You probably already know that working out can make you feel better emotionally. It burns off stress hormones and can lift your spirits. What you eat also makes a big difference in your mood. Some foods promote feeling good and others can sabotage that good feeling. Sugar, for example, can get you feeling energized by spiking blood sugar levels, but drop your mood like a rock off a cliff just a few hours later. Simple carbs, like sugar, when eaten frequently can cause you to feel constantly depressed.
Grab some nuts.
Don’t buy those mixed nuts that are mostly peanuts, just go for the gusto and get just cashews and walnuts. Raw walnuts and cashews are real mood boosters. They’re both high in magnesium. Low levels of this mineral is linked to increasing the risk of depression. Cashews are high in vitamin B6, also good for leveling out moods and cashews have a high amount of tryptophan, which changes to serotonin that boosts your mood. Neither causes a spike in sugar levels, but do provide energy. Walnuts are also a good source of protein that can make you feel fuller longer.
Kale is more than a salad bar decoration.
If you want loads of extra minerals and vitamins, add some kale to your salads or put it in your soup. Kale is loaded with vitamin A, vitamin K and vitamin C, while also having generous amounts of magnesium in just one cup. Adding fiber to your diet can keep you feeling fitter, while also keeping you regular (and constipation will definitely make you feel out of sorts). Kale is a good source of fiber.
Grab a cup of Joe.
Coffee is known as the quicker picker upper, but it also can boost your mood. It improves your alertness and mental focus, and also can boost your performance in the gym. Just two cups a day can help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes and also significantly lower the risk of depression. Don’t go for more. Less is better than more when it comes to drinking coffee.
- Raw oysters are considered an aphrodisiac but they’re really just improve circulation and provide healthy fat, omega-3 fatty acid.
- Salmon, another source of omega-3 fatty acid, is also a quick fix for an emotional low. It also fights inflammation.
- Yes, if chocolate is on your list of go-to good-feeling-foods, you’re right. However, not just any type of chocolate and not a lot. Dark chocolate and just one piece is enough to give a lift.
- Colorful berries are brimming with flavonoids. Those help improve memory but also help keep your mood in check and reduces inflammation to the brain. Add some to your diet for those down days and you’ll be doing yourself a favor.