Here are the Foods to Add to Your Diet to Boost Your Mood and Achieve Stronger Mental Health

Mental HealthJanuary 11, 2021

Is your mental health causing a lot of stress these days? Are you suffering from stuff like depression, anxiety, migraines, or insomnia? If we delve deep, there may be an underlying cause for it, which may point to a deficiency. If you even manage to restore the amino acids to your body, you will suddenly start feeling better, and your mood will start improving.

There are many happy hormones in foods, such as serotonin. Serotonin primarily comes from your food. If your diet is deficient in all the required amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, it may lead to neurotransmitter deficiency. So, is your diet balanced? Especially if you are following a plant-based diet, you may be extra careful in including the right amino acids, vitamins and minerals, and good fats to boost your serotonin levels.

While we know that a greasy plate of fries or sugary snacks can fix a bad mood temporarily, you need to eat healthy, for long-term happiness. Fortunately, plenty of foods can boost your hormones. Add these foods to your menu to ensure a better mood and better mental health.

Eat More Proteins

Happy hormones are rich in proteins. So, make sure you include protein-rich foods like avocado, tomatoes, eggplants, and walnuts, the foods that can up your serotonin levels in your body. People on a plant-based diet are concerned about getting more protein into their diet. Include more beans, lentils, chickpeas, kale, which are r protein.

You can also include vegetables such as spinach and kale, which are rich in proteins. Legumes contain a great number of micronutrients and proteins. Including more amino acids from your foods is important as it works as the building blocks for muscles and tissues. It provides brain-building compounds that provide happy hormones.

Include Omega 3 Fatty Acids

If you need more happy hormones, you just need more foods with omega-three fatty acids. Include foods such as flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, leafy greens, soybeans.

Also, your brain is made up of fat, at least 70 % fat. If you want to allow your moods to be more balanced and banish stress and anxiety, think of doing it holistically and include the foods we mentioned.

Eat More Magnesium

Magnesium is essential to keep yourself bio-chemically balanced. If you include more magnesium-rich foods into your diet or even add more magnesium supplements to enable the immune and nervous system to work efficiently. Whole plant-based foods such as nuts and leafy greens are extremely rich in magnesium. You can add roasted almonds or raw pumpkin seeds high in magnesium.

Leafy greens are also enriched with magnesium as it contains chlorophyll. Whole grains like oats and bulgar wheat are great magnesium sources, almost one-fourth of the recommended amount. Those all-important whole grains can significantly improve the good bacteria in your gut and significantly improve your mood. Also, the good carbs can help you slim down as well.

B Vitamins

Your body and mind need B vitamins to function best. B vitamins also play a significant role in the chemical reaction in your body. Food such as bell peppers, baked potatoes, spinach, green peas, yams, asparagus, turnip greens, contain many other nutrients too.

Eat More Seaweed

Foods, such as sushi as a side dish is rich in iodine, which you may not find too easy to find in foods. Iodine helps your thyroid to function properly. Iodine also impacts your energy, weight, and improves your brain functions too, helping you drive away from the blues efficiently.

Consume Chocolates

Cocoa is a chocolate ingredient with several mood-boosting benefits. However, do not overdo it. Just a few ounces a day, will do the trick. Also, if you choose chocolate, ensure you choose the right one. The dark chocolate containing more than 75% cocoa is your best bet, and ensure it comes without the sugar.

Keep yourself hormonally balanced to be in a good mood. So, include these plant-based foods in your diet to stay happy, healthy, and in great spirits. While the right foods can improve your mental health, exclude the foods that may negatively impact your mood. Sugar, unhealthy fats, and seed oils, in particular, are highly inflammatory and bad for your brain and mood. So, make sure you drop these foods from your diet. And don’t forget to get inputs from your nutritionist on these dietary changes!