Have you been feeling abnormally stressed or down these days? At times it seems like our lives are overly hectic, resulting in moods that are undesirable or distant. Research shows that our moods are strongly affected by the chemical balance in our brains. Incorporate the following foods into your daily diet to ensure chemical balance in the brain, making us happier, healthier people.
Peppers:
Peppers are a delicious addition to our daily nutrition. Red peppers, in particular, give us vitamin C, which reduces the stress hormone, cortisol, in our bodies. Excess amounts of cortisol in the brain reduce the efficiency of our brain’s abilities to lean new skills and retrieve stored information. Introduce a half cup of red pepper into your diet each day to feel more focused and aware. Try adding some chopped red pepper to a salad or roasting red pepper slices and drizzling them with balsamic vinegar to eat as a side dish.
Walnuts:
Walnuts, as well as almonds and hazelnuts, not only taste great and cure cravings, but they boost the serotonin levels in our brains. Serotonin is responsible for balancing moods, sleep patterns and appetite. We often credit the feeling of happiness to serotonin. Just a handful of walnuts a day are enough to keep us feeling good. If you don’t like eating walnuts alone, encrust some chicken with walnuts or eat them with some salty cheese and honey.
Chickpeas:
Chickpeas are not only a source of “good” HDL fat, but they provide vitamin B to increase the chemical, dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that generates feelings of pleasure, controls body movement and the amount of information stored in the brain. A half a cup of cooked chickpeas is enough to maintain necessary levels of dopamine in the brain and to ensure healthy functioning. The best way to eat chickpeas is to cook them and blend them with tahini, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to for a quick, hearty hummus snack. Instead of using pita to dip, knock out to birds with one stone by using strips of red pepper.
Sardines:
Sardines, among other fish, make you feel calmer as a result of the omega 3 introduced to the body during consumption. Omega 3 sources are considered brain food, because they provide the powerful anti-inflammatory healing effect on the body, and in terms of the brain, have been shown to prevent the likelihood of Alzheimer’s. Fresh sardines are the best. Even if you are not a fan of sardines, there are some tasty ways to incorporate them into your diet. Create a marinara sauce with sardines to put over pasta or make some sardine fish cakes with a creamy dill or dijon mustard sauce.
By simply incorporating healthy amounts of these four brain foods into your diet, you can enhance your life. Feed your brain improve your mood.
