If your mood is dark and your temper short – just like the days at this time of year – increasing your intake of the following foods may help boost your mood.

Grapefruit: Great for boosting liver function and easing depressing. The more toxins your liver is exposed to the more easily its detoxification systems are overloaded. If the liver is sluggish, excessive amounts of toxins find their way into the blood stream and can affect the function of the brain causing unpleasant and erratic mood changes, a general feeling of depression, `foggy brain’ and an impaired ability to concentrate or remember things.

 

Artichoke:  This vegetable is liver protective and also has a bile-producing, and bile moving effect on the liver. When bile lingers in the liver, it irritates the tissue, creating inflammation and decreasing the ability of the liver to carry out its function so you are more likely to feel tired and depressed.

 

Watermelon: Studies indicate that red-pigmented, lycopene-rich foods—such as tomatoes, papaya, and watermelon—improve liver health and a healthy liver is essential for detoxification and physical, emotional and mental health and wellbeing.

 

Sunflower seeds: Minerals are essential for the growth and functioning of the brain. Selenium (high in seafood and seaweed) has been shown to improve mood significantly. Other sources of selenium include Brazil nuts, tuna, and whole-grain cereals.

 

Oily fish/flax seeds: Fatty acids regulate memory and mood. The brain is made of 60% fatty acids. The omega 3 types (DHA and EPA) are essential to the optimum performance of your brain. Omegas are found in oily fish, for example: mackerel, tuna, herring, salmon and sardines, as well as other foods such as avocado, olives, raw nuts and seeds, and their cold pressed oils. All these foods contain good mood stimulants and it has been discovered that levels of depression can been improved by introducing these healthy fats to your diet. Omega 3 types are also excellent intelligence and memory boosters. If you don’t eat fish try some hemp or flax seeds instead.  (See the Resources Page for a high strength Omega 3 fish oil.)

 

Lentils: Excellent source of B vitamins and folate. Folate deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of depression and deficiency in B vitamins increases the risk of anxiety, insomnia and mood swings.

 

Water: The body deteriorates rapidly without water and dehydration is a common cause of tiredness, poor concentration and reduced alertness. So ensure you get your recommended eight glasses a day!

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 1st, 2009 at 2:20 am and is filed under General Health, Healthy Living, Winter Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.