If you're feeling depressed, stressed or just not feeling so happy, you may be tempted to turn to food to lift your mood. But not all food is created equal and many highly processed and high-calorie treats can have negative effects on our bodies. So you may be wondering whether there are healthy foods that can improve your mood. Some people say yes and point to so-called mood foods. These are foods that are described as happiness makers because they are not only healthy for the body, but are also said to have a mood-enhancing effect.
Can food really brighten your mood?
Recently, new research has emerged on the link between diet and mental health . However, it's important to note that our mood can be affected by many factors, including stress, environment, sleep, genetics, and nutrient deficiencies. Therefore, it's difficult to determine what specific role diet plays in mental health. However, certain foods have been shown to promote overall brain health and improve certain types of mood disorders.
What happens in the body?
Hormones and neurotransmitters are responsible for our mood. But how are these messenger substances created? Nutrients from the food we eat are also responsible, as they provide essential building blocks for the formation of these messenger substances. This explains why serotonin levels can be boosted by food, for example. The following foods are considered mood foods and are often found under the slogan "Eat yourself happy".
Ginger
Ginger develops its mood food potential through the gingerol contained in the yellow root. Gingerol is the substance responsible for the spiciness in the root. This spiciness is initially perceived by the brain as pain. In order to relieve the registered pain, the body releases endorphins. The neurotransmitter endorphin is - like serotonin - known as the happiness hormone.
berries
Berries contain a variety of antioxidants that play a key role in combating oxidative stress. This mood food is also an excellent source of magnesium. Magnesium can inhibit the release of the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline and help us get through everyday life more calmly. You could almost say: berries are good - everything is good.
Fermented foods
Fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut or kimchi can have a positive effect on intestinal health. Due to the gut-brain axis, these foods automatically have an influence on our mood. The key factor here is the probiotics they contain, which studies have shown can increase serotonin levels.
Dark chocolate
The well-known desire to reach for chocolate is not entirely unfounded. Chocolate is rich in many mood-enhancing substances . The cocoa it contains provides a lot of tryptophan, which is considered to be a precursor to the happiness hormone serotonin. For the highest possible cocoa content, it is best to reach for dark, semisweet chocolate rather than milk chocolate, which contains many other ingredients such as fat and sugar. So there is something to chocolate as a popular soul food.
bananas
Like cocoa, bananas also contain the substance tryptophan. In combination with the carbohydrates they contain, this helps in the production of the happiness hormone serotonin and can improve mood and well-being.
Other mood enhancers
These are probably the most important mood foods. And that's not all of the foods by any means, because vanilla, fish, lentils, almonds and avocados are also said to have certain superpowers. Even though the topic of nutrition is obviously very important to us and we are absolute foodies, we shouldn't forget that food is only one piece of the puzzle on the way to being happy and healthy. Another piece of the puzzle is, for example, nighttime sleep , which affects our mood. The process can also be explained using neurotransmitters. After a restful night with enough sleep, dopamine levels are particularly high the next morning. Conversely, after a night of drinking, dopamine levels are correspondingly low and a bad mood is predictable.
Who would have thought? Mood-enhancing fasting can make you happy!
Some people may get a little grumpy just thinking about fasting. But contrary to what you might think, the opposite phenomenon usually occurs: your mood improves. According to studies, the phenomenon is due to the production of ketone bodies. These are made from fat. In order for the body to be able to do this, little energy from carbohydrates must initially be available. This can be achieved simply by following a ketogenic diet or by eating nothing or very little - i.e. fasting. The ketone bodies produced can act as mood enhancers and make us happier in everyday life.
Juice Fasting as Mood Food
Consciously avoiding solid food during a juice fast can actually have a positive effect on our mood. And once the ball is rolling, positive behaviors can be more easily transferred to several areas of life and we benefit from the juice cleanse not only as mood food, but also as a beneficial experience that can have a holistic effect on our lives.
Happiness hormones make you feel good
The feeling of happiness is a complex interaction of various hormones and neurotransmitters. We have no direct influence on some processes, but we do have influence on many others. If you learn how to look after yourself, you can influence your mood in a natural way. And ultimately, you might be able to eat yourself a little bit happier. Because real good mood food not only tastes good, it also contains the natural nutrients that are needed to release...
