Save some of that dried fruit you use to make all those fruit cakes this holiday season. Dried fruit has been shown to boost serotonin production. Double points if you’re snacking on dried blueberries — these boast antioxidants that help us feel alert.
Source: Thedarlingbakers.com
How about a hearty mussel soup or mussels and spaghetti when it’s cold out? Mussels contain iodine, selenium, and zinc, each of which promotes a healthy thyroid gland. The thyroid gland has a close link to our moods.
Source: Psychologytoday.com
Add this into your roasted veggie repertoire in the fall and winter seasons. It tastes delicious with roasts, but also contains magnesium, which helps with stress management, energy levels and sleep. And you know how sleep deprivation can make you feel like the world is ending.
Source: JoyBauer.com
The happiness in your meat actually transfers to your body. Grass-fed cows contain more omegas than grain fed ones, and omegas can reduce inflammation in your body—inflammation that can induce feelings of agitation and depression.
Source: Mercola.com
The good news is, you probably already have tons of these on hand. It’s sweet potato pie season. Sweet potatoes contain tons of folate, which aids in the production of serotonin — a mood-boosting chemical in your body. White potatoes contain lots of fiber, which helps stabilize moods.
Source: JoyBauer.com
Vitamin C helps the circulation of oxygen through your entire body, but especially up to your brain, helping you feel less lethargic. Lethargy contributes to feelings of depression. This also means you’re more capable of finishing the tasks you need to finish that day, which will help boost your mood.
Source: Thevalentinerd.com
Butternut squash is the ultimate cool-weather produce, popping up everywhere in markets. But it’s good for more than just soup. Butternut squash has been shown to reduce symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome. This is another food that helps with the production of serotonin, which helps you feel calmer and happier.
Source: Heatherdane.com
In cold weather, add a few extra tomatoes when you’re making those delicious stews and pasta sauces. Studies have shown that eating tomatoes two-to-six times a week can reduce symptoms of depression by up to 46 percent.
Source: Tomatowellness.wordpress.com
There’s a reason even the worst insomniacs fall into a nice snooze after Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey contains tryptophan, which helps your body produce sleep-inducing melatonin and calming serotonin. Sleep — it’s what we all need more of.
Source: Thedailymind.com
Some say that funky smell that comes out in your urine after eating asparagus is from the toxins, but you can just think of it as the depression flushing out. Asparagus contains folate which helps produce serotonin — the calming chemical — as well as calming tryptophan.
Source: Naturalnews.com
