5 Foods to Brighten Your Mood

Honestly, who doesn’t love to eat? It’s an American pastime, really, and food has tons of associations with social functions and the ability to alter mood. So why is it, anyway, that when we get upset with something or someone, our first instinct is to pig out on junk food?

There’s something about unhealthy foods that seem to make you feel good, but there’s nothing in most of them that actually does so. And science actually shows that when your body is deprived of certain vitamins and minerals, you are more susceptible to feelings of depression.

So the next time you’re feeling down, or you just feel like you need a boost of energy and positivity, instead of reaching for the pint of Ben and Jerry’s, try downing one or two of these 5 yummy, mood-boosting snacks.

Bananas

OK, so before we get into how and why bananas can boost your mood (and they really can!), let’s first explain how many of these foods will work to help you feel better and more positive. Your brain produces a hormone called seratonin, which is associated with feelings of happiness. The higher your seratonin levels in your brain, the happier you feel.

But your brain has more to do with it than simply producing seratonin and regulating the levels of it in your body. Your brain also produces dopamine, another hormone that’s created in the area of the brain that’s associated with pleasure and reward. You put the two together, and you get almost overwhelming feelings of happiness.

That said, bananas don’t exactly contain the hormones seratonin or dopamine, but they do contain tryptophan (you know, the stuff that’s in turkey that makes you sleepy after every Thanksgiving dinner). Your body can’t produce tryptophan naturally, since it’s an amino acid that your body has to convert for use as something else.

What does your body use it for? To boost seratonin levels. Therefore, any food containing and especially high in tryptophan will boost your seratonin levels and make you feel happy. Bananas are a great example.

They also have the power of boosting dopamine production in the brain, so you’re getting double the happy hormones with every banana you eat. Plus, they’re oh so healthy for you.

Dark Chocolate

Two things to say about dark chocolate real quick before we get started: 1.) It’s not meant to be consumed in mass quantities (like a pint of dark chocolate-flavored ice cream, for example) and 2.) it is already proven to have awesome health effects, like the ability to raise good cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and decrease your risk of a heart attack or a stroke.

With the health benefits of real dark chocolate (as in, not the fake kind that is just a “flavoring” added to your favorite ice cream or other snack) aside, now we can move on to why it will make you happy, as if those health benefits aren’t enough.

Chocolate contains anandamide, a compound that binds with the same receptors in the brain that marijuana binds to for its psychoactive effects. When anandamide binds with those receptors, more dopamine is produced and scientists believe that it causes that unexplainable feeling of happiness and contentment.

Theobromine is the other ingredient in chocolate that contributes to feelings of happiness. It’s a natural stimulant similar to the caffeine found in coffee, which can have effects on feelings of happiness and relaxation.

Let’s be honest again here, who doesn’t enjoy eating chocolate? Especially knowing now that it does, in fact, make you happy!

Omega-3’s (Salmon, Tuna, Sardines)

Sardines might not exactly sound like a tasty treat that you’ll reach for when you’re trying to feel better about something, but certain fish such as sardines, salmon and tuna contain high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, which can be mood altering substances.

Extensive studies have shown that Omega-3’s are associated with increasing grey matter in the brain, which are areas made up of neuronal cell bodies that cover regions of the brain associated with emotions. According to the studies, the more grey matter there is in the brain, the happier you will feel.

The studies also show that people with higher levels of Omega-6 than Omega-3 were more likely to report having a negative outlook and feelings of impulsiveness. In contrast, those with high levels of Omega-3 in the bloodstream reported to feeling more agreeable and happy, and less likely to report acute symptoms of depression.

So even though there are arguments out there that fish like tuna and salmon (and of course sardines, as well as flax seeds and walnuts, among other foods) are too fattening to eat regularly, they actually contain many powerful ingredients to improve both your health and your mood.

Sunflower Seeds

No longer just a snack for a summer day at the ball park, sunflower seeds contain one ingredient in particular that scientists believe is solely responsible for an almost immediate mood boost.

The ingredient is actually selenium, a chemical that is essential for maintaining good health, but only in small doses. It acts as an antioxidant in the body, and although dietary selenium deficiencies are rare in the United States, increased levels of it in the body are linked with higher moods.

Studies show that people who do suffer from dietary selenium deficiency are more likely to report feelings of depression, and scientists are actually working to create a product that incorporates selenium to use as a treatment for depression.

The chemical is found in the salt that usually accompanies sunflower seeds. They’re a fun and tasty snack to eat and now that we know they make us feel happier, we’ll probably be seeing them a lot more frequently than just at the ball game!

Honey

Add some extra honey to your next cup of green tea and feel its mood-boosting effects almost immediately! Honey contains high amounts of the flavonoid (a super powerful antioxidant) quercetin.

Quercetin is an antioxidant that’s proven to be 5 times more powerful than Vitamin C and can help increase athletic performance by improving endurance in aerobic workouts. So why does that make you happy? Well, antioxidants rid the body of toxins. When your body is healthy, your mood is happy!

Honey also contains high levels of kaempferol, which cleans up free radicals in the brain to reduce any inflammation surrounding the areas that are happy triggers.

Plus, some studies have shown that people who sweeten foods and drinks with honey rather than sugar are more capable of losing weight. So basically, you can’t go wrong by adding a couple drops of honey to your tea!

Emily Carmichael is a freelance writer who supports natural remedies for any and every ailment. From natural supplements for depression to foods that fight depression, she encourages people to try the all-natural way before turning to western medicine.