BOOSTING YOUR HAPPY HORMONES
We all know the saying ‘you are what you eat’ and never is this more the case than the effects that food has on your emotions. Did you know that if you begin your day with a meal full of vitamin-rich fruits, you’re likely to feel positive; finish your day with a dish such as curry packed with spices and you’ll benefit from a release of pain-relieving hormones to help you relax? This blog is going to look at our ‘happy hormones’ and how the food we eat can impact our mood.
There are four main hormones which contribute to your emotional wellbeing, motivation, feelings of compassion and calmness, these are:
- Serotonin
- Dopamine
- Oxytocin
- Endorphins
It is known that actions such as hugging release oxytocin which promotes relaxation, but have you considered the impact that food can have on your reactions and emotions?
Serotonin
Firstly, serotonin is known as the ‘happy hormone’. It is responsible for helping to stabilise your mood, encourage happiness and has a main focus on wellbeing. This hormone is necessary for mood, sleep, daily brain function and the body’s internal clock. Probiotic foods (those including healthy live bacteria and yeasts) and staples naturally containing tryptophan, an essential amino acid which can boost your serotonin level.
There are many foods which aid serotonin as 90% of this hormone is produced in the gut, making it essential for digestion.
Foods which especially boost serotonin are
- apples,
- barley,
- beetroot,
- berries,
- oats,
- soybeans,
- eggs,
- cod
- salmon.
Perhaps you could prepare a breakfast of porridge with berries and sunflower seeds or a dish of salmon, potatoes and mushrooms for dinner when feeling down to encourage a boost of this hormone.
Dopamine
Next, dopamine is known to play a motivational role and give a rewarding feeling – often felt before completing a challenge and after facing a fear. It assists in cognitive function, memory, attention and decision making. Food itself doesn’t increase dopamine levels but the amino acids such as tyrosine can aid in its production. Tyrosine-rich foods such as turkey, beef, eggs and dairy can be beneficial before experiencing something new.
Why not try preparing steak and eggs for a release of dopamine? For a snack, have a protein shake or yoghurt to increase the boost.
Oxytocin
Oxytocin is known as the ‘cuddle hormone’, promoting love, bonding and trust. It helps to regulate responses to stress, calms the nervous system and functions as a neurotransmitter. Pets, friendships and caring relationships increase this hormone yet vitamins C and D also assist with the production of oxytocin too. Citrus fruits, avocado, peppers, spinach and dark chocolate are a few which can be beneficial in helping this.
I’d suggest aiming to incorporate one of these into your diet – whether it be having spinach and avocado at the side of your dish or adding citrus fruits to a smoothie.
Endorphins
Finally, endorphins are known to help relieve pain and encourage relaxation. It also induces euphoria so is known to create a ‘runner’s high’ which causes people to become hooked on running. Laughing, massages and sunlight are known to increase endorphin levels.
In relation to food, did you know that chilli can spike a release of this hormone because your body’s defence against the spice’s heat releases endorphins as a painkiller? Oranges and bananas also contain vitamin C which promotes a release, as does dark chocolate.
If you’re craving a sweet treat, why not try dipping orange and banana slices in melted dark chilli chocolate? This will take around 10 minutes to do and could also be set in the fridge to eat later. Furthermore, dark chocolate which is above 70% cocoa has the benefit of containing antioxidants. The higher the percentage in dark chocolate, the less sugar it will contain.
I hope you remember some of the properties of these foods and incorporate them into your diet more, finding them to be beneficial.
The dishes in the Supersonic Café are designed with nutrition at the forefront and many of the ingredients mentioned in this blog are featured – smashed avocado, sea trout salad, pea and spinach sausages and mackerel sandwich to name a few…
So if you’re feeling low and not in the mood to cook, let us do that for you and we do love a good natter to increase your spirits!