7 Best Natural Foods to Lift your mood instantly
It’s natural that people feel down from time to time. Stress, dismal circumstances, or simply bad weather – there are a lot of reasons why our mood spirals downward. However, there are ways to prevent that. A nutritious diet and regular exercise will do wonders for your state of mind. If you don’t have time to hit the gym, then you can start working out at home. We provide a natural way to uplift your mood whenever you feel bad – by eating well.
- Chocolate
Most people link chocolate with happiness, and for a good reason. Some people even say that the feeling of being loved is equal to eating a lot of chocolate, which is somewhat true. Anyhow, let’s get down to science – what does natural dark chocolate do to our system when eaten?
Plainly said, it makes the stress build up at a slower pace. Dark chocolate reduces the stress hormone called cortisol, so it’s only natural that we feel good after going at it. Strictly speaking, 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate every few days and you’re sure to feel good.
Our Recommendation to lift your mood instantly: Dark chocolate can be eaten whenever. Take 1.4 ounces before or after your meal, but even if you don’t feel like eating at all, take a bite.
- Bread and food that’s high in carbohydrates
If you go with this, you might not such rapid results as with chocolate. However, eating a lot of carbs will improve your mood by a long shot substantially. It’s not so obvious, but there’s a lot of science in eating food which is high in carbs.
The leaching of serotonin (which is a special chemical that makes us feel happy and relaxed) is prescribed to these foods, and if you’re a bodybuilder or into fitness, don’t listen to the controversial myths about carbs being bad for you – they’re good for you.
Our Recommendation to lift your mood instantly: Combine – eat a dish that’s comprised of bread and other food that’s high in carbohydrates such as beans or yogurt.
- Whole foods, fruits, and vegetables
This category of feel-good-food is entirely up to you – there are people who don’t like certain vegetables, but it’s a different story with fruits. The reason why this category of food is certain to lift your mood is because of the vitamins and antioxidants.
Going into the science mode, Omega-3 acid (fish have these in abundance), Folate and B vitamin (beans), and other vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables directly affect our neurotransmitters.
Simply speaking, by eating healthy we purify our body from all the negative factors which can dampen our mood.
Our Recommendation to lift your mood instantly: A salad is a vitamin bomb – doesn’t matter if it’s fruit or vegetables.
- Fish
We mentioned fish in the earlier section, but it deserves more respect since it’s one of the foods that affect our mood greatly. The science behind it is that our body can’t produce the Omega-3’s on its own and it’s one of the key factors when it comes to our mood. Dopamine & Serotonin go hand in hand with feeling good.
If we’re to break down the exact process which happens upon the ingestion of fish in our organism, we could say that we receive a major boost of these chemicals which lifts us up as the result.
Our Recommendation to lift your mood instantly: Salmon tastes really good and it will definitely improve your mood. If you’re out of fish and too lazy to go out and buy some, even by seasoning other food with fish oil might do the trick.
- Saffron
Even though it can’t be considered as food, Saffron can be very good for seasoning your food. Originally, it’s a flower which can be powered to produce an edible spice for your meals. Saffron doesn’t provide us with a mood-boost, but it clears the way for our neurotransmitters which makes the feel-good chemicals travel faster, thus reaching the brain more easily.
Our Recommendation to lift your mood instantly: Spice your food up with some saffron powder and enjoy.
- Coconut
Coconut and Coconut Oil are perfect for when you feel under the weather. You might be surprised at the notion that the coconut is able to lift our spirits with as much as its scent. Smelling it reduces the pace at which your heart pulses while ingesting it also reduces stress and improves the blood circulation.
Our Recommendation to lift your mood instantly: As mentioned before, you can lift your spirits up by simply smelling a coconut.
- Tea
It’s pretty common knowledge that drinking tea helps soothe the nerves. That feeling of comfort you get by taking a sip of tea is a result of increased alertness in your brain which was produced by Theanine – a kind of amino acid that is found in most teas. It would be even better if you combine it with a cup of coffee because the caffeine works wonders in unison with theanine.
Our Recommendation to lift your mood instantly: A cup of tea in the morning and in the evening a day and you will feel blessed.
