What food makes you feel happy?
While there are, of course, plenty of foods that can boost your mood due to their variety of vitamins and minerals, don’t forget that enjoying your favourite foods can also help you feel good!
Although you should make sure that you enjoy unhealthy foods in moderation, there’s no reason why you should deny yourself your favourite dishes if it makes you happy. Don’t forget to treat yourself every now and then.
What food will lift your mood?
There are so many different foods out there that are thought to help boost your mood naturally.
1. Bananas
An excellent source of Vitamin B6, bananas are some of the best feel-good foods around. Because they’re also high in fibre, it means their natural sugars release gradually throughout the day, preventing the dreaded sugar-level spike and subsequent crash after only an hour or so. Next time you’re feeling glum, peel open one of these bad boys to help perk you up.
2. Oats
Oats are a delicious way to enjoy breakfast, they keep you full all morning and can be enjoyed in a multitude of ways. Because they keep you feeling full and satisfied for a long time, they can help to keep your moods regulated as they help avoid sudden peaks and drops in blood sugar levels - leading to fewer mood swings.
3. Berries
Nothing says summer like a bowl of fresh berries. Whether you enjoy them as a healthy snack or part of your morning smoothie, berries are some of the best mood-boosting foods out there. They’re particularly high in anthocyanins, a pigment that gives certain berries their purple-blue colour and is associated with a lower risk of depression symptoms.
4. Fatty fish
Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of essential fats that you must obtain through your diet because your body can’t produce them on its own. Thankfully for us, fatty fish such as tuna and salmon are not only delicious but also contain plenty of omega-3s to keep our brains happy.
Omega-3s contribute to the fluidity of your brain’s cell membrane and appear to play key roles in brain development and cell signalling so it’s thought they can help reduce feelings of depression.
6. Coffee
Coffee is the most-drunk beverage in the world, and turns out it could also be making the world a little bit happier too!
The caffeine in coffee prevents a naturally occurring compound called adenosine from attaching to brain receptors that promote tiredness, therefore increasing alertness and attention. It also increases the release of mood-boosting neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and norepinephrine.
7. Dark chocolate
Chocolate lovers rejoice! Dark chocolate is a feel-good food (but you probably already knew that).
Not only does dark chocolate contain plenty of flavonoids which have been shown to increase blood flow to your brain, but it also is thought to release a cascade of feel-good compounds, such as caffeine, theobromine, and N-acylethanolamine. The sugar content also helps you feel the temporary boost of energy and in general, chocolate has a high hedonic rating, meaning that its pleasurable taste, texture, and smell may also promote a good mood.
