Happiness

Well its that time of year again, when I am sure we would all rather see some more sunny days.

Its seems to be raining all of the time and it feels like its dark outside morning and night, which is enough to make anyone feel sad. To fight the blues of the long winter months, you need to ensure you are getting enough of the Happiness chemicals!

You need to ensure you get enough of each of the chemicals to boost your happiness, so this includes Serotonin, Dopamine, Endorphins and Oxytocin. Hence why I always say it is good to have a balanced diet, as this supports a lot of these chemicals.

Dopamine : This is the feel good hormone, also helps enhance concentration. You get dopamine from completing goals, getting enough sleep and including tyrosine rich foods. You can boost dopamine, by completing something, doing self care and eating food. Tyrosine rich foods includes Soy products, fish, peanuts, almonds, avocados, bananas, milk, cheese, yoghurt, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds.

Oxytocin : This is the cuddling hormone, for which you need bonding, physical touch, compassion, trust and amino acids. Oxytocin can be increased by playing with a dog or baby, holding hands, hugging and giving compliments or helping others. The top foods to obtain amino acids are Quinoa, Eggs, Cottage Cheese, Mushrooms, Fish and Beans.

Serotonin : The Happiness chemical, you can obtain from sunshine, a walk in nature, a happy gut and include tryptophan rich foods. Serotonin can also be boosted by meditating. Some of the tryptophan rich foods include milk, canned tuna, oats, cheese, nuts and seeds. I have read that including probiotics in your diet may increase tryptophan, as it helps to aid your gut health, which has definitely helped me.

Endorphins : The pain reliever, you need to exercise, include laughter, dance and include B vitamins. You can enhance endorphins by watching a comedy, listening to music and eating dark chocolate. B Vitamins (other than meat) can be obtained in Marmite, Malt extract, fortified cereals, tempeh (fermented soya beans), peanuts and peanut butter, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, muesli, rolled oats, mushrooms, avocado, sunflower and sesame seeds.

So I hope this helps keep you happy throughout the winter and many years to follow!