Cheers to you!

I know, the news will get you down, and so will the weather and the sports if you pay close attention. So we have to find ways to cheer ourselves up.

And we can't always count on YouTube to show us videos of people missing the entire pool when they swandive off the back porch, so, in need of cheer, we turn to food for a cheer-me-up.

I read that too much sugar in our blood (and vice-versa) can make us sluggish and tired, so let's get advice from dietitians. What foods are healthy AND life our spirits? They list six. Shall we?

Pumpkin seeds oh yeah, I love pumpkin seeds. You can gobble an ounce a couple of times a week just by a handful, or you can throw them on a salad or in yogurt or what-have-you. They are a terrific source of tryptophan, which regulates moods by making your body produce more serotonin. I think we all know that. But yes, pumpkin seeds are pretty doggone tasty, and good for you!

And some say they help reduce the risk of heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, autoimmune-related disorders, and cancer. Plus, they grow pumpkins, so there you go!

Fatty fish The American Heart Association says we should have two helpings of fish every week, and fatty fish are the best. Fatty fish are swimmers like anchovies, herring, mackerel, black cod, salmon, sardines, bluefin tuna, whitefish, striped bass, and cobia.  All these are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your heart because they lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of irregular heartbeats, and decrease the amount of triglycerides in the blood. 

 

Avocados are good because they lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease. Being packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, notably oleic acid, vital for brain health and linked to a lower risk of depression, they are just great all around! They also have tryptophan.

But since their appearance, taste, and texture repulse me to my very core, I avoid them like falling anvils. I'll get my tryptophan elsewhere, thanks.  

Oranges are full of vitamin C, which is good for the human noggin. If you come across a depressed person, the chances are, they have a vitamin C deficiency.

 It's the flavonoids that gives oranges antioxidant properties that might help reduce inflammation in the brain. I can say with certainty, my mood is much better when my melon is not inflamed. 

The American Heart Association wants you to have 4½ cups of fruit every day, not including blueberry pie.

Dark leafy greens! Now you're talking my lingo. Try for a cup and a half of greens every week, great stuff like kale, collard greens, spinach, swiss chard, arugula, and bok choy. You whomp up a mess of greens with some ham in it, and you're getting folate and magnesium into you! They say folate prevents depression by keeping serotonin going around.

I can tell you, you sit down to nice bowl of collard greens and ham and a biscuit, and there is no way you're feeling sad!

Dark chocolate puts you in a better mood, according to a study in South Korea, which found that people who ate 10 grams of dark chocolate three times a day were in a better mood! It had to be the 85% cocoa, though. 70% would not do, which many teachers told me over the years.

Researcher sat this is all because chocolate seems to change the microbes in our intestines, which improve our mood via "the gut-brain axis," and I never knew there was such a thing.

SO there you have it, six ways to perk yourself up while spooning food down your neck. Enjoy!