Happy Foods

Do you ever go through patches when you feel a bit blah? We’ve all been there. The good news is that the foods you eat can boost your mood. You just need to know which ones to put in your shopping cart.

Greens are #1 on your "feel good" food list. Dark green veggies, such as collard greens and spinach, are a rich source of vitamin C and magnesium, supplying our neurotransmitters with a joyful feel. 

#2 Nuts and Seeds. Flax/chia/hemp/pumpkin seeds and walnuts are great sources of mood-boosting omega-3s. A handful of cashews are known to work like Prozac. And let’s not forget the king of nuts – almonds, which contain zinc (a major nutrient in maintaining a balanced mood), iron (which curtails brain fatigue) and healthy fats (which reduce anxiety).

#3 Blueberries and Acai Berries. Rich in vitamins, phytonutrients (plant nutrients) and a variety of stress-reducing antioxidants. 

#4 Raw Cacao. Yes! Chocolate! Just the taste will make you feel good, right?

Cacao contains phenylethylamine (the same chemical generated by the brain when falling in love), causing the release of endorphins. What a great excuse to indulge! Keep the percentage of chocolate high, like 70% and higher to lessen the sugar content.

#5 Foods high in Vitamin B are a mood lifter: legumes, nuts, seeds, brown rice, oats, dark green veggies, and nutritional yeast.

#6 Bananas are full of energy, vitamin B6, tryptophan, iron, magnesium and potassium, plus being a natural probiotic, high in fiber, and a regulator of blood sugar. In fact, eating one banana as a mid-morning snack will fuel the body with enough magnesium (a stress-reducer) for the entire day!

#7 Complex carbohydrates such as chickpeas, lentils, nuts, oats, brown rice, potatoes, sweet corn, wholegrain cereals, bananas and starchy vegetables have been shown to encourage the production of serotonin.

#8 Maca Root is purchased as a powder and has been used as a stress reliever. Rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium, and potassium, it is also a good source of trace minerals such as iron and magnesium (for controlling anxiety), zinc, iodine, and vitamins B1, B2, C and E.   

#9 Spirulina is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet! A supergreen equivalent of a multi-vitamin, spirulina is 60-70 percent protein and high in iron, B vitamins (notably B12, which is rare in plant foods), tryptophan and essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Spirulina also has calcium, magnesium folic acid, vitamins A,B,C,D,E,K and antioxidants. One food that seems to have it all! 

Eat well, be happy!