Mood food

It's war in cricket these days, thanks to IPL. And there are casualties "" some of which even happen on the pitch. Vijay Mallya's Royal Challengers, led by Rahul Dravid, have lost more matches than they have won, and have little consolation in defeat.

Shah Rukh Khan's Knight Riders were just rained out of the semifinals, so they must be looking for a way to drown their sorrows.

Backstage in the dressing rooms, owners with money and reputations at stake are rumoured to be occasionally wrangling with team members. Shah Rukh has had to squash rumours that he and Saurav Ganguly don't see eye to eye.

In tennis too good matches turn sour. Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi play well as a team but can't stand each other, and it's not easy to keep the sniping under control.

Disappointment and tension are powerful forces "" in the body as well as in the mind. New resolve takes time to form, and until then the mind and thus the body are prey to all sorts of new doubts and appetites.

A relationship in meltdown, in the movies, leads a woman to ice cream and chocolate cake, large quantities of sweet, calorie-rich goo. It may be a disaster for the waistline, but food science tells us that there's an excellent reason for the choice. Carbohydrates raise the level in the body of a chemical named serotonin which has a strong mood-uplifting effect.

In India, most of our fast food is carbs-rich, such as chaat and chana-bhatura. This is also our favourite comfort food; no wonder we feel so replete afterwards. It's possible that miserable cricketers and tennis stars are now eyeing these foods hungrily.

Too much, however, and sluggishness will descend. Carbs are good for energy and a mood lift, but in excess they take the place of other more nutritious elements in the diet. Who can exercise, or play, poorly fortified and carrying a full stomach and a load of disappointment?

For the ordinary eater no less than the professional sportsperson, awareness of one's food choices is of great importance.

If you recognise what emotional effects trigger what kinds of food appetites, and can be honest with yourself about this, perhaps the craving will be smaller and the good effect greater.