers a range of benefits for those seeking to reduce or eliminate their alcohol consumption. CBD and THC drops are becoming popular substitutes, providing natural relaxation without the negative side effects associated with drinking. Unlike alcohol, which can lead to dehydration, impaired judgment, and potential long-term health risks, cannabis promotes relaxation and improved sleep quality without causing hangovers.

Studies suggest cannabis may help individuals maintain alcohol abstinence, with some patients reporting it as an effective substitute. The trend of replacing alcohol with cannabis is growing, with daily cannabis use surpassing daily alcohol use in the United States for the first time. Cannabis-infused beverages are also on the rise, offering a diverse range of options for those looking to socialize without alcohol.

In addition, many adherents of Lent are older, and a key benefit of cannabis is relief. For those dealing with chronic pain or anxiety, cannabis may offer relief without breaking Lenten commitments to abstain from other substances. Medical marijuana users have reported significant improvements in quality of life, pain levels, and overall functioning. This could allow individuals to focus more deeply on their spiritual practices without being hindered by physical discomfort.

Part of the sacrifice is to reflect on the spiritual journey. Cannabis can promote introspection and heightened awareness, which aligns with Lenten goals of self-examination and spiritual growth. However, it’s crucial to approach this mindfully and avoid using cannabis as an escape or distraction from the purpose of Lent.

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The Best Easy Super Bowl Cocktails

Published

1 month ago

February 13, 2025

admin

Ready to get your game on with these Super Bowl cocktails?

It is the finale to the football season and a good chunk of the population tunes in to watch the Super Bowl. Alone, with a few friends or a full on party…it is a festive occasions (at least until the 4th quarter in a tight game) and people enjoy a beverage. The Super Bowl is a drinking day for most viewers. As you settle into the 59th annual game, try the best Super Bowl cocktails.

RELATED: Beer Sales Flatten Thanks To Marijuana

Creole Bloody Mary

In a nod to the host city New Orleans, a Creole Bloody Mary is the best to pre-func and get right to start watching the game! This is a flavorful way to start the day.

Ingredients

3/4 cup vodka
4-1/2 cups chilled tomato juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4-6 dashes Tabasco hot sauce
Salt and black pepper
Celery for garnish

Create

Fill shaker with ice
Combine vodka, juices, Worcestershire, salt, pepper and hot sauce in shaker
Strain and pour in a tall glass with ice
Garnish with celery stick

Super Bowl Julep

The nice thing about the Super Bowl is you can enjoy day drinking. While a Mint Julep is the drink of the Kentucky Derby, it is refreshing enough for morning football drinking. Plus it is good for the throat after all the cheering.

Ingredients

4 sprigs of mint
1 teaspoon of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of water
2 oz. bourbon
Fresh mint sprig, for garnish

Create

Muddle the mint, the sugar and the water in a cup
Add the bourbon and stir gently
Fill a glass to the top with finely crushed ice, add the julep mix and garnish with mint

FYI, an ounce of mint simple syrup can be substituted for the mint/sugar/water mixture

Perfect Stormy

Why not combine the classic beer with the cocktail. Mix it up and enjoy this drink…rich in flavor and filling enough you don’t have too many over the course of the game.

2 oz amber rum

1 oz egg white

1 oz fresh lime juice

¾ oz ginger simple syrup

3 dashes Scrappy’s lime bitters

4 oz light beer

Glass: Highball tumbler/Collins glas

Create

Dry shake all ingredients except the beer
Add ice and shake
Double strain into a collins glass with ice
Top up with beer

RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails

Gatorade Margarita

Everyone knows hydration is important when plays sports. It is also important for fans, especially if they are celebrating. Gatorade is part of the football culture, dive in with this take on a classic cocktail.

Ingredients

1/4 cup blue sanding sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
One 20-ounce bottle blue sports drink, such as Cool Blue Gatorade ®, chilled
1 cup thawed frozen limeade concentrate
1 cup silver tequila
1/3 cup blue curacao
Fresh orange slices, for serving

Create

Mix the sugar and salt in a shallow dish
Wet the rims of 4 to 6 rocks glasses with water and then dip in the sugar-salt mixture to coat
Combine the sports drink, limeade concentrate, tequila and blue curacao in a large pitcher and stir
Fill the rocks glasses with ice
Pour the margarita into the glass
Garnish each with an orange slice

Fourth Quarter Rum Countdown

When the fourth quarter hits, it can be a focus time, keep it simple with this classic drink. Quick to prepare, refreshing to drink and the soda is a little caffeine boost after tailgating.

Ingredients