Eat Your Way to Happiness

Feeling down? Maybe you're nervous or angry about something. What you eat may have an impact on your mood and help you get happy. To release dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with the pleasure centers of the brain, try eating bananas or leafy greens or drink a glass of milk. Make a super smoothie with bananas, ice, milk and whatever other fruit you like to give your mood a boost. Feeling sluggish in the bedroom? You may be folate- or zinc-deficient. Those notorious aphrodisiacs, oysters and asparagus, can help boost zinc and folate, or just drink a glass of fortified orange juice.

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If you're having trouble sleeping as a result of anxiety, then having a carbohydrate-rich snack, like a small bowl of low-sugar cereal with milk before bed can help. Protein-rich foods can help give lagging energy a boost during the day - norepinephrine and dopamine increase focus and alertness. Give beans or lean chicken a try. Fatty fish are also high-protein foods and can boost serotonin, which may ease depression symptoms.