Give your mood a real boost

Do you ever wonder at times whether the food you eat has an undesirable influence on your emotion?
Now and again the daily “hustle” of life and chasing that proverbial “pot of gold” at the end of the rainbow could leave a good number of us stressed. This ultimately affects our mood negatively and cajoles us to turn to what we call “Comfort foods” i.e. chocolate, and ice cream. These could give instant gratification but ultimately, what goes up must come down as they also have the tendency to leave one feeling worse at the long run.

Suggestions have been made on some heavenly foods that can be beneficial to include in your day-to-day diet to certainly lift your mood and keep emotions in form.

1) Fish: The Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish helps enhance mental capacity, heart rate and boosts the mood by increasing serotonin levels. Serotonin influences RAS(Reticular Activating system), keeps you alert and active.

 

2) Chicken/Turkey: Contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid which help to balance out your mood because it releases and boosts your serotonin levels

 

3) Walnuts/Cashews: These also contain Omega 3 fatty acids and are a rich source of Vitamin B6 which the body needs to produce serotonin



4) Spinach: Spinach is a very healthy vegetable which contains folic acid which helps to nourish the brain and magnesium which eases anxiety.



5) Pasta: The complex carbohydrates found in pasta increases serotonin levels and the body’s endorphins, they also enable tryptophan to enter the brain. But if you are on a weight loss programme  pasta made from whole wheat are preferable to pasta made from refined white flour(carbohydrate), carbohydrate in all food converts to sugar so the high amount of carbohydrates in pasta may affect your blood-sugar levels and cause your health to suffer.



6)  Eggs: Research shows that protein eaten at breakfast will help elevate your mood. It also makes you think and function better.



7) Yam contain a nice amount of magnesium and are a good source of Vitamin B which helps calm you down. In addition to this, yam contains good dietary fibre which can enhance your digestion.



Don’t forget, each time you consume food you make a choice, so do walk away from the comfort and give your mood a real boost. By selecting the right food for a joyful mood.