So, since my last post was on the sad side, I figured I'd lighten the mood. (Mood. Haha. That was a pun, but you might not realize that yet. We'll get there.) We're talking about serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is widely believed to affect mood. That being said, many nutritionists believe the higher your serotonin levels, the better your mood. To some degree, seretonin = happy.
So let's boost that serotonin, eh? Here's 5 ideas for how to do it:
1. Chocolate has been known to boost serotonin. Do you really need an excuse to eat more chocolate? I didn't think so. Also, as a big Harry Potter fan, I can say with confidence that chocolate has been statistically proven to increase moods because it is the best food to eat when dementors make you sad.
2. Spending some time in the sun is one of the best ways to combat SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), probably because being outside is good for the soul.
3. Exercising is another thing that's good for the soul. 20-30 minutes of cardio/day is the best way to exercise away the seasonal blues.
4. Sleep is good. This requires no further explanation.
5. 99.9% of the scholarly articles I read on serotonin mentioned that tryptophan is the best way to raise your serotonin levels. High concentrations of tryptophan can be found in things like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, but most importantly, turkey. If you're American, this makes a ton of sense. Turkey probably makes you think of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving probably makes you think happy thoughts. Therefore, turkey makes you happy, ya dig?
Well, I'm off to eat a turkey now; I'll catch you guys later!
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