Foods that make you go BOOM!

Top Ten Good Mood Foods
• mung beans
• lobster
• turkey
• asparagus
• sunflower seeds
• cottage cheese
• pineapple
• tofu
• spinach
• bananas
Other Mood Foods
• chicken
• salmon
• sardines
• tuna
• nuts
• oats

This is a list of foods high in tryptophan. I saw this "good mood food" thing on the web the other day when trying to research what to eat to help keep me healthy. I thought, "Why not boost my mood and diet at the same time?! I could call it, HAPPY DIETING!" Ok maybe that doesn't exist. But here's what I found out.

The body cannot produce tryptophan, an amino acid which is converted by the body into serotonin, so unless we get enough through our diets, we may suffer a deficiency, leading to low serotonin levels.
Low serotonin levels are associated with mood disorders, anxiety, cravings and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). FUN!!! (I do have some medical background so what I researched is in fact true. I'm not saying I'm super smart by any means...I'm just saying it makes sense.)

Did you hear that ladies??? It can lead to CRAVINGS!!! So I researched this even more and it turns out if you have this triptophan thing balanced, your cravings can all but disappear..."WHAT?!! NO WAY! You mean I could beat my cravings for chocolate once and for all???"
 
OK. So I tried these foods for a week. Alright, I confess, not all of them. Who eats sardines??? GROSS! But I tried these foods to see how  my mood and cravings felt after a week. I felt awesome! I was so excited about my little experiment I just had to share. How awesome is this! I try all sorts of things. I'm like a walking experiment. But this was just fun! LOVE IT!

I noticed a huge difference just after the first 24 hours. It was absolutely crazy! Plus, I lost weight. It's a win, win:)

The first day I had oatmeal for breakfast. I didn't cheat myself out of the good stuff. I had a little butter and sugar. I called this my mood diet. So cheating was always an option. I think that is why it worked so well. I told myself I had to eat every 2-3 hours so for a snack I had some canned pineapple. At lunch a spinach salad with grilled chicken and sunflower seeds with ranch dressing. Then a banana at snack time and for dinner I grilled up a Salmon with asparagus on the side.

OK. So I used to not be a fish person at all until I met my husband. I'm telling you, if you want to improve your mood.....EAT FISH!!!! I'm no doctor but it works. The salmon made all the difference. I always feel better when I eat fish. I don't know why, but it works. I drank a ton of water and for the first time....I can resist chocolate. I am not kidding you. In just a week. (Really, I was feeling great after the first 24 hours.) My mood is better and my skin is clearer. I love this "good mood" thing. It works. Try it!

I promise you will be surprised how much better you feel. Remember, the key is eating that fish!!!