Can Foods Improve Your Mood? Top Tips & Recipes

Can Foods Improve Your Mood? Top Tips & Recipes

By now, we're sure you understand that when your body is running better, you feel better:physically, mentally and emotionally. All these areas must be in sync for you to truly feel your best and food plays a huge role in that. We've all heard the saying you are what you eatmeaning that if you eat healthy, whole foods filled with vitamins and nutrients, then your body will benefit. Similarly, if you eat unhealthy foods that have little nutritional value, then your body may lack the vitamins and nutrients it needs to feel its best. So, what does all this have to do with mood? In short, everything. If you're experiencing stomach pain, bloating, inflammation or you wake up with a terrible headache, chances are pretty high that you won't be in the best of moods. On the contrary, when you wake up feeling great and ache-free, you're much more likely to start your day in a better mood. Remember, food is your fuel. If you eat mood booster foods that are rich in brain-supporting nutrients like L-theanine and serotonin boosters, that may positively affect your mood and overall happiness. If this brain-food connection sounds complicated, don't worry. We've gathered up some of the best tricks to help you make sure your diet affects your mood in the most positive way possible. Because after all, who doesn't want to be happy more often?

Eat Foods Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Can Foods Improve Your Mood? Top Tips & Recipes | Bob's Red Mill Blog Omega-3 is a vitamin that has been on the shelves for years. You see it advertised in commercials or even as one of the standout ingredients on a boxed meal. But what are omega-3 fatty acids? Omega-3 fatty acids are what they sound like: fat! Though it may seem strange that fat can be good for you, this healthy fat works wonders for your brain and body. In fact, your body needs these essential fatty acids to function. Along with numerous other benefits, omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to improved brain function. When your brain functions better, you feel better and your mood is improved. Omega-3s are commonly found in oily fish like salmon, sardines and mackerel. However, If you're not a fan of seafood, don't worry, this isn't the only place you can find it. Chia seeds, walnuts, soybeans and even flaxseeds are filled with omega-3 fatty acids and incorporating these foods that boost your mood into your diet can have a positive impact on your health! Omega-3 Food Examples: soybeans, walnuts, salmon, sardines, chia seeds, mackerel, flaxseeds.

Recommended Recipe: Omega-3 Shake

Shakes are a great way to fuel your body with a lot of nutrients. Their versatility also makes them a meal you can enjoy any time of the day. This delicious Omega-3 Shake uses Bob's Red Mill Organic Chia Seeds and Flaxseed Meal to deliver a powerful boost of brain-boosting Omega-3 fatty acids. When mixed with our Hemp Protein Powder, this smoothie provides all of the essential amino acids that our bodies crave. Drink this shake in the morning, afternoon or evening for a lift of mood-boosting energy.

Get a Healthy Amount of Probiotics

Can Foods Improve Your Mood? Top Tips & Recipes | Bob's Red Mill Blog We can't stress enough how important probiotics are for a happy and healthy functioning body. Probiotics are the good bacteria in your gut, and when you don't have enough, it can cause a lot of stress on your body and your brain. When the bacteria in your gut are off-balance, it can create an array of symptoms like stomach pain, gas and bloating. However, stomach symptoms aren't the only thing that arises from an imbalance in gut bacteria. Your brain can also experience the effects. Have you ever felt a gut feeling or butterflies in your stomach? That's the gut-brain connection! While it's no surprise that stomach problems can cause stress, your gut can also connect with your brain on many different levels, which means that when your gut feels better, your mind feels better! The first step to getting your gut on track is to incorporate more probiotic-rich foods into your diet. Incorporating these foods into your diet will help balance out the bad bacteria in your gut and act as a reset button for your microbiome. Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi are probiotic-rich and are easy to incorporate as a side dish or work into the main course. Other foods like yogurt, tempeh and our Nutritional Boosters are also packed with probiotics. Using probiotic supplements like our Nutritional Boosters is an easy way to add probiotics to nearly any meal. Just add a scoop or two into your favorite baked good or smoothie recipe, and youve got yourself a nutrient-rich meal! Our boosters come in vanilla, chocolate and chai flavors, and we also offer an unflavored version, which means that they can be adapted to just about any recipe. If you're searching for a simple plant-based source of probiotics and protein, then we suggest trying out our Pea Protein Powder. This nutritional supplement is a great addition to any vegetarian and vegan diet, as it's sourced directly from pea protein. If you feel like your diet is already full of probiotic-rich foods and youre still not getting enough, then it may be time to add these healthy probiotic bacteria strains directly. Probiotic supplements can often be found in the refrigerated section of natural grocery stores and are an easy way to make sure that you're getting enough probiotics in your diet. Probiotic-Rich Food Examples: yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, Bob's Red Mill Nutritional Boosters, tempeh, kimchi, miso, kombucha, pickles.

Recommended Recipe: 5 Ingredient Strawberry Yogurt Muesli Bowl

Who doesn't love a good smoothie bowl? With two cups of delicious Greek yogurt, this bowl is loaded with probiotics! Top it off with strawberries and our Old Country Style Muesli for even more of a nutritional boost.

Start Your Day with a Healthy Breakfast

Can Foods Improve Your Mood? Top Tips & Recipes | Bob's Red Mill Blog You may have heard the saying "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Well, we believe it's true! Starting your day off right can help make the rest of your day to be just as great. Eating a healthy, balanced meal in the morning will not only keep your body feeling great but it may also act as a mental reminder to stay on track. Making this effort each morning to keep yourself healthy will undoubtedly affect the rest of your actions throughout the day, even if it's something as simple as not reaching for that unhealthy mid-day snack later on. When you feed your body healthy, wholesome ingredients, it's bound to run better in general. Eating the right mood boosting foods can help rid symptoms of inflammation, fatigue and stress. Eating a healthy breakfast in the morning is sure to help your body and brain feel better than ever! Examples of Healthy Breakfast Food: eggs, Greek yogurt, oatmeal, muesli, smoothies, quinoa.

Recommended Recipe: Savory Oatmeal with Baked Eggs

We put an unusual spin on the typical sweet taste of breakfast oatmeal to bring you this delicious bowl of savory oatmeal with baked eggs. It's the perfect way to start your morning off on a healthy foot. Plus, it's ideal for individuals who feel like they're stuck in an oatmeal rut. Made with eggs, steel-cut oats and hearty broth, this oatmeal is a bowl of vitamins and nutrients that will warm your body from the inside out. Not to mention, its high fiber content will help ward off any hunger pains until lunchtime! Have you found a mood-boosting food that you love? Maybe it's a tasty recipe you've been enjoying since you were a child, the kind of meal that can lift your spirits just by smelling it. Or maybe it's a food you recently tried and noticed how great you felt afterward. Whatever mood-boosting food that you indulge in regularly, we'd love to hear about it! At Bob's Red Mill, we love trying new delicious recipes. Thanks for stopping by, we hope you have one of the healthiest and happiest days ahead!
Bob's Red Mill
March 09 2020

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