Health & Fitness, Parenting

7 Foods that Will Improve Your Mood and Mental Health

We look to food for nutrients and work to maintain a proper diet for weight loss and better overall health; but the right foods can not only help you to look better but can even help you to feel better as well. Here we look at some of the top foods for boosting a person’s mood and creating a much better picture of mental health.

Top Food Choices for Mood & Health

1. Salmon: As this food is not only loaded with protein but also with Omega-3 fatty acids, it’s a powerhouse when it comes to improving your mood. Studies are looking into the connection of Omega-3 fatty acids being present in the brain and the ability for them to improve mood. Not only that, but salmon can also offer protein that is believed to increase an individual’s overall mental health. This is one excellent choice when it comes to improving an individual’s mood overall.

2. Protein: Not only does protein help you to feel full longer and offer some excellent nutrients to the body, but it is also showing proof of having an effect on improving the mood of the individual who eats it. Go with lean protein options such as chicken breast, lean ground turkey, or lean meat with the fat cut off. These can be incorporated into meals or eating beans or legumes at snacks can create a much better picture of mental health upon consumption.

3. Bright Colorful Fruits and Vegetables: The most important part of colorful vegetables is that they offer soluble fiber and that is a known mood booster. Vegetables and fruits such as red peppers, strawberries, apples, and carrots are excellent examples as they offer required nutrients as well as enhance your mental health almost immediately upon consumption.

4. Cottage Cheese: People often look to cottage cheese as an excellent source of calcium and a great low fat dairy product in a well balanced diet. While this is all true, the fact that it is rich in Vitamin B12 is what helps to increase your mood. Eating cottage cheese can be a healthy choice and do wonders for your overall mental health.

5. Whole Grain Breakfast Cereals: Though people tend to shy away from breakfast cereals because they are loaded with carbohydrates, choosing the right one can be a lifesaver for improving your mood. Whole grain breakfast cereals that have high fiber content and low fat are not only healthy choices, but they are rich in folate and even Vitamin B12—both of these nutrients are excellent for improving your mental health.

6. Low fat Milk: It’s true that low fat milk is an excellent calcium source but more importantly when it comes to boosting the mood, it contains healthy amounts of Vitamin D. This is one of the most important vitamins for maintaining proper mental health and can work almost instantly at improving a person’s mood.

7. Eggs: Including eggs in your diet works in two ways to improve your overall mood. These gems contain not only high amounts of protein but also Vitamin D and therefore make an excellent choice for boosting a person’s mood. These can be consumed on a regular basis to help with proper nutrition and keeping the mental health in check.

We have more tools for good health—both physical and mental—than we even know, and many of those right in our own kitchens. Enjoy these foods and eat yourself to a better, healthier, happier you!

Guest article written by: Mary Ward. Mary Ward is a blogger and enjoys writing about medical career topics, such as how to obtain a Master of Health Administration degree, job and education tips, and more.

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