I went to a doctor who wanted to prescribe an antidepressant. I wondered, "Is my body lacking Prozac, or is something else going on here?"

An honest look at diet
I made an appointment with a more holistic doctor who used nutrition as part of his overall methodology. The first thing he asked about was my diet. No doctor had asked me what I ate in relation to how I was feeling. And so I decided to be honest:

Breakfast: cereal with milk, coffee with milk and sugar.
Lunch: fast food, soda, french fries, potato chips, fruit.
Snacks: candy, soda.
Dinner: pasta, pizza, take-out, soda, alcohol a few nights a week.
This doctor pointed out that I wasn't eating any fresh food, and that I was literally eating myself into depression, weight gain and fatigue.

Once I discovered that what I was eating was creating my depression, exhaustion and mood swings, it didn't take long before I was back to feeling like myself again. I was so inspired by the changes in my mood that I decided to change my career so I could help other women improve their lives without resorting to drugs, surgery or expensive therapies. Food addicts, chocoholics, caffeine addicts and just plain self-described "moody girls" all flocked to my practice -- I guess you attract what you know.

Beating the craving-withdrawal cycle
A common theme among my clients is they feel compulsively drawn to certain foods again and again. Daily battles unfold where office workers struggle to stay away from the mid-morning double latte, the afternoon chocolate fix, the after-hours grilled cheese sandwich. Working moms find themselves sneaking snacks like chocolate chips, soda or french fries throughout the day -- foods they wouldn't want their kids to eat.

Often these same foods that we crave every day have a deeper hold on our brain chemistry than we realize. Food sensitivities can cause a craving-withdrawal cycle that not only affects your mood, but your waistline. Common foods such as dairy, coffee, chocolate, wheat, corn or eggs may actually be triggering an undiagnosed food allergy, which often leads to addiction to these foods, causing long-term mood disorders.

Knowing your trigger foods
The human brain will often produce opioids when you eat one of these trigger foods. These same opioids reduce your perception and reaction to pain. If you are allergic to wheat and dairy, eating a grilled cheese sandwich is like taking a tiny hit of a narcotic. Years of constant consumption of these trigger foods lead to addiction. If your body starts to feel withdrawal symptoms because you haven't eaten wheat or dairy in several hours, it will start to crave those same foods -- your body needs its fix!

This allergy-addiction cycle can lead to irritability, migraines, depression, fatigue, constant digestion problems, arthritis and weight gain. Over the last eight years I have worked with thousands of women to improve their mood and health by making simple dietary changes. By using a food-mood journal, getting rid of the junk, and analyzing cravings, I have successfully assisted countless women to identify and eliminate the underlying causes of their food cravings and mood issues.

These days my food cravings are much easier to handle. They still show up during times of stress or when I'm tired, but I quickly realize my body needs rest, leafy greens, water or exercise instead of chocolate or coffee. I still indulge in delicious treats sometimes, but my cravings for trigger foods don't have control over me -- I understand where they're coming from and how to make them dissolve. It has been an empowering process to learn what my body really needs and how to take care of these imbalances without relying on foods that will only hurt me over time.

Author, chef and holistic health counselor Alexandra Jamieson is the author of "Living Vegan for Dummies" and "The Great American Detox Diet." She was featured in the Oscar-nominated hit documentary "Super Size Me" and has appeared on programs including "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "The National Health Test With Bryant Gumbel" and "The Final Word." Learn more about Alexandra and her perspective on the food-mood connection at www.nutritionforempoweredwomen.com.