Finding your food-mood solution: feeling anxious, depressed, angry or stressed? It might not be what's eating you, but what's your eating.(EAT SMART FOOD)

It's not your imagination--there are plenty of people out there with "pissy" moods.

People are definitely more irritable, angry, anxious, impulsive and distracted than they used to be. You see these bad moods practically anytime you drive your car. People impatiently rush into an elevator before you get out. And others express their annoyance while waiting in line at the supermarket.

One survey found that rude behavior is more common now than it was 20 or 50 years ago. Another study reported that 16 million Americans terrorize others with outbursts of explosive rage.

What's Going on?

As a sociologist and nutritionist, I blame two factors: the mounting stresses of modern life and the deterioration in eating habits. When we're stressed--and who doesn't feel pressured by a lack of time--our eating habits are the first thing to slide. We delay meals or skip them completely, then end up quenching our hunger at the nearest fast-food restaurant. The trouble is that junk foods and snacks turn our blood sugar into a roller coaster, pulling our mood with it and shortchanging the neuronutrients we need for better moods and behavior.

Blood Sugar and Neuronutrients

If you're skeptical about the food-mood connection, think about how you feel after eating.