10 Quick Tips to Boost Your Serotonin
This week’s Tuesday Ten features simple tips to make your brain hum. You’ll feel so great, you’ll be looking down on Cloud 9.
Before we get to it, a word to the wise about serotonin:
There is quite the plethora of mood-elevating, serotonin-enhancing products and drugs available. If you don’t want to go the Prozac route, there are many excellent natural methods for boosting your mood. Indeed, many studies have shown that natural methods like exercise may be just as effective as traditional drug therapies. (However, in some cases, depression can become so severe, there’s simply no food or supplement that is going to “cure” you. I like to remind my readers that it’s always important to consult an expert before embarking on your own curative adventure.)
But for light cases of the blues, or stressful days, there are plenty of things you can do to elevate that feel-good hormone, serotonin:
10. Avoid the fast track to happiness.
Carbohydrates give you an instant lift because they trigger the release of serotonin. Indeed, I’ve seen several articles lately actually recommend eating a sugary treat to boost your mood and sleep better. Bad advice (see Dr. Weil’s take). Carbs are a quick fix, but they do nothing to stimulate ongoing production of serotonin, which is what you want.
9. Don’t avoid carbs entirely.
Proteins contain tryptophan, a large amino that converts to serotonin in the brain. (I’ll be discussing tryptophan supplements in the future.) Yet relying solely on protein can hamper serotonin production. Though scientists aren’t sure why this is, it makes sense that subsisting entirely on one macro-nutrient might cause problems for brain chemistry.
Tryptophan works best when consumed in conjunction with a small bit of carbohydrate, such as a scoop of brown rice, a handful of nuts, or a few tablespoons of legumes. These complex carbohydrates are essential to helping your brain properly process the tryptophan in protein. Vegetables are also great – and my preference.
8. Eat protein.
Turkey, fish, chicken, cottage cheese, nuts, cheese, eggs, and beans all contain generous levels of tryptophan.
7. Eat fat.
Hormonal processes require essential fatty acids, so don’t shirk your “good fats”. Get plenty of DHA-enhanced eggs and dairy in your diet, and eat fish a few times a week. Good sources are wild salmon, mackerel, and tuna. You vegheads can also nosh on avocados, nuts, flaxseed, vegetable oils (walnut, avocado, almond, flax, olive) and seeds.
6. Take a fish oil supplement!
Though fish oil won’t produce serotonin, essential fatty acids play a vital role in brain health and mood regulation. I recommend Vital Omegas, of course, but there are plenty of good ones on the market. As with most things, you do get what you pay for, so buy the best you can afford.
5. Exercise to feel good.
Exercise is a natural stimulator of many important “mood” hormones, including serotonin and dopamine. Don’t think of exercise as a chore to lose weight or prevent heart disease “someday”. Realize that 15 or 20 minutes of exercise every day will naturally release these feel-good hormones that are so vital to feeling happy and calm. As junior apple Mike A. says, exercise is about feeling good, not just looking good.
4. Avoid the stimulant cycle.
Caffeine, sugar, alcohol. Caffeine, sugar, alcohol. Many of us get trapped in the stimulant cycle. These substances temporarily give you a lift, but actually deplete and blunt valuable hormones in the long run. If you like caffeine, try to limit your java intake to one or two cups a day at the most. The same for alcohol. I recommend avoiding sugar completely.
3. Sleep right.
When we’re feeling down, it’s tempting to sleep, sleep and sleep some more. But quality sleep is far more important than quantity. Force yourself to get up early, but allow for a rejuvenating nap midday if you need it (just don’t exceed one hour). The same goes for stressed-out workaholics getting by on 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night. Find a way to get an extra hour (hey, that sounds like another Tuesday 10 to me!).
2. Investigate supplements wisely.
HTP is a popular supplement, but I personally prefer rhodiola, which actually slows the process of serotonin breakdown (it also has better scientific backing).
1. Boost other hormones!
Oxytocin is another feel good hormone often called the “cuddle hormone”. Oxytocin is released when we feel love, trust and comfort. It can be even more powerful than serotonin. If you need a lift, remember the power of simply spending time with your significant other or family members and friends.
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Technorati Tags: hormones, brain chemistry, depression, anxiety, happiness, Prozac, anti-depressants, oxytocin, serotonin, dopamine, rhodiola, natural stress relief, cuddle hormone, caffeine, stimulants, alcohol, sugar, fish oil, exercise, protein, mood
Posted By: Mark Sisson
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Cholesterol leads to heart disease by attaching to the walls of our arteries. plaques forms along those parts making our vessels less elastic (less able to adapt to blood pressure changes). These plaques can form thrombi which can break off and lodge in a coronary artery causing a heart attack. Also hardened, inelastic arteries increase blood pressure.
As far as serotonin goes, I have read many times that Aspartame competes with serotonin (and/or the precursors)for passage over the blood brain barrier. Avoid Aspartame if you want to keep your serotonin levels balanced. Remember aspartame is in almost all sugar-free, low calorie drinks and foods. Avoid it at all costs.
Marijauna has never harmed anyone in this world. Its easy to hate it when your jelous of the happiness it brings people. Especially if your not happy with yourselves.
That’s a big statement considering that you don’t know everyone in this world who uses marijuana. My 16yo nephew threw himself off the cliff of our local quarry before Christmas as he’d been struggling with the addiction and really bad paranoia that developed a few months into his heavy use off the drug. He tried a number of times to get off it, yet was unsuccessful. While I was trying to help him, I met many others who also struggled with its addictive qualities. Yes for many users they don’t have a problem. Others develop problems later, and discontinue its use without withdrawal problems. Others like my nephew have real addiction problems. It’s very sad that so many people see it as a harmless wonderful drug which is safe for everyone. It clearly isn’t. For those though, that can use it Therapeutically to limit the problems of MS and other diseases without bad side effects, they are fortunate.
I’m very sorry to hear about your Nephew. I do think they are looking at the wrong side of statistics in general when it comes to weed though. I dont think people who use weed during puberty are more likely to develop mental problems….I think people who are developing mental problems during puberty are more likely to use weed to mask this.
Weed is only addictive in the way that food is addictive. The people that develop dependencies are predisposed to this. I know plenty of people attending uni, getting great grades, living great lives, and smoking weed.
I smoke once 3/4 nights a week before bed because I have suffered from terrible insomnia since childhood. It allows me to control my sleep patterns and regulate my routine. I’ve been doing this for 3 years without increase and I stop for 2 weeks every 3 months.
A while before this I’d used it daily for 7 months after a breakdown and went from not leaving my room for 2 weeks to slowly regaining my ability to leave the house, be in the company of my friends and be able to smile and feel something good.
I developed mental problems 7 years before ever using weed. These went unrecognised for 2.
While I don’t doubt your beleifs on your Nephews situiaton, I dont think this counts for everyone else.
Thank you, and sorry again x
Your nephew had other issues behind pot,sorry iv’e done alot of drugs in my life came down to alcohol. he had to have been mighty high to jump.. and if he was that high he would have been at the refrig. or asleep He must have had something laced or a mental disorder because with pot you either like it or you don’t,it is not addictive! How many times a day,week, month, year at all you hear the news report another killing from man high on marijuana. They may have had pot in their system but can almost100% tell you there would be alcohol or some other drug in their system that was the predominate factor.
so much hate revolving around earths greatest gift. God’s medicine, not man’s medicine. I’ll take ?….
quote:”take some ecstacy, it makes your serotonin go crazy. An hour after you have that and some OJ and a cig you’ll be the happiest person alive. THIZZ OR DIE u beezy”
Ecstacy causes your serotonin to FLOOD your system thereby DEPLETING the stores much like pulling the plug in a tub. People typically crash a few days later.
I tried ecstasy recently out of curiosity and unfortunately for ME I’m apparently so low on serotonin I didn’t even get high.
So now I realize there’s definitely an imbalance happening that I need to address.
I’m trying 5 HTP to boost my levels. I just started today so we’ll have to see.
What I would like to know on the whole marijuana issue is how does it affect the weight loss/body composition process?? or does it at all?? Like aside from the “munchies” if that was controlled under the influence how else would it affect the body from loosing weight and body composition change and in relation to oxygen input and output during exercise how does this hinder (or not hinder) the results from for example the classic Crossfit exercise regime?
smoking marijuana slows blood flow, making the rest of the body work harder to stay alive, therefore metabolism is increased. Your body uses all the energy and protein in the food you have consumed faster so when it realises there isn’t anymore energy to gain from what’s left, your brain tells you ‘FEED ME SO YOU STAY ALIVE’. So while you eat more, the body works the excess sugar and fat into energy, so it doesn’t stay as fattening weight gaining left overs.
how about some mdma?
MDMA for a rush of seratonin, also gets to work on that tasty oxytocin, for some good lovey cuddling. = ] just don’t do it more than once a month or so, to feel full effects and to stay healthy too!
In regards to the weed question. Its not physically addictive. Some just like to have something to hang on to. Thats why people can become addicted to anything. Some things are character flaws not addiction.
Try SAMe. I’ve struggled with low serotonin levels for years. I’ve tried 5htp, serzone, st john’s wart, saffron pills(same mechanism as prozac) and SAMe has worked the best with no negative side effects. Taking it before bed also cured my insomnia, which I had struggled with for years as well.
After seeing all this drug talk, I think Mark should write a recipe for primal pot brownies!
My take on this weed debate (and I should know what I’m talking about, since I’ve veritably been a stoner the last four years) is that it’s not physically addictive but for some people it can be extremely habit-forming and thus psychologically addictive, if you want to call it that. For much of the last four years I’ve smoked weed daily, sometimes multiple times in a day, and that is the conclusion I’ve come to. There have been times where I’ve run out of weed and felt like all good things have come to an end but this feeling only lasts until I find something to distract me or, if I’ve been keeping myself high constantly for a long time, wait a couple days to become reacquainted with my heavier-hearted sober mindset and the fact that all the things I think of and do and all the sensual stimuli my brain receives is not going to be as exciting and enjoyable as what I’ve gotten myself used to. Mild depression and irritability accompanied by the idea that everything is boring and nothing is enjoyable set in at first, then quickly disappear as I once again become accustomed to my default state of consciousness. Readjusting to sobriety after being stoned an excessive amount of time is similar to waking up from a pleasant dream and realizing that though you can still walk, you can’t fly. I’ve had strong urges (call them cravings if you wish) to get high again both shortly and long after stopping but they were purely mental in nature. I never got the shakes, cold sweats, or any other drug withdrawal symptoms from discontinuing smoking weed. When it’s unavailable I don’t despair over its abscence; I look forward to next time.
Typos..they are my nemesis.
* absence, not abscence (at the bottom)
Pot smokers…..Pls watch David Suzuki’s “The Downside to High”….it will give you an entirely new perspective. Those of you relying on old studies – i.e. studies that suggest Cannabis is not physically addictive – Pls understand much of the research was done with pot produces 20 to 30 years ago. I think we can all agree that Pot today is much different. Pls be critical of research findings, and do not use old data to support your current habit.
Pot smokers…..Pls watch David Suzuki’s “The Downside to High”….it will give you an entirely new perspective. Those of you relying on old studies – i.e. studies that suggest Cannabis is not physically addictive – Pls understand much of the research was done with pot that was grown/produced 20 to 30 years ago (or even earlier!). I think we can all agree that Pot today is much different. Pls be critical of research findings, and do not use old data to support your current habit. Pls ask an old Hippie – they will tell you the same!
thanks
I have electrohypersensitivity which means I am sensitive to most things electrical. The research so far is sparse mostly due to telecommunications corruption but I believe our Serotonin levels are too high.
Can anyone suggest ways or foods which would help to bring this down instead of bringing it up?
thanks for the advise everyone
Weed’s not bad at all. People who have problems with it already had them before they started using weed and use weed as a scapegoat kind of like Hitler and the Jews. Catch my drift? The only thing weed will make you do is love everything in the world, appreciate everything a lot more, and of course eating a lot of food and sleeping. Weed makes life so much easier to live and people who try to argue against it and use fox news tactics of making shit up on the spot are just jealous of the content that people have when they are high. Weed has never killed a single person, the war on weed in America however has killed thousands. If it were legalized usage would drop. This has been the case in many other countries so we have seen that legalizing it wouldn’t damaging. It would in fact generate billions of dollars in revenue for the gov’t. Anyways I’m done rambling on about this topic, and if you don’t agree with me, your opinion is fucking wrong. Good day
Great advice…..Hope you don’t mind we posted it on Facebook.
When did alcohol become a stimulant? Here I was thinking it was a CNS depressant.
I guess I’ll take the rest of your advice with a grain of salt too.
Discussion is very simple and easy to understand, say so increases the science reading. thank you
Any updates or thoughts about effects of ingesting foods containing serotonin on osteoporosis? If I understoon it correctly, a scientific study reported in a 2008 NYTimes article attributed the relationship of “gut” serotonin in the diet to being a negative on bone health. (link to review the article: nytimes.com/2008/11/27/health/research/27bone.html )
I used to be suggested this website through my cousin. I’m not positive whether this submit is written through him as no one else know such distinctive about my trouble. You are wonderful! Thank you!
“When you look at our history as a species, the knowledge that some seeds and nuts may enhance brainpower and moods makes perfect sense. As “Origin Diet” author Elizabeth Somer writes, seeds and nuts were an essential part of our ancestors’ diets: “Up to 65 percent of our original diets were fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, and other plants. Our ancient ancestors ate pounds of produce every day. The other 35 percent came from wild game, low in saturated fats and rich in polyunsaturated fats called the omega-3 fatty acids.”
Just wanted to add that to the disussion. Thanks for the article!
Good article.
Here’s some news too:- currently on the UK Ch4 catch up there’s a programme called ‘The Food Hospital’. The last series concentrated on Detox diets (fads) and Depression. A women who suffered from Depression for almost 7 hours or
more was taking anti-depressants and making no difference to her moods. She was suffering from mood swings, insomnia, anxiety and much more.
In this programme, several doctors gave her the lowdown how seratonin works in the brain. Then she was given a list of foods to eat that boost seratonin levels to the brain. She went away but 10 weeks later returned back to give her verdict.
She said her clinically diagnosed depression had. 360 degree turn. In fact, she was transformed.
Now OK, she could have been eating foods that were unhealthy in the first place, but this advice
Is something that everyone should know. Camp schools etc have changed kitchen dinners to healthier options. They found an improvement in concentration and moods in there kids.
The woman who went to the food hospital was eating well for a week. She had completed a questionnaire before she began the food change, marking up to 14 points. The result of the questionnaire considered her to have a clinical depression. She was asked to complete the form again 10 weeks after her new food seratonin plan.
She got 1 mark dropping from 13 points to 1 point!
I fell ill I had 6 weeks of virus and medical complications. The virus gave me insomnia, anxiety. Panic attacks, stomach and chest infection. You name it I had it. I thought I was a goner.
Excersise is difficult when you feel fear, hopeless, and suicidal. But – you have to cling on to anything you can, if you can’t think think straight, then don’t think at all/ but if your physical self a change, they ultimately try syncing. Accept it don’t hate yourself for it. Its still a little battle for me
But, I take vit b, c, d, e and eat all the foods mentioned. Keeping faith too plays a huge part.
It does help.
Currently on a course to be a personal trainer and your web page was recommended! Great recommendation and I now have you on my favourite reads, thanks. The word of the Grok will be passed on.
you should really consider changing ur eating habits.every vegan i have ever seen looked very unhealthy.and know of one person who had to be admitted into the hospital for megaloblasitc anemia.
you should try eating meat and dairy for a while i guarauntee! that you will feel,look,and be much much healthier!
Eating a healthy diet and exercise has helped me a lot. I’ve been on and off meds like efexxor, pristiq and cleexa for years and finally found that diet and exersice could be almost as helpful at least for me.
I also take B vitimins and St Johns Wart along with eating foods like Kerfir that really help with anxiety.
Best
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