Tweaks and additions to your diet can make a big difference. Eat whole foods as often as you can. Reducing processed and refined carbohydrates will also improve your mood because you’ll experience more stable blood sugar levels. You’ll be on the road to health and bliss once you understand what vitamins are essential for a good mood, which types of food have these vitamins and then eat these foods consistently. Below you’ll find important vitamins and foods that boost your mood.
How to use Food to Boost your Mood Vitamin Reference
Vitamin D
Researchers are discovering that Vitamin D plays a KEY role in mental health and depression, because it increases serotonin, one of the neurotransmitters responsible for mood. So, skip the Vitamin D pills and get out there in the sunshine as often as you can! Most people will immediately go to a supplement, but studies show that real UV Light is the only way the body can produce Vitamin D that it recognizes.Get in the sun at least 15 minutes a day and don’t use sunscreen. As an alternative, use organic coconut oil for maximum Vitamin D absorbancy. If you’re worried about getting skin cancer, throw Experts say:, “A bad diet, sunscreen, and other chemicals on the skin cause skin cancer – not UV Light. UV Light [the sun and tanning beds] simply bring cancer out through the skin.”
Tanning.... “If it’s a 15 minute session go for 10 and you will feel and look great from doing this 2-3x per week.”
Antioxidants
A published study
by the Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine in 1998 found
that Antioxidants can help perk up the mood of people affected by
anxiety and stress. The 5 foods with the highest levels of antioxidants
are:- Small Red Bean (dried)
- Wild blueberry
- Red kidney bean (dried)
- Pinto bean
- Blueberry (cultivated)
Health requires healthy food. – Roger Williams
Protein
Your brain’s chemical activation is dependent on the foods you eat.Believe it or not, protein plays a significant role in keeping your mood and energy level, in check. Proper protein levels sustain your energy, keep your mood up, and keep you strong. Next to water, protein makes up most of your body weight. Protein is great for your brain as well. Your brain’s chemical activation is dependent on the foods you eat. Your brain cells neurotransmitters are made of amino acids which are the building blocks of protein, so it’s a ‘no-brainer’. And when you eat protein, it raises the levels of another amino acid called tyrosine that help create the mood boosting chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine.B Vitamins
Folate and vitamin B12 seem to also be important mood-boosting vitamins. Studies have shown that low blood levels of these vitamins are in some cases linked to depression. Some scientists believe that the body uses these vitamins to create serotonin; which as we mentioned is one of the key neurotransmitters that help boost your mood.Add rich dark leafy green veggies as well as beans into your diet to get more folic acid. Healthy sources for Vitamin B12 include nutritional yeast and plant-based fortified foods. If you discover you are low in B12, you can get B12 Shots from the doctor or use high-absorbancy B12 Patches recommended by Matt Monarch, the founder of Raw Food World. While B12 is also present in meats and cheeses, it can be a very toxic and dangerous way to receive this vitamin.
Selenium
A study in 1991 showed that with proper amounts of selenium, there was an increase in mood. The study also showed that if there was a selenium deficiency, the brain is the last place that selenium levels drop, suggesting that the brain considers it very important. A great source of selenium is from Brazil nuts. These nuts have very high amounts of selenium (68–91 mcg per nut)Omega 3′s
More
studies are emerging about the importance of Omega 3 Fatty Acids and
their prevention of depression. Omega 3′s can boost mood and resbuild
brain cells that are critical in performing cognitive function. In fact,
a recent study
found that consuming healthy Omega 3 fatty acids dramatically boost
your mood and reduces negative harmful thoughts. Some of the worlds
healthiest plant foods in Omega 3′s are #1 ground flaxseeds, then
walnuts, organic soybeans, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and winter
squash.The best doctor gives the least medicine. – Benjamin Franklin
A unscientific study done at Appleton Central High School in Appleton, Wis., observed that students behaved better when they consumed healthy lunches consisting of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. There are dozens of studies that show that plants are the most nutrient-dense foods on earth. The only problem is that it is extremely difficult to get people to change their dietary patterns. Change is on the rise, but experts said that the solution may be supplementation of nutrients because it is integral that people receive less pharmaceutical intervention for mental disorders and more broad-spectrum supplementation.
If you choose to supplement, it’s important to do so with superior quality vitamins or a shake supplement containing multiple nutrients and superfoods.
As always, eating specific foods with these vitamins needs to be habitual. Eating healthier for a few days or once in a while will not bring the result you’re seeking. I’ve found that making small changes each week and keeping up each habit will bring lasting change. We are creatures of habit and we feel comfortable doing what we are use to doing.
Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel. – Keven Trudeau
Sources:
http://live.ift.org/2013/07/15/undernourished-and-mentally-unbalanced/
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/depression/
http://depression.about.com/cs/diet/a/vitamin.htm
http://www.active.com/health/articles/mood-foods-6-snacks-to-kick-your-mind-into-gear
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/7-mood-foods-to-change-your-outlook-with-every-bite.htm
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2007/oct2007_report_depression_01.htm
