Your food doesn’t just impact your waistline, it can also affect your mood. Everything you eat is broken down and absorbed by your body, so it can certainly have an effect. The food you eat impacts how you feel. For example, consider how eating a piece of chocolate impacts your mood differently than consuming a piece of bread. Let’s have a looks at 9 foods that can enhance your mood.
See how what you put into your body matters to your body and your mind:
- Fermented foods. Fermented foods are great for the health of the good bacteria in your gut. There is evidence that these bacteria play an important part in mental and physical health. Some examples of fermented foods include sauerkraut, yogurt, tempeh, and kombucha.
● If none of those foods appeal to you, there are over the counter probiotic supplements that are likely to provide the same benefit.
- Salmon. Not only salmon, but other cold-water fatty fish including mackerel, herring, sardines, and tuna are high in omega-3 fatty acids. proving in some studies to boost health. Again, find what is right for you and moderate everything you eat. Your body loves a little bit of everything.
- Chocolate. It only takes one bite of chocolate to know that it makes you feel better than you did right before eating it. Dark chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa (70% or higher) is actually quite healthy when eaten in moderation and can give your mood a great boost.
● Chocolate reduces cortisol, too, which is a primary indicator of stress.
Don’t leave out the veggies!
- Leafy green vegetables. Leafy vegetables are high in magnesium, which reduces anxiety. As a general rule, the darker greens like spinach are healthier than lighter greens like lettuce. Try a mixture of greens to get the greatest benefit.
- Nuts. They contain healthy fats, proteins, and even some fiber. They also contain tryptophan which boosts serotonin. Serotonin is a positive-mood brain chemical.
- Fruit. Bananas in particular have been shown to boost mood. Fruits are full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and can give your blood sugar a boost.
- Coffee. In moderation it can certainly boost your mood, but there’s a lot more to coffee than just caffeine. Coffee is loaded with a variety of naturally occurring good chemicals.
● You can even skip the caffeine and consume decaf and get a similar mood-boosting effect.
- Green Tea. Like coffee, green tea can be a healthy beverage that also boosts your mood. One of the chemicals found in green tea that induces calmness is EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate. The small amount of caffeine found in green tea is also good for your mood.
- Oysters. Oysters restore the zinc levels in the body. There are studies that show eating oysters regularly reduces anxiety and depression. Oysters are also a source of omega-3 fatty acids and many vitamins.
If your mood needs enhanced, changing your diet might have a positive impact. The foods you eat have an additional effect on focus, and emotional health. Be sure to eat at least one food each day that is likely to have a positive impact. It won’t take long before you know which foods to eat and which to avoid.
I hope that you have found some of this information helpful, and use it as a guide or starting point to understanding how the foods that consume affect your mood and health.
These 9 foods will enhance your mood, try them now! If you already regularly consume some of these, that’s great! You’re on your way to wellness and health!