Feel Good Tip of the Day

What We Eat Can Defeat the Blues

Here are some foods that will make you feel good, lift your mood, and fight off depression:

1. Salmon: Salmon is packed with omega 3 fatty acids, which are proven to improve our mood. Omega 3s, Delbridge described, play a vital part of our body’s cell manufacturing and makes our hair and skin shiny, even giving the appearance of happiness.
2. Mushrooms: Vitamin D boosts mood and has anti-depressant qualities. Mushrooms have a ton. We usually get our Vitamin D from the sun. But it’s also found in mushrooms, milk, beef, chicken livers and fatty fish, notes Marjorie Nolan Cohn, a registered dietitian and founder of Philadelphia-based MNC Nutrition. Vitamin D’s main role is converting and regulating the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin. The goal, Cohn said, is to maintain the right amount of serotonin, which can ward off depression and anxiety. Too much or too little serotonin can have adverse effects. She recommends a Vitamin D supplement for many of her patients.
3. Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate has plenty of health benefits, including easing emotional stress, according to a 2009 American Chemical Society trial. Registered dietitian nutritionist Sonya Angelone said dark chocolate boosts mood because it raises endorphin levels. Angelone advises choosing the dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao.
4. Leafy Greens: Leafy greens contain vitamin B6. B6 vitamins are vital for converting tryptophan into serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a primary role in mood, learning, appetite and impulse control, Cohn said. B6 is found in poultry, seafood, beef, leafy greens, spinach, kale.
5. Grapes: Grapes contain something called resveratrol, Angelone said, an antioxidant proven to boost mood.

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