Food is in the news. It now looks like what you eat can affect your mood and how you eat –your weight.And this news is as timely as ever, especially since we are about to enter the prime eating----I mean holiday---season.There are two new findings out about food. The first one backs up what your mom probably always told you---to slow down when you eat. It turns out that eating fast leads to eating more which of course adds to weight gain. Here’s what researchers found---when volunteers ate slowly, over a 30 minute period, their bodies also released higher levels of two hormones--- peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide 1. Both of these hormones are released in your gut and signal to your body that you’re full. Eating fast doesn’t let your body release them, so even though you eat the same amount, you don’t realize you need to stop. So eating slowly, especially during the holidays, can also mean eating less.In the second study researchers looked at food and mood. They looked at both low fat and low carbohydrate diets and found that both let you lose weight and both helped improve you mood, at least for a while. But after a few weeks, the low fat diet, which contained some carbohydrates, kept dieters in a better mood, while those restricted to low carb didn’t feel as happy.So remember, especially while dieting, moderation. Keeping the diet simple and well rounded can help you stay happy this holiday season.