Adult and 9–12 grade
Want to improve your mood? Start with a balanced plate: 50% vegetables and fruits, 25% fiber-rich carbohydrates and 25% protein rich foods.
Stay hydrated. The brain is 80% water and is central to proper function – even just being slightly dehydrated lowers mood.
Stick to a routine of eating a balanced diet with good mood foods and overall happiness may be improved.
How does food influence our mood? What we eat influences are mental well-being by impacting inflammation, oxidative stress, gut health and the production of neurotransmitters.
Get your omega-3 fatty acids! Omega-3’s are linked to reducing inflammation within the body and brain that may positively influence your mental well-being.
Reduce inflammation with omega-3’s: aim for two servings of fatty fish or seafood such as salmon, sardines or oysters per week and/or add plant-based sources like walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds or soybeans to your diet daily.
Eat foods high in antioxidants to decrease oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when there is less antioxidants in the body to prevent free radicals from causing collateral damage.
Tip the scale in favor of more antioxidants and less free radicals within your body by filling half your plate with vegetables and fruits.
Consume foods high in antioxidants: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, extra virgin olive oil, coffee, green and black tea and red wine.
Up your intake of berries. All are loaded with antioxidants, but blueberries top the list due to their high anthocyanin content that reduces collateral damage in the brain from oxidative stress.
Did you know that the gut microbiome of our digestive tract is sometimes referred to as our “second brain?” It talks to the brain in our head, making good food choices critical to our mental well-being.
Eat high fiber foods to support a healthy gut and happy mood. High fiber foods include vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
Choose complex carbohydrates over simple carbs. Higher fiber carb sources will help stabilize blood sugars which can keep mood swings in check.
Improve your mood and gut health by adding a probiotic food or beverage to your diet daily. Try yogurt, kefir, kimchi, miso or kombucha.
Eat more broccoli! Loaded with antioxidants and fiber, it has also been shown to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisone.
Why do neurotransmitters matter to mental health and what you eat? Neurotransmitters carry signals between brain cells that involve mood and need certain nutrients to be produced.
Boost your neurotransmitter production with foods high in B vitamins, vitamins C and E, selenium and magnesium. Choose a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seed and fatty fish.
Want another reason to eat more turmeric? Turmeric has been linked to increasing the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which improves mood.
Go Mediterranean! A Mediterranean diet has been linked to reducing depression symptoms.
Which veggies get the highest score as an antidepressant food? Leafy greens, lettuces, peppers and cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli or cabbage.
Which animal foods get the highest score as an antidepressant food? Oysters, liver and organ meats, clams, mussels, octopus and crab.