Journal-News.com

site web

The lamb-like March weather that teased us earlier this month drew us out of our winter cocoons and into action.

We surveyed our yards and made big plans for spring planting. We tackled our closets to clear out the dark, heavy clothes and prepare for the bright colors to come. The fresh angle of the sun highlighted cobwebs and window smudges that were invisible all winter, so we thought we'd try a little spring cleaning.

Then, Ohio weather being what it is, it got chilly and gray again. And just like that, I went back into my cocoon. I just wasn't in the mood.

That's the problem with moods. They're capricious and can change as fast as the weather. They're the reason we start a diet and the reason we eat too much. They're why we exercise one day and barely get off the couch the next. They're why we splurge at the mall and then chastise ourselves for it later.

It's easy to change when the mood strikes us, but easier still to change back. It's hard to make any progress when we let circumstances govern us.

It's a mind-set, not a mood, that leads athletes to practice when they don't feel like it and recovering alcoholics to refrain when their bodies cry out for a drink.

If we can change our mind-set, we can accomplish anything. All those motivational posters can't be wrong.

But it takes more than the image of a "Hang in There" kitten clinging to a tree limb. Wiser minds than mine have long pondered our reliance on moods over mind-sets. If circumstances threaten to derail your best-laid plans, consider these:

"Nothing on earth can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." — Thomas Jefferson

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." — Carl Bard

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

"If we did all we were capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves." — Thomas Edison

"If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it." — Jonathan Winters

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." — Abraham Lincoln

"It's never too late to become the person you might have been." — George Elliot

"Just do it." — Nike marketing slogan

How foods can help our moods

Platitudes aside, much has been documented on the benefits certain foods have over our moods by stimulating the chemicals that act in different parts of our brains.

A bite or two of dark chocolate can improve blood flow to the brain and enhance our cognitive performance.

Fatty fish like salmon can increase serotonin levels and may help ease symptoms of depression.

Sunflower seeds and Brazil nuts are loaded with selenium, which helps combat anxiety and irritability.

Bananas stimulate the release of dopamine, which may produce pleasant feelings. And they contain magnesium, which can relieve stress and help you sleep better.

These foods work best eaten in their unprocessed form, of course. But sometimes, a banana isn't just a banana. It's the start of a decadent cream pie, which is my daughter's specialty. Because sometimes, we're just in the mood for something sweet.

Banana Cream Pie

Three-quarters cup sugar

One-quarter cup plus two teaspoons corn starch

One-eighth teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks, beaten

3 cups milk

1½ tablespoons butter or margarine

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 baked 9-inch pie crust

2 small bananas

Three-quarters cup whipping cream

One-third cup sifted powdered sugar

Bake pie crust as directed. Slice the bananas and arrange on the bottom of the pie crust.

Combine first three ingredients in a heavy saucepan; stir well. Combine egg yolks and milk; gradually stir into sugar mixture.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Immediately pour into pie crust. Cover filling with wax paper. Cool 30 minutes; chill until firm.

Beat whipping cream at medium speed of an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Spread over filling. Chill.

Contact this writer at carol.rini@gmail.com.