8 Food Items That Can Boost Your Mood And Beat The Blues

1. Fresh fruits - The rich amounts of vitamin C in oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes can help fight fatigue and depression. Cherries and dark berries are also great mood enhancers.

2. Fish - Fatty fish like salmon and albacore tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that improve the function of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that processes feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.

3. Green leafy vegetables - Leafy green veggies, such as spinach, collard greens, kale, and chard, are high in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which help regulate stress hormones and your sleep cycle.

4. Nuts and seeds - Many of us are low in our consumption of magnesium, and, as a result, can feel fatigued and experience other mood-altering effects, such as muscle tension, an irregular heartbeat, and insomnia.

5. Dark chocolate - Here’s a mood-boosting food that is fun to eat! Dark chocolate stimulates the production of the chemical serotonin, which acts as a natural anti-depressant, and of endorphins.

6. Fermented foods - Fermented foods like kimchi, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut can enhance gut health and emotional well-being.

7. Bananas - When you eat a banana, you get a healthy combination of a number of nutrients and B6, which helps in synthesizing feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin.

8. Coffee - The caffeine in coffee prevents the compound adenosine from attaching to brain receptors that promote tiredness, increasing alertness. Moreover, it increases the release of dopamine and norepinephrine.

Inputs by Nutritionist Harleen Gill