By Jessi McLennan
Published: July 6, 2013
There’s a reason why people say chocolate is the cure for a broken heart.
It’s often the ‘go-to’ comfort source after a stressful day or after an emotional situation. Certain foods (chocolate being one of them) can activate the pleasure centers in the brain providing some short-term relief.
The foods that we eat play a huge role in not only our physical health but also our mental health. Eating certain foods really can help to improve your mood and keep bad moods at bay.
Basically, the science of how food affects our moods is simple: dietary changes bring about changes in our brain structure, chemistry and physiology which ultimately leads to changes in our behavior.
Food provides us with the raw ingredients needed to make important hormones and neurotransmitters that play an integral role in regulating our mental health.
Take serotonin for example, which is a neurotransmitter responsible for mood regulation, appetite regulation, regulation of the sleep wake cycle, and adequate amounts of serotonin help to decrease anxiety and depression.
Eating a balanced, varied diet, full of natural, unprocessed foods is one of the easiest ways to make sure you are providing your body, and more importantly your brain, with all the ingredients it needs to keep you feeling healthy and happy.
Here’s a list of easy-to-find, good mood foods that you should try to make a regular part of your diet.
Bananas: High in phenylalanine which the body uses to make serotonin. Good source of B6 (lack of B6 has been linked to depression) and potassium which helps to deliver oxygen to the brain.
Nuts and Seeds: Especially pumpkin, sunflower, hemp, cashews, flax and walnuts. Omega 3 fatty acids found in nuts (and also fish) have shown to decrease depression and improve mental health, even in people who don’t report being depressed. Nuts and seeds are also a great source of B vitamins, sometimes referred to as the anti-stress vitamins.
Legumes: Beans, peas and lentils are an excellent source of tryptophan. They are rich in Vitamin B and high in fiber which helps to stabilize blood sugar levels thereby stabilizing mood.
Raw Cacoa Powder: Perhaps the most potent of all the good-mood-foods, raw cacoa powder (the unprocessed version of coco powder) is one of the richest sources of magnesium.
Raw cacoa also has high levels of tryptophan and is high in the obromine, a mild non-addictive stimulant that some researchers believe can be used to treat depression.
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Chocolate Almond Nice-Cream
- 4 bananas, chopped and then frozen
- 1-2 tbsp raw cacoa powder
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 1-2 tbsp honey
- ½ cup raw almond
Add frozen bananas, raw cacoa powder, almond milk and honey to a food processor. Turn on high for 60-90 seconds or until all ingredients are combined, smooth and creamy. Add raw almonds and process for another 10-30 second or until almonds are copped (but remain in medium size pieces).
Scoop out and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
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Read more about Jessi’s expertise by connecting with her on LinkedIn or for daily nutrition tips, recipes and motivation ‘like’ her Facebook page, Origins Nutrition. Jessi can be contacted at jessi@originsnutritioninc.com
