{"id":1651,"date":"2014-07-02T03:28:49","date_gmt":"2014-07-02T10:28:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/?p=1651"},"modified":"2014-07-07T03:26:24","modified_gmt":"2014-07-07T10:26:24","slug":"boost-your-mood-foods-that-will-spruce-up-your-spirits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/2014\/07\/02\/boost-your-mood-foods-that-will-spruce-up-your-spirits\/","title":{"rendered":"Boost Your Mood: Foods That Will Spruce Up Your Spirits"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"momchildhealthy\"<\/a>The phrase you are what you eat definitely rings true when it comes to your mood. Gorging on the wrong foods when you are unhappy will only make you feel worse \u2013 both physically and emotionally.<\/p>\n

When you are feeling low and need a boost of energy and some cheering up, consider foods that will enhance your mood and help you get a healthy lift. \u201cMood-boosting foods can have powerful healing energy to people suffering from low energy, fatigue, depression and anxiety,\u201d says Lindsey Smith<\/a>, nutrition coach and author of Junk Foods and Junk Moods: Stop Craving and Start Living<\/a><\/i>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSimply adding more of these foods into your diet can go a long way with improving your overall health and well-being,\u201d she says. \u201cThese small additions to someone\u2019s lifestyle can really add up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leafy Green Veggies<\/b><\/p>\n

Greens are the number one missing food from the American diet, says Smith. Top your plate with kale, spinach and collards for a healthy meal and to enhance your mood during the day. \u201cAdding greens can help boost your mood and lift depression,\u201d says Smith.<\/p>\n

Dark Chocolate<\/b><\/p>\n

If you ever need an excuse to splurge on some chocolate, a less-than-stellar mood can be a good reason. \u201cAside from the taste and sexy feeling dark chocolate embodies, this chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, which is a feel-good endorphin often released in the brain when people fall in love,\u201d says Smith. \u201cYou will not only feel more connected with yourself, but also more loving and affectionate toward others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walnuts<\/b><\/p>\n

When you are feeling a little nutty after a busy day of chasing toddlers and coaxing babies to crawl, a handful of nuts may be just what you need to lift your spirits. \u201cWalnuts, along with most other nuts, contain L-Arginine, an amino acid that improves blood circulation,\u201d says Smith. \u201cThis can help make your head feel clear and can enhance your confidence level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blueberries<\/b><\/p>\n

To boost the sweetness of your life, consider a colorful fruit to get you out of that cranky mood. \u201cThis fruit not only helps your skin appear more youthful and radiant, it also contains dopamine, which is a stimulatory neurotransmitter that helps control the brain\u2019s reward and pleasure centers,\u201d says Smith.<\/p>\n

Pumpkin Seeds<\/b><\/p>\n

Pumpkin treats are not just reserved for October. Break out the pumpkin seeds during any season to improve your mood. \u201cThese seeds contain tryptophan, which is an amino acid that helps your brain produce the stress reducing hormone serotonin,\u201d says Smith. \u201cThis will help make you feel more calm and relaxed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Hot Peppers<\/b><\/p>\n

Spice up your mood and your meal with red hot peppers, suggests Brad Hines<\/a>, independent health writer and social media analyst. \u201cRed hot peppers, like habaneros, actually can speed up your pulse, acting as a stimulant, metabolism booster, and if they hurt to eat, afterwards a natural high sets in from the endorphins your body produces to compensate,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Kava Tea<\/b><\/p>\n

Beyond foods, many beverages may keep you in positive spirits. Kava Tea has been known to promote relaxation and social promotion, says Hines. \u201cWhen I do drink it, I do feel it physically, a kind of buzz, like a numbness in your face if it is strong tea,\u201d he says. \u201cEating natural foods to boost mood is important for mental and physical health in a way that is not a powerful synthetic pharmaceutical \u2013 allowing for a double health benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Salmon and Sardines<\/b><\/p>\n

If it smells fishy, it\u2019s likely going to provide you with healthy benefits and a mood boost at the same time. Salmon and sardines offer plenty of great mood-boosting omega-3s, says Trudy Scott<\/a>, certified nutritionist and author of The AntiAnxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind<\/a><\/i>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mood boosters in fish like salmon and sardines offers omega 3s, amino acids to make brain chemicals like serotonin and vitamin D for a great mood and bone health,\u201d says Scott. \u201cI grew up in South Africa eating a lot of sardines and love them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grassfed Red Meat<\/b><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been warned to stay away from red meat, consider a grassfed red meat option. \u201cGrassfed red meat has amino acids for making feel-good chemicals like serotonin, plus zinc which is calming,\u201d says Scott. \u201cPlus, it also has the same levels of omega-3s as fish and iron we need for energy and focus and making neurotransmitters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red meat is a great source of vitamins B6 and B12, too. \u201cFor some people, zinc and vitamin B6 deficiency plays a key role in anxiety disorders (especially social anxiety) and red meat is a good source of both of these nutrients,\u201d says Scott.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The phrase you are what you eat definitely rings true when it comes to your mood. Gorging on the wrong foods when you are unhappy will only make you feel worse \u2013 both physically and emotionally. When you are feeling … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1651"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1655,"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1651\/revisions\/1655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enannysource.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}