Bad moods can affect everyone. Some days you wake up and you just cannot seem to shake the funk, leaving you feeling dejected and sometimes aggressive, as though the whole world is against you. Bad moods can be caused by all sorts of life problems but if you find yourself unhappy for no reason at all, it could be a dietary issue. Interestingly, studies show that if you are not getting enough nutrients into the body and therefore the brain, it can cause hormone imbalances. These hormone imbalances can lead to high levels of cortisol, known as the stress hormone. Equally a lack of nutrients can also lead to low levels of serotonin, the happy hormone; dopamine, the pleasure hormone, and oxytocin, the love hormone.
By changing your diet and injecting it with certain foods, you can increase the good hormones and ward off the bad. One of the quickest and most effective ways to do this, not to mention delicious, is to make yourself a quick smoothie or juice. Try a couple of these juice recipes to boost your mood when you find yourself a little down in the dumps.
- Sunny Juice
This juice is not only happy in color and flavour, but it also consists of a variety of ingredients to help your mood. Juice 1 lemon, 1 mango, 1 carrot, ¼ cup of chamomile tea, and a teaspoon of turmeric. The chamomile tea works as a relaxant, which will calm you down, will turmeric is proven to have anti-depressant properties (as well as being an impressive antibacterial and anti-fungal wonder). Equally, vitamin C needs to be replenished every day and a deficiency causes irritability and depression, so the lemon helps with that. Mangoes help to increase serotonin levels in the brain, helping to boost your mood, while the carrot helps to decrease cortisol production, relieving the stress.
- Fresh and Spicy Juice
For this juice, you need 1.5 carrots, a whole lemon, 1 apple, an inch of ginger, half a cup of fresh parsley, and half a cup of coconut water. The coconut water contains medium-chain triglycerides, which when processed by the body, boost the mood by giving it brain fuel. Ginger increases the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, while the parsley contains a compound called apigenin, which has been shown to reduce anxiety. Apples are full of a brain-boosting antioxidant called quercetin which helps to power neurotransmitters, helping to reduce that cloudy feeling in your brain by reducing inflammation.
- Strawberry Mint Julip
You will need one apple, a quarter of a lemon, a cup of strawberries, half a cup of green tea, 8 peppermint leaves and a spoonful of raw, organic honey. Not only does the green tea boost serotonin and dopamine in your brain, it also contains theanine which stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, which are shown in relaxed brains; meaning it helps to relax you. The strawberries give a sugar boost to help provide you energy, while also protecting the blood vessels from inflammation, which helps to keep the brain sharp. Studies by the Sense of Smell Institute have shown that peppermint helps to elevate the mood, while honey is a natural hormone balancer.
If you are feeling a little grumpy and you can’t seem to shake it, mix yourself one of these delectable mood-boosting juices. Why not try adding a supplement to help stimulate the mind a little further for that extra boost in sharpness by supporting brain health, increasing cognitive functioning, and building a healthy immune system.
