Brighten your day with these 4 mental health boosters
We are in a time when mental health is being challenged from many directions. I won’t go into them. You have probably already spent enough of your thoughts, worries and energy on that. What I am presenting to you today is some simple strategies for keeping yourself in good mental balance. There are many body chemicals that help us to be healthy mentally. These are a few (called neurotransmitters) that are super important:
Dopamine
Serotonin
Endorphins
Oxytocin
This blog will give you some easy and delicious ways to build these neurotransmitters which can get depleted in time . Things like sleep deprivation, stress, poor diet, behavioural conditioning and toxicity can deplete and interfere with these neurotransmitters. I have included all the references as you find them. There are some great websites listed here that go into more detail in case you wanted to boost your mental health with some more learning.
In this blog, I have mainly focused on foods to give you a boost. We all need to eat, so I figure this is a convenient and import place to start for improving mental health. There are also lifestyle factors which can boost your mood. Some examples include getting enough exercise, staying well hydrated and spending time in the sunshine, so food is just a start. Don’t underestimate the power of the simple things in life. Sunshine, drinking plenty of water and exercise, all give the body and mind a boost in so many ways.
Of course there are stressors and mental and emotional matters which will perpetuate mental ill-health if not addressed. Many of them can be unconscious, which is why I love Kinesiology. It helps to reveal the unconscious patterns and stresses that are contributing to ill health. Muscle monitoring used in kinesiology is a great tool for discovering and validating the things that are a priority for health and wellbeing. Do yourself a favour and get the help you need by finding a health professional that can guide you through a personalised approach to this process of establishing good mental health. Your happy healthy self is an absolute gift to yourself and to others.
Here are the 4 super heroes for mental health:
Dopamine - can help to improve mood, energy, motivation and sleep:
Dopamine is made from the amino acid l-tyrosine which is commonly found in protein-rich foods.
These foods contain l-tyrosine or increase dopamine directly:
all animal products (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy)
apples
avocados
bananas
beans (legumes)
beets
chocolate
coffee
green leafy vegetables
green tea
nuts
oats
olive oil
oregano
peanuts
rosemary
sea vegetables
sesame and pumpkin seeds
turmeric
watermelon
wheat
Foods high in natural probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and raw sauerkraut
Fava beans, also called broad beans, are one of the few foods that contain l-dopa, a direct precursor to dopamine
Curcumin in turmeric crosses the blood-brain barrier where it boosts levels of dopamine
L-theanine, a unique compound found in green, black, and white teas also helps this
Here are a few other options for boosting dopamine
Listening to Music
All kinds of pleasurable touch eg. Patting Pets, self massage, hugs
A therapeutic massage increases dopamine and serotonin and reduces the stress hormone cortisol.
Meditation
Physical exercise - all kinds e.g. walks, gym, yoga, tai chi, or qi gong
Sunlight can increase the number of dopamine receptors and create vitamin D which activates the genes that release dopamine
Seeking and finding (Eg. I find doing jigsaw puzzles great for a dopamine boost)
Setting and achieving goals (Eg. I love creating and ticking off my “to do” list)
Learning new things
Resource: How to Increase Dopamine Naturally
Created by Deane Alban | Reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC.
Last updated on November 15, 2018.
https://bebrainfit.com/increase-dopamine/
Serotonin helps with sleep, calm, and sense of wellbeing
Nutrients in veggies and fruits help to naturally give you the neurotransmitter cofactors you need for making serotonin
It is important to eat enough protein. The foods that are particularly helpful building blocks for serotonin are tryptophan containing foods - banana, cottage cheese, turkey, red meat.
Do not limit healthy carbohydrates. The brain needs some good carbs in order to open the gates for tryptophan to get in, and in turn to make serotonin. Include whole grains, root vegetables, beans, and fruits in your diet)
Massage, hugs and touch all give serotonin a boost.
Keeping your gut healthy by avoiding highly processed foods, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, artificial colours and preservatives.
Making sure your bowel flora is in balance helps your small intestine to make serotonin. (More info for gut health below)
Plenty of water and sunshine is also very important for serotonin balance.
Reference: Peter Bongiorno’s books:
http://www.amazon.com/Holistic-Solutions-Anxiety-Depression- Therapy/dp/0393709345
http://www.amazon.com/How-Come-Theyre-Happy- Not/dp/1573245801
Endorphins help you to feel elated and are produced whenever we exercise or do something that makes us feel good. In fact Finnish researchers found that the brain produces endorphins whether you eat a tasty pizza or drink a tasteless nutritional drink. Endorphin production post eating is why we often will want to eat when we feel flat or bored.
Reference: University of Turku. Eating triggers endorphin release in the brain. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 August 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170828102719.htm>.
Endorphins also help us to keep a focus on things that we love to do in life and are therefore important for our mental health. Find out what lights you up and keep exploring what other things you can enjoy in life as well. It is not so healthy to stick with just one thing that gives the feel good factor, because what happens if you lose that thing in some way? For example, someone who only gets joy from running and is then unable to run due to illness or disability is going to experience a huge loss and go through a dramatic re-adjustment. This kind of single mindedness also limits the opportunities that we have for feeling good. When our brain can associate many activities with joy and pleasure, we have an expanded capacity for joy and pleasure in everyday life.
Oxytocin helps with bonding, reduces stress and anxiety and gives that loving feeling
Foods to boost oxytocin:
Foods rich in Vitamin C (fruits and vegetables such as green pepper, citrus, tomato, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage)
Foods rich in Magnesium (spinach, chard, pumpkin seeds, almonds, avocado, dark chocolate and bananas)
Foods rich in Taurine (animal proteins such as beef, lamb, chicken, dairy, offal)
Foods that support good gut bacteria. Your body uses high fibre foods such as fruits, vegetables, psyllium and wholegrains to regulate gut bacteria. Fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, miso, kim chi and sourdough breads etc. may help. However, be warned, there can be other underlying conditions that can cause these products to upset the gut health further. I am careful to muscle test foods like this for people before I recommend them.
Caffeine boosts oxytocin. I have often wondered why I feel like I am in love with the world after having a coffee. Now I see!
Chamomile tea is also a helpful drink.
Reference: Jordan Fallis, 29 Effective Ways to Increase Oxytocin Levels in the Brain, March 20, 2020, sourced from https://www.optimallivingdynamics.com/blog/25-effective-ways-to-increase-oxytocin-levels-in-the-brain
(Something I loved about this website is that it offers a free shopping guide for brain health foods.)
Another great thing about oxytocin is that it can help re-pattern brain function. If you wish to change unhealthy thought patterns and enhance your relationship with yourself and others, oxytocin is the neurotransmitter you need. Interestingly, it is boosted in the body when we have social connections with others. Hugs and soft and gentle touch can also help to stimulate oxytocin.
Reference: B Kok et al, How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health: Perceived Positive Social Connections Account for the Upward Spiral Between Positive Emotions and Vagal Tone, Psychological Science. 2013; May 6. Published online https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797612470827?casa_token=2_mKxwzPO-QAAAAA%3Aw46w5Ndga8RZ1Bibn9mmZxoQ8V3zuj57ECkVwbbQPVEOPdsSunbAVSle8kmqLq1ve4NO9aznM0Jn4KM
Something I find helpful for relaxing myself and re-patterning myself to be more gentle and peaceful is by treating myself as if I were a young child. My inner talk and love and kindness to myself changes when I consider this innocent part of myself. There is a child in us all, who will have had trauma or unmet needs, which affects the way we behave and how we feel about ourself. When we can process and integrate the wounds of the child, we become more whole and loving towards ourself and others, which can ultimately bring happiness and sense of wellbeing.
If mental health is something that you would like help with, get in touch and I am happy to listen and find out what your needs are and develop a plan that is tailored for you.