The old adage, “You are what you eat” is becoming increasingly true. What we choose to eat and when we eat it has a huge impact on how we feel. Here’s a fun list of foods you should eat to improve your mood fast!

Peanut Butter with Apple may be just the ticket. If you are feeling crabby your body may just be saying “Feed Me Now”. To elevate your mood try a combination food that includes a carbohydrate with either some protein or some good fat. Carbs alone give you a quick burst and are gone too soon but adding fat or protein slows digestion and helps energy levels stay with you longer. The apple is a healthy complex carbohydrate and the peanut butter provides the healthy fat.  Sprinkle it with love by adding Chia seeds.

Avocado is the yummy green vegetable that contains serotonin which happens to be a feel-good neurotransmitter. It’s also great for your skin, hair, nails and has been known to reduce inflammation.  So make some guacamole, pull out the all-natural gluten free chips and have a margarita (sugar free of course) and you will be happy you did.

Dark Chocolate should be eaten in times of stress and need.  A new study in Switzerland found that eating just an ounce and a half of dark chocolate can lower the stress hormones cortisol.  This reduces those feelings of being stressed out.  I could have saved them millions of dollars in research to tell them that chocolate always makes me happy! Chocolate has even been referred to as “the new anti-anxiety drug.”

Green tea with Passion Flower contains theanine and the herb Passionflora, which calms you and helps you maintain clear concentration and focus but with less caffeine than coffee so you won’t get the jitters. Sample Gift Pack.

Bananas contain dopamine, a natural chemical that enhances your mood. You get the added bonus that bananas are high in B vitamins, including vitamin B6, which can soothe your nervous system. Plus the magnesium in bananas will contribute to this positive mood food.

Berries contain anthocyanins that are full of antioxidants.  These in turn help your brain produce dopamine, a chemical that improves coordination, memory and your mood. So the good news here is you’ll feel happy and then you will remember you felt happy!

Greek Yogurt is full of protein, aids digestion and is said to give you a flatter stomach because of these qualities.  This all adds up to making you feel much happier. Just make sure you are getting a brand with no additives, preservatives or added sugar.

Chia Seeds are tiny little gluten free seeds with super powers worthy of donning a cape. Just one tablespoon delivers more calcium than a glass of milk, more Omega-3s than you get from Salmon, 42% of your daily fiber, lots of protein and beats out blueberries in antioxidants. Omega-3’s have the ability to be mood lifting and to help possibly alleviate depression according to many new studies. I love them on celery sticks with peanut butter. Sprinkle them on any of the above foods for a double dose of happiness. (Read Mama Mia Mighty Chia))

And sometimes we work against our happy food choices by partaking in foods that will always bring us down. The three good mood food busters are sugar, gluten and processed food. Just Say No!