How to boost the hormone of happiness with diet?

 According to statistics, January is the most depressing month of the year. Anyway, lack of sunlight, empty wallet after the holidays, we ate more than we should…

 

 But can we do something about it?

 By consuming certain foods, we can stimulate the secretion of hormones that affect our mood. These are hormones:

 Serotonin - it is responsible for sleep, aging, eating habits, biorhythm, pain and changing mental states such as anxiety and stress. Serotonin cannot reach the brain through diet, so the brain must produce its own, so it doesn't matter if the food is rich in serotonin, because none of it will reach the brain

 It is important that food contains the amino acid tryptophan, from which the brain produces serotonin. Foods rich in tryptophan - turkey, milk (cow or goat), young cheese, pecans, peanuts, soy milk, sunflower seeds, peas, beans, bananas, fish, eggs....

 Melatonin - it is created by the pineal gland during the night from serotonin, it helps us fall asleep, adjusts our biorhythm with the cycles of night and day, reduces stress.

 During the day, the pineal gland contains more serotonin and less melatonin, and during the night it is the other way around. So when we don't get enough sleep, less melatonin is produced. Oats, rice, ginger and bananas are good foods for making melatonin. 

Dopamine - keeps our brain awake and active. Participates in thinking, motivation, concentration, emotions, feelings of satisfaction.

 In order for our brain to produce dopamine, it needs the amino acid tyrosine, which it gets from protein foods. Foods rich in tyrosine are cheese and other dairy products, beer, wine, beans, fish, liver, chocolate, bacon, ham, blue eggplant, spinach and tomatoes. 

Noradrenaline - is made from dopamine. It keeps the brain awake and active, participates in mental processes such as thinking, concentration and motivation.

 Since it is formed from dopamine and dopamine from tyrosine, foods rich in tyrosine accelerate the production of dopamine and norepinephrine - cheese, wine, beans, fish, sauerkraut, bacon, ham, blue eggplant, potatoes, spinach and tomatoes.