Have you ever found yourself eating your comfort food after a stressful day, hoping that you'll feel better? Well, that's because food affects your feelings and thoughts. It's not called comfort food if you won't feel comfortable afterward.
Certain foods release serotonin and dopamine, which are hormones that make you feel better. Also called the happy chemical, the serotonin hormone is primarily responsible for making you less sad. As for dopamine, high doses of this hormone increases blood pressure.
So if you're feeling a bit glum, perhaps all you need is a few doses of these happy pills and hormones. Check out this list of foods that have serotonin and dopamine in them.
Chocolate
Mandatorily on top of our list, is, of course, chocolate! Everybody loves chocolates! And since they can get you up and energize because of its serotonin and dopamine content, chocolates can be eaten daily. However, limit yourself to just an ounce of dark, unsweetened chocolate every day.
Aside from serotonin and dopamine, chocolates also have exorphin, which is a natural pain-reliever.
You can also expect that you'll be energized and on the move because chocolates have theobromine, a good source of energy. Be careful not to eat more than what is recommended because theobromine in large doses can induce anxiety and headaches.
Oats
Start your day with a healthy bowl of oats, and you can expect that you'll be in a better mood. Since oats have so-call smart carbohydrates responsible for calming your brain, you can expect that you will be more level-headed and calm even in stressful situations.
Whole-grain foods such as oats are complex carbohydrates that trigger the release of the amino acid, tryptophan. This helps you maintain a stable mood.
Eggs
As one of the essential foods, surely every household has a stash of eggs. And with that, you can easily have your daily dosage of serotonin and dopamine to get you working and in the mood. Scientific studies show that eggs are sources of good cholesterol and vitamin B6, substances that are responsible for the release of serotonin and dopamine in your body.
Scramble up those eggs (or maybe fry it up on a sunny-side) to start your day on a sound and light note!
Pineapples
Pineapples are also good food sources of the happy pill hormones. Aside from that, pineapples can also calm you down as it has components that reduce anxiety.
Try eating pineapples for dessert after dinner as it is also responsible for producing melatonin, which tells your body when to go to bed and wake up.
So the next time you try to argue with a weird friend for loving pineapples on their pizza, well, you might know why they're pretty chill about it.
Salmon
Salmon is good brain food since it has omega 3, which is responsible for improving our attention and memory. Omega 3 is responsible for stabilizing our mood.
Try other fish such as tuna and mackerel as they are also good sources of omega 3.
