These nutrition hacks can help you boost happy hormones, including serotonin and dopamine.
Hormones are the chemical messengers that control every function in your body. They’re responsible for making sure that your heart beats, your brain functions, and you digest food. Hormones affect everything from mood to sex drive to weight loss.
When we’re feeling down or depressed, it’s usually because of a hormone imbalance — either too much or too little of a certain hormone. But there are ways to naturally increase or decrease these hormones and feel happier as a result.
Here are three ways to enhance happy hormones:
- Eat more fiber
Fiber helps control blood sugar levels, which in turn helps maintain stable moods. In addition, fiber may help reduce cholesterol levels, which is important because high cholesterol has been linked with depression. The best sources of fiber are whole grains (like brown rice) and legumes (such as beans). Try snacking on popcorn or drinking fruit smoothies instead of soda or juice to get more fiber in your diet.
- Eat more omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are important for brain health, especially when it comes to balancing mood and preventing depression. They can also help relieve inflammation in the body. Studies show that people who eat diets rich in fish have lower rates of depression than non-fish eaters do. If you don’t like fish or don’t want to eat it every day, consider taking an omega-3 supplement instead.
- Eat more protein
Protein helps build and repair your brain cells so they function properly — especially if they’re damaged or inflamed (which happens with stress). It also makes neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which make us feel good. Protein is found in meat (and other animal products), nuts and seeds, soy products (like tofu), legumes (beans), dairy products (like cheese) and eggs — just be sure to choose grass-fed whenever possible since it has more nutrients than conventional meat does.