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Happy Food
Happy Food
After a stressful day, you might reward yourself with ice cream, chocolates or potato chips. After all, these snacks give you a hit of dopamine. Dopamine is known as the “feel-good” hormone. It gives you a sense of pleasure. It also gives you the motivation to do something when you’re feeling pleasure.
There is, however, a difference between pleasure and happiness. Pleasure is generally short-lived and can leave you wanting. Happiness, on the other hand, is a more sustainable state of mind. This brings us to the hormone serotonin.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps you feel happier and calmer. Serotonin isn’t present in food, but there are foods that possess nutrients that can help you increase your production of serotonin. These foods include:
- Eggs. Eggs contain tryptophan, which is one of the essential amino acids required for serotonin production.
- Nuts. Nuts contain nutrients like magnesium and essential fatty acids which help to optimize your brain health and consequently serotonin production.
- Cheese. In addition to tryptophan, cheese is also contains vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), which is necessary for the conversion of tryptophan into serotonin in the brain.
These are just a few healthy foods which may help you with serotonin production. Speak to the Live Well team at Pharmasave Summerland about how you can include more happy food in your diet.
Dan Cassidy – Nutritional Product Advisor