Foods that activate your Happy Hormones
When you live a stressful life where you are constantly racing against time, stuck in traffic and running around the city, you can’t help but feel drained, depressed and down! Ugh… the triple D!
When you live in a place like Egypt, where unrest is common and events are unpredictable, you can only but pay attention to how the society has become short tempered, anxious and in need of Xanax!
But since I absolutely do not condone drugs and other “happy” stimulants, I searched and studied the foods that contain the same chemicals in drugs like cocaine and Prozac. So make a list Egypt, coz I advise you go shopping and buy these foods that will make you calmer, happier, healthier and energized!
Mussels
Mussels contain trace nutrients, (elements required in your body, but in minute quantities to maintain proper physical functioning).
Trace elements such as Zinc, Iodine and Selenium are all crucial thyroid stabilizers. You always want to make sure that your body’s main mood regulator, your thyroid, is stable and on track.
Spinach
Spinach contains phenylethylamine, an organic compound that is also a name of a class of chemicals that are known as psychoactive drugs and stimulants.
Phenylethaylamine releases dopamine and norepinephrine , chemicals used as anti depressants and stimulate happy, pleasurable and rewarding senses in the brain. Dopamine is also the neurotransmitter released when you get a pleasurable high from cocaine.
Spinach is also known for the amount of magnesium it contains, which helps boost your energy through your body.
Asparagus
Asparagus contains Serotonin, a “happy hormone” that controls your mood, emotions, and sleep. These hormones can be processed effectively by intaking tryptophan, which can also be found in asparagus. Who doesn’t want some happy hormones these days?
Eggs
Eggs do more for you than make you stronger, they too contain tryptophan, the happy hormones boosters!
They also contain choline – a mandatory nutrient that aids in increasing your mental sharpness and positive attitude.
Hurray!
Oily Fish
It is highly recommended to eat fish a couple days a week, especially fish with high concentrations of Omega-3. These fish oils excrete fatty acids that aid in stabilizing our brains. Not to mention, Omega-3 is extremely healthy for your skin, hair and metabolism.
Oily fish include salmon, trout, sardines, herring and mackerel.
Dark Chocolate
We all know dark chocolate is way healthier than milk chocolate and fortunately it is as delicious, especially knowing that it contains magnesium, an element that spreads through your body giving you a positive energy while relaxing your muscles and reducing anxiety. Ultimately, it reduces the possibility of depression.
I might just go on a dark chocolate diet!
Legumes & Nuts
Legumes are basically seeds, beans, peas and some nuts, and they are way healthier than people think. By distributing high amounts of magnesium, they are quite the energy boosters.
You know when you work out and you are finally done and drained, you feel light, energized and just happily zen? That’s the work of magnesium, a crucial trace element in your body that gets excreted during sweat. So stack up on these beans and seeds, they’re the trick!
Most nuts like walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds are a rich source of our Happy Hormone, Serotonin! Many of them also are high in Omega-3 oil – so beneficial!
Avocado
Like asparagus, avocado contains serotonin, a feel-good neurotransmitter. It is also extremely healthy and benefits your hair, skin and nails.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is a sacred food for the healthy gurus. The main reason is the probiotics it contains that help boost your energy and benefit your immune AND digestive systems!
For those of you wondering, probiotics are the opposite of antibiotics. You take antibiotics to kill all bacteria and germs in your body where as probiotics are microorganisms (microbes, bacteria and germs) that are healthy when consumed, like yeast in yogurt!