8 Happiness-Boosting Foods to Brighten Your Day
Do you suffer from Sunday anxiety? You’re not alone. Achieving happiness is a goal for almost everyone (and not just on Sunday nights). Whether it’s therapy, exercise, or meditation, we all want to bring more peace and joy into our lives. When we think about what makes us happy, our diet usually isn’t at the top of the list (unless your favorite fast food restaurant brings joy to mind).
What we eat can play a role in how we feel. Studies that nutrition and mental well-being There have been new developments in the past decade and certain foods are associated with increased levels of serotonin in our brains. Serotoninalso known as the “happiness hormone”, is a chemical that plays an important role in regulating our mood. Low serotonin levels can cause mood swings.
For more mental health resources, try these simple ways to improve your mental health without therapyand check out our list of ways to manage anxiety without medication.
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8 Foods That Boost Your Happiness
These are our favorite dishes for an energy boost.
1. Dark chocolate
You know that typical movie scene where a girl in a tracksuit sits on her couch and eats a tub of chocolate ice cream. It turns out Hollywood was onto something. A systematic review found that dark chocolate can positively influence someone’s mood. There are three main components Substances found in chocolate that are associated with feelings of happiness: tryptophan, theobromine and phenylethylalanine. Tryptophan is an amino acid that the brain uses to produce serotonin. Theobromine is a mild stimulant that can improve your mood. Meanwhile, phenylethylalanine is another amino acid used by the body to Dopaminethat works as an antidepressant.
2. Bananas
If there ever was such a thing as a “good mood food,” it would probably be bananas, but maybe not in the way you think they are. Although bananas contain serotoninit is not able to blood brain barrier (Think of the BBB as a wall that filters what can and cannot enter our bloodstream and make its way to our brain.) Bananas may play a crucial role in regulating your mood in a more indirect way. Your body has vitamin B6 to produce serotoninand bananas are particularly rich in this nutrient. A single medium sized banana contains up to 0.4 mg of vitamin B6, which is approximately 25% of the recommended daily amount.
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3. Coconut
If you’re feeling the winter blues and dreaming of warmer days, coconut can transport your taste buds and mood to a tropical state of mind. Coconut is packed with medium chain triglycerideswhich can help boost your energy. Another reason why coconut is considered a mood food is that a Animal study 2017 found that MCTs from coconut milk can reduce anxiety. More research is needed to fully understand the link between anxiety and coconut in humans.
4. Coffee
This one is for the 1 billion coffee drinkers in the world. Now you can justify your coffee intake (in moderation, of course), as coffee makes the world a happier place, one sip at a time. A Meta-analysis 2016 concluded that coffee consumption is significantly associated with a reduced risk of depression. Another small study concluded that coffee, both caffeinated and decaffeinated, significantly improved the subjects’ mood compared to those who drank a placebo drink.
5. Avocado
Other generations may blame avocado toast on millennials not owning homes, but one thing is for sure: avocados make us happier. This soft and creamy fruit is packed with nutrients including choline, which your body uses to regulate your nervous system and mood. Study 2020 found that the healthy fats in avocados are associated with reduced anxiety in women. Another good reason to eat more avocados is that they are rich in B vitamins, which have been linked to lower stress levels.
6. Berries
Did you know that eating more fruit is also associated with better mental health? Meta-analysis 2016 found that fruit and vegetable intake was strongly associated with improved mental health. Berries in particular are rich in antioxidantsalso known as flavonoids, which can reduce depression symptoms. Another study in which subjects blueberry juice showed promising results showing that blueberry intake is associated with slower cognitive decline associated with aging.
7. Fermented foods
Foods that undergo a fermentation process, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, and yogurt, help you maintain a healthy gut and can also improve your mood. The fermentation process creates probioticswhich in turn support healthy bacteria in your gut. What do your gut have to do with your mood? A lot. Until 90% serotonin produced by your body is made by intestinal cells. Eating fermented foods promotes better serotonin production.
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8. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are packed with Vitamin Dwhich has been linked to antidepressant properties and can improve your mood. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, you’re in luck, because mushrooms are the only non-animal food source with a significant amount of vitamin D that is bioavailable (the body can easily absorb it). To get the most vitamin D benefit from mushrooms, expose them to sunlight for a few hours before cooking.
Too long, didn’t read?
When you’re feeling down, your first instinct might be to reach for a bag of cookies. While these may give you some satisfaction, they’re unlikely to help your mental health in the long run. Instead, opt for nutrient-dense foods like the ones on this list to give you a happiness boost.
