“Happy” Foods
Being ReLEVELed, and in balance in psychic and physical wellness, has a foundation in eating healthily, too.
Food has great healing energy… depending on what you eat, it can also add to depression and sluggishness.
This year, I have received a Universal theme which puts us more in alignment with the entering of the Age of Aquarius. This has been to increase eating fresh and raw fruit’s and vegetables, as well as serotonin and tryptophan rich foods. In addition, increasing drinking water.
2021 is a Year of Transformation… We are slowly emerging out of the pandemic era, with the introduction of the different vaccines. We are definitely in a place where we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It may be a pin prick of light right now, but a light of hope, nonetheless. Here in Arizona, for the first time since the summer of the pandemic, our test positive cases are down from 4 and 5 figure daily numbers, down to 3 digits! What a positive awareness!
Some of you reading this, you may still be living in lockdown. Some may be in self-imposed lockdown, due to being high-risk… or living with someone who is at higher risk, and so you are still maintaining absolute social distancing considerations.
A large majority of us are dealing with Quarantine-15(+). This past year has been such a jolt to our very being-ness. We have stressed, we have had very real and major concerns, some have contracted the virus; and while over it now, some may have lingering effects. Some, have lost loved and dear ones to this dastard virus… I personally have lost 4 beautiful people, that I knew and loved well, to the darkest statistics of this pandemic. Depression, anxiety, thoughts of (and carrying out) suicide, alcoholism and addiction… is at an all time high, especially in places where you have had long periods of lockdowns, isolation and being locked in with your own thoughts, emotions and experiences. While we are all going through similar practices during this situation, how we are affected, can be different.
While there are a myriad of techniques to ease you through this monumental year we have experienced; in this article, we will focus on the most basic necessity of life, food.
Serotonin and Tryptophan are the “happy” hormones. When they are out of balance, we find ourselves feeling depressed, anxious, and sluggish.
In these times of such extremes, many of us have turned to “comfort foods”. Which, in the long term, is not really “comforting” in their effects on our mind, and our bodies.
You’re not alone in doing this, we are in a worldwide pandemic of a terrible virus, but we have also experienced a worldwide phenomena of the Quarantine-15… Quarantine-20… and then some.
Chips, cookies and other fatty, sugary and oily foods are seen as comfort foods; but unfortunately, they also add to the imbalance of serotonin.
Raw foods… vegetables and fruits, are living entities and their “essence” of life acts in absolute and complete conjunction with our body and brain chemicals.
So, I offer you a suggestion… Maybe even a challenge in experimentation. What if you were to implement these suggestions and foods into your daily life, and then record what differences you feel. I challenge you to do this for just 1 month. If it works for you, and you enjoy it, carry on and see where you are at, and how you feel. If, after 1 full month, you feel no difference in your life, your energies, and how you see and perceive life around you… then by all means, return back to your former eating habits. But, if you do notice a positive difference…
Each morning, start your day by drinking a large glass of water. Colder water will activate your body processes and will aid in waking your body and your mind up, as your body works to process the water and adjust it to your own body temperature. This can even be seen as first thing in the morning exercise, to get your system jazzed up, internally.
While a large majority of the population will start their day with a hot cup of coffee, I suggest leaving out the coffee until at least 1 hr after waking up, and drinking a glass of water upon rising from bed.
Coffee is best consumed plain and black, so if you are able to stomach this; I highly recommend drinking coffee this way.
Adding creams and sugars cuts down the antioxidant effects and potency effectiveness of the coffee. While it may be more palatable to enjoy your coffee this way, it actually lends to the beginning of sluggishness and can create cravings for more higher calorie and fattier foods… ie; coffee and donuts, or coffee and morning muffin (which is often high in sugars, fats and calories), etc. This sets you up for the day where your sugars raise up higher and give you the illusion of energy, but later in the mid-morning, can crash. Thus begins the cycle for the day.
A morning smoothie with frozen fresh fruits and vegetables, plain yogurt, coconut milk, and maybe some whey protein powder; is a great way to start the day, and add to this a second large glass of plain water. You can add a slice of toast and a poached or boiled egg (fried eggs are a bit higher in fat content and can lose their benefits being cooked in oil), if you are not fully satiated with just the smoothie.
By the way, breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, as it lends the energies to set you up to get through your day, so you want to make it as energy efficient as you can. So… load up on a good hearty and healthy breakfast!
If you have an evening craving for something sweeter, you can freeze bananas and other fruits, and then blend them together (with a little agave syrup) and create homemade ice creams.
Frozen bananas with unsweetened cocoa powder, makes a great rich chocolate ice-cream, which also lends to raising your serotonin levels, as well the cocoa powder is a great antioxidant.
You can even make a delicious and rich raw chocolate pudding, with only 3 healthy ingredients… avocado, cocoa powder, and agave syrup (for sweetness).
There are many recipes that you can find online which addresses raw foods; and creating delicious, healthy: body, mind, and spirit uplifting energies from what you eat. I highly suggest a little research to find these.
While I am not promoting a full raw vegan lifestyle, I will say that consuming raw fruits and vegetables is consuming living life, itself. It is a very complete healthy manner of living. However, this is not to everyone’s tastes, so why not try adding these 10 serotonin and 8 tryptophan rich foods into your daily life, in order to create balance within your physical and psychic being.
Serotonin High Foods:
1. Cacao
2. Anchovies
3. Pumpkin Seeds
4. Spinach
5. Sweet potatoes
6. Almonds
7. Green tea
8. Sauerkraut
9. Rosemary
10. Blueberries
“Tryptophan is an amino acid that is important for the production of serotonin in the body. It is also key to brain function and has a role in healthy sleep.
Eating a healthful, balanced diet is an essential way to support mental as well as physical health. Including sources of tryptophan in the diet can have positive benefits on energy levels, mood, and sleep.
Tryptophan, which goes into making serotonin, is commonly found in foods that contain protein. Although meat is often a key source of protein for many people, there are also many vegetarian and vegan sources.”*
The following foods are good sources of tryptophan:
1. Salmon
2. Poultry
3. Eggs
4. Spinach
5. Seeds
6. Milk
7. Soy products
8. Nuts
Let me know if you decide take my challenge, and how you feel after 1 month of living with increase of raw and fresh fruits and vegetables; as well, increase drinking plain water in your daily life. I would love to hear your experiences.
* Source: MedicalNewsToday.com
**Do not consume raw or under cooked seafood and meats, as this can be potentially harmful to your body.
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