Have a great day today-
This article and topic will help you in a big way to learn about nutrition and with your energy and mood. Nutritional Healing is an amazing area of understanding. It’s one area of healing but of course the food you choose today affect you on every level- they’re your building blocks. Every system in our body relies on natural foods, herbs, and hydration to function and heal. Practice making conscious choices today and you will see the results unfold.
A general baseline understanding is this: Eat what Nature and G-d gives us and you will feel better. Anything outside of that will drain energy and mood- maybe a little or more, but it adds up. Your entire system can heal and nutrition a foundational piece of that. So just do the best you can to learn and then choose what’s best.
To improve your mood and overall energy, there are some basic ideas that can make a huge difference. And knowing that Serotonin, Dopamine, and Gaba are 3 key neurotransmitters that allow us to feel good, we can eat certain foods that contain the building blocks.
Here are some general guidelines to assist in that along with some practices for feeling good naturally:
Serotonin
Serotonin is associated with feeling joy and happiness and it’s also connected to sleep and appetite. When it’s flowing, you’ll feel optimistic, sleep will be good, and you’ll naturally know what you need to eat and how much. It is created primarily from the amino acid Tryptophan.
Tryptophan is found in many foods such as, of course Turkey as well as chicken. If you eat meat, you’ll get all the amino acids you need. Vegetarian or plant based, you can get those too with combinations and specific foods that contain the 9 essential aminos such as Quinoa. Other vegetarian Protein sources would be Lentils, Beans, Nuts, Seeds, Millet, Eggs.
Since Serotonin is associated with joy, here are a couple practices that can help you cultivate it:
Sympathetic Joy: This is the practice of being happy for someone and rejoicing with them.
Doing what inspires you or calls to you: Taking time to do the thing your called to do or that inspires you. Letting yourself feel that inspiration. Exercise, painting, writing a book, studying space, or blowing bubbles at the park- doesn’t matter, do it. Break the old conditioning.
Dopamine
Dopamine is associated primarily with motivation and good mood. Dopamine is created by Tyrosine and Phenylalanine.
To make sure you get these Aminos- once again, meat will give you them. Vegetarian sources would be the same as above- Quinoa, Lentils, Nuts, Seeds, Beans, Millet, Eggs. For a vegetarian way of eating, variety and combinations are best to get all the Aminos.
Working toward a goal: This can be a long term goal or a short term goal and step that leads to it. Every time we move toward a goal, we feel that joy and motivation. And most importantly, ALLOW yourself to feel it and celebrate it. It can be easy to make a lot of progress and take steps but be focused way “out there” as you affirm to yourself “not there yet, not good enough”. Slow it down- appreciate it and give yourself the recognition and celebrate it- every step counts.
GABA
When GABA is flowing, we feel calm, centered, and sleep is good. It is created from the Amino Acid Theanine.
For Nutrition, GABA can be found in tea- Green Tea and Oolong Tea. Green Tea does have a little caffeine, about 25 mg, so keep it to 1-2 cups as too much caffeine depletes energy and mood. Oolong Tea also has caffeine, about 50 mg. Otherwise, there are a couple mushrooms that contain Theanine- and I am researching and hunting to find out where else in nature theanine is found- it seems strange that it’d be in JUST those 3 herbs and foods.
Nature Walk: Shut off your screen during the day and take a walk in nature. It’s a calming practice- it let’s the GABA flow. The sounds, the support of Earth beneath you, the Sun, the wind and chi in the air, the open space, the colors and feeling- all of this is calming and healing. It’s the remedy for all our tech use. It’s time to practice letting some go and untangling as you connect more with nature. You will notice benefits pretty quick. Get out there.
Meditation: Silent time. REST (my acronym for REST is Real Essential Silent Time)- A meditation practice is beneficial in many ways including for calming and centering. Awareness of the breathe or meditating on a word or prayer- they center and calm us.
Your Gut: Probiotics/Prebiotics
This is key for you. Your gut, when it is balanced, creates a high percentage of Serotonin, Dopamine, and GABA. Very high percentage, possibly 70-90%… from your GUT. Meaning when you take in pro and pre biotics and drop out things that are irritating it, you will feel better. Aside from that, your gut can synthesize and help the body utilize vitamins and other nutrients.
I appreciate you taking time to read this article- I’m hoping it helps you in a big way. And be proud of yourself for taking steps to learn and take care of yourself.
Wishing you health and strength-
-PEACE-
Ryan
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