Website design By BotEap.comAre you depressed: anxious or depressed? If so, your serotonin levels may be low. Serotonin is one of the most amazing and important substances in your body, and when it goes low, problems develop. What is? It is a neurotransmitter that helps transmit messages along neurons from one region of the brain to another. Low levels not only lead to depression and anxiety, but can also cause other problems like insomnia, loss of appetite, and memory loss, to name just a few. Therefore, it is in your best interest to ensure that it stays high.
Website design By BotEap.comSeveral foods contain serotonin, but they are not very helpful, since serotonin cannot be directly absorbed by the brain. Eating the right foods, however, is the right approach. What you want to eat are foods that contain
tryptophan; it is one of the 20 amino acids in your body (amino acids are the building blocks of protein in your body). But simply eating foods that contain tryptophan is not enough. The problem is that tryptophan has to pass from the blood to the brain in order to be useful, and under normal circumstances it cannot pass. The reason is that there are 20 different amino acids in your blood at any one time (they come from the protein you eat) and they are all trying to get into your brain. Some are relatively large, and with such a large number trying to get in at once, the tryptophan is blocked. You can think of the entrance to your brain as a door with a large number of people trying to enter at the same time. If you are in this group, your chances of getting in are relatively small. The same is true of tryptophan, and as a result very little reaches your brain, even though there may be a good supply in your blood.
Website design By BotEap.comTherefore, you need to reduce the competition and you can do this by eating carbohydrates. Carbohydrates produce insulin and this insulin sends amino acids from the blood to the body, all except tryptophan. When tryptophan finds that it no longer has competition, it rushes to the brain where it is converted to serotonin.
Website design By BotEap.comYour first step, therefore, is to eat foods that contain tryptophan. Some of the best are;
- Turkey: 0.37 g per quarter cup
- Chicken: 0.28 g per quarter cup
- Cottage cheese: 0.4 g per cup
- Wheat germ: 0.4 g per cup
- Eggs: 0.1 g each
Website design By BotEap.comOther excellent sources are dairy, soy, nuts, and bananas.
Website design By BotEap.comOnce you have a good supply of tryptophan in your blood, you should eat carbohydrates. They will allow your brain to absorb the tryptophan. Some of the best carbohydrates for this are:
- whole grains
- Oatmeal
- Whole wheat bread and crackers
- Beans
- Pasta
Website design By BotEap.comHowever, it is important to eat
complex carbohydrates and avoid simple carbohydrates like cookies, candy and chips. Also, you should allow time between tryptophan foods and carbohydrates, if possible. Carbohydrate snacks can be used after the main meal. It’s also important to make sure you don’t overload on protein at your main meal.
Website design By BotEap.comThis should keep your serotonin levels high enough and help you feel good. Food, however, is not the only thing that helps keep serotonin levels high. Some of the others are:
- working out
- vitamins
- Get enough sunlight
- meditation and relaxation
- Regular hours of sleep
Website design By BotEap.comA great way to raise serotonin levels is to exercise regularly every day, but you don’t have to overdo it. Thirty to forty minutes of exercise a day is enough. Do aerobics and weights. Studies have shown that serotonin levels remain high for several days after a good workout. Walking, jogging and cycling are good.
Website design By BotEap.comSeveral vitamins are also helpful in creating good serotonin levels. They include B6 (100-300 mg/day), calcium (1000-1200 mg/day), magnesium (300 mg/day), and folic acid (200 mg/day).
Website design By BotEap.comGetting enough sunlight is also important. When you get up in the morning, your body begins to produce serotonin. How much you create depends on how much sunlight you’re exposed to, so try to get outside for a while every day, especially in the morning.
Website design By BotEap.comSerotonin is depleted by stress and tension, so try to relax during the day. Meditation is particularly good, as is listening to relaxing music. Laughter also helps.
Website design By BotEap.comFinally, try to get regular sleep hours. Here’s a catch 22 though. You need good serotonin levels to get a good night’s sleep, but if you don’t sleep, your levels suffer.
Website design By BotEap.comFollowing this will help you feel better and be more cheerful and happy. But be careful: too much serotonin will make you sleepy.
