The lockdown and quarantine has made us so dreamy! Most of us are thinking of all the happy holidays as our travel plans for this year get postponed, while some of us are dealing with anxiety listening to COVID-19 news around our nation and the world.
Mental and physical health is a struggle right now, and it's very important to maintain our immunity to stay healthy and fit during such situations. While our immunity can be affected by anxiety and mental tension — which cause a rise in stress hormones — it's very important to ease them with our "happy hormones."
Yes, you read that right! Serotonin and endorphins are called happy hormones for a reason.
Endorphins are your body's natural pain reliever, produced in response to stress or discomfort. Endorphin levels also tend to increase when you engage in reward-producing activities, such as eating or working out.
Serotonin helps regulate your mood, so it's crucial for people dealing with anxiety and low mood, as well as sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability and memory.
Foods that improve your mood
1. Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are one of the best food sources of an amino acid known as tryptophan, which helps the production of serotonin in your brain.
Eat this: a teaspoon or two of pumpkin seeds makes a fine small mid-day snack, or add them as a topping to soup or salad for extra crunch.
2. Spinach or Kale
Spinach contains magnesium, which makes you feel more energetic during low moods. It helps increase phenylethylamine, which is found in most anti-depressants and leads to increased serotonin levels. It's a healthy green vegetable, rich in iron.
Eat this: make a simple spinach soup to boost mood and immunity, or a baby spinach wrap with tamarind chutney, peanuts, chillies and grated carrots and onions.
3. Coconut
Coconut is chock-full of medium-chain triglycerides, fats that keep your brain healthy and fuel better moods.
Eat this: add shredded coconut to your breakfast oats, or have 2–3 pieces of coconut chunks, or make a delicious pesto coconut curry with lots of veggies — it will lift your mood instantly :)
4. Avocado
Avocados contain vitamin B3, known for its serotonin-boosting factors. They're also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, highly nutritious, loaded with fibre, and contain potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure and lower bad cholesterol.
Eat this: have avocado toast for breakfast, or an avocado salad with cherry tomatoes and cottage cheese for lunch or dinner — healthy, filling and perfect for lifting your mood.
5. Curd
Curd is a popular probiotic in Indian households — an excellent mood-changer as it contains tryptophan. Serotonin is produced from tryptophan, but tryptophan alone can't cross the blood-brain barrier to make us happy on its own.
Eat this: curd and berries make an amazing combination for a tasty dessert and mood lifter. Curd rice — soothing and easy to digest — is great for lunch.
This quarantine can definitely be a difficult period to deal with, but meditate, work out and eat healthy to maintain good immunity. Try to spend a few minutes in sunlight every day, which helps your brain produce serotonin.
Relax, stay fit and stay safe.
