What we eat directly affects how we feel. It can take some time for us to make this connection and often it is not until we are sick or facing a health crisis that we really understand how significantly food contributes to our overall mood and emotions. Food has a powerful effect on our brain health and getting lots of mood-boosting foods into our body will lead to greater happiness, a more positive sense of well-being and higher levels of focus and energy!
Often what we don’t eat is more important than what we do eat – yes you heard correctly! Eating foods that are linked with pain and suffering are going to lower us energetically and lower our mood. Eating a diet high in plant-based foods means that we will automatically feel happier within ourselves because we are eating foods that contain living energy.
Read on for ten different foods that you can add into your day to improve your mood and positive energy!
1. AVOCADOS:
Avocados are full of healthy plant-based fats and are also great mood boosters! Avocados are high in tryptophan which helps our bodies create serotonin (that’s our happy feel good chemical). They also contain B6 and folic acid which is really important in relieving anxiety, stress, and inflammation. Avocados also help our hormones to stay naturally in balance. Plus avocado is super quick and easy to add to almost any meal! Have it on organic toast for breakfast, chop it into a salad for lunch, or make a yummy guacamole dip for healthy snacking!
2. MICROALGAE FOR OMEGA 3’S:
Any food that contains high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids is also going to be a fantastic brain food! Plant-based sources that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and contain DHA (an important brain chemical) include green algae, blue-green algae, plankton, spirulina, and chlorella. If your diet includes fish stick to wild caught varieties like salmon, herring, mackerel, trout, sardines and albacore tuna. Check out our full article on the best plant-based sources of Omega 3 fatty acids.
3. NUTS + SEEDS + PROTEIN POWDERS:
Walnuts are simply an amazing super food and brain food! And funnily enough, walnuts also resemble a mini brain! A recent study found that adding a few raw walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds into our diet daily can help to boost serotonin and ward off depression. Boosting serotonin does not just help with mood it also helps to reduce feelings of hunger and increase heart health! Seeds like chia seeds are also really good for us because they are high in omega 3 fatty acids. Recently we highlighted Sasha Inchi protein powder made from seeds from the Sasha Inchi shrub found in Peru – apparently, these seeds contain up to seventeen times more omega 3 fatty acids that wild caught salmon!
4. BANANAS + CARB IT UP!
Bananas are a really good healthy carbohydrate and a freely available year round. Bananas contain tryptophan much like those yummy avocados! They also contain potassium which is vital for our nerve function. Buy them up in bulk and freeze them in your freezer to add to smoothies. I believe that our bodies should be running mainly on carbs. Everyone’s body is different! Some of us need to include more fat, and some of us need more protein. Obviously, any two persons are going to have vastly different needs depending on their level of activity etc. But our bodies need to primarily be getting fuel from healthy carbs from fruit and berries, grains like quinoa and brown rice, oats, kumara (sweet potato) is great carb to have often, squash, veggies like broccoli and other leafy greens. Not getting enough carbs into our day particularly if we are doing a lot of exercise is going to be bad news for our overall mood and well being. A daily smoothie is a really quick and easy way to carb up! So to recap 60-80% of our diet should be carbohydrates, with anywhere from 10-20% fats, 10-20% protein depending on what works best for you.
5. KALE + OTHER LEAFY GREENS:
Kale is an amazing plant-based source of all things good for us! Add kale to green smoothies, chop it up and add it right at the end to stir fries. Oven bake or even better dehydrate some yummy kale chips! Kale chips are great for getting greens into kids also! A study conducted by Harvard Health found that people who consumed diets with higher levels of antioxidants and carotenoids like beta-carotene showed better optimism and mood. Kale is simply full of this stuff! That’s why you gotta get those greens in every day!
6. LENTILS + LEGUMES + TOFU:
According to this article, just ONE cup of lentils per day can give our bodies 50% of the tryptophan that it needs on a daily basis. Lentils are also an amazing powerhouse of B vitamins (also very important for mood), omega 3 fatty acids, chromium and tryptophan. It is really important that we get tryptophan from the foods that we eat to stay happy! Lentils are also a great source of healthy plant-based protein and can be added to almost any dish for a nutritious boost!
7. CHOCOLATE!
Chocolate has long been known as a mood booster particularly during those pesky times of the month when a woman is likely to be dealing with PMS! That’s because it does actually work! Chocolate stimulates those parts of the brain responsible for pleasure and boosts endorphins. Chocolate has also shown to increase serotonin in our bodies. Stick to dark chocolate with a high cocoa content (at least over 70%). Raw chocolate made from non-heat treated cacao is even better!
8. GUT FRIENDLY FOODS + PROBIOTICS:
Serotonin is mainly produced in our gut so it is really important that we eat prebiotic and probiotic rich food and if necessary supplement when we think our gut health might be imbalanced or compromised. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, plant-based yoghurts made from coconut etc, nut cheeses, and fermented soy products like tofu, tempeh, and miso soup are going to contain beneficial gut bacteria. Living foods like sprouts are also really good for our digestion.
9. CAFFEINE:
Now, this is not something that you want to get hooked on! Caffeine is actually quite a powerful drug. But if you are having a rough time where you might be struggling to get through the day caffeine can be a last resort godsend. When your body gets a hit of caffeine it blocks adenosine receptors in your brain and in the process your brain gets a hit of dopamine. Dopamine is that ‘feel good’ chemical and affects the parts of the brain linked with thinking, pleasure and arousal! Regular coffee drinkers have been shown to have lower overall rates of depression. Try a cup of good quality organic coffee in the morning and switch to yerba mate or green tea in the afternoon which both also contain small amounts of caffeine. Try not to consume any caffeine after 3 PM.
10. ST JOHNS WORT:
St John’s wort has been widely known for centuries as a natural way to help treat mild depression and anxiety. Research is yet to determine exactly how it works but it affects the body in a similar way to antidepressant medication and makes neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin more available to the brain. According to Dr. Axe it is shown to help to improve mood during times of PMS and menopause and can also help with inflammation, skin disorders, and OCD ♥
(This is a self-help/prevention only article and is not intended as a replacement for medical advice if you have a serious mood disorder. If you are struggling with your mood please see your health professional)