Excerpt from the Introduction: When we set out to create a cookbook about food and mood, we were inspired to write all about the "happiness" diet. Here's what happened instead: we were thrust into a pandemic (like everyone else) while working and parenting, and fell into a hole of deep sadness, grief, loss, loneliness, anxiety, depression, and confusion. It felt so ironic that we were writing a cookbook on how to elevate one's mental health while ours was slowly suffering. The truth is, together, our mental health, brain health, and mood is a composite of many things--not just one. It's made up of diet, movement, stress-releasing practices, quality sleep, connection with others, physical safety, community, strong sense of self, past experiences, self-compassion, genetics, and sometimes medication, therapy, and supplements. We wanted to show our readers how to become the happiest versions of themselves all through a simple shift in diet. Ta-da! Get those jazz hands out, because here is your before-and-after happiness picture! While there is a big element of truth to this--food absolutely impacts mood and our mental well-being--what we learned is that it's not a linear process, nor is it human to be happy all the time. If we hadn't been mindful of the food we were eating and the thoughts we were thinking during this time, if we hadn't been committed to balancing our blood sugar (we'll explain what this means shortly), eating colorful vegetables, getting enough protein, and enjoying healthy sweets, then that small hole we were in would have become a deep, gaping, dark crevasse. There are many pieces to the mental wellness puzzle, and in this book our focus is on food. Excerpted from Good Food, Good Mood: 100 Nourishing Recipes to Support Mind and Body Wellness by Tamara Green, Sarah Grossman All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.