Help Me Grow: Happy Mommy: Foods to Boost Your Mood

"Meal-to-meal and day-to-day, keeping your blood sugars steady will help you feel good and energetic. If your blood sugars are on a roller-coaster ride -- hitting highs and lows from too much sugar and refined flour – you are more likely to feel out of sorts."

If you feel happy and that your own life is in order, you will feel more able to care for your children. If you take small amounts of time out of your day to ensure you are getting healthy food to eat and rest, you will have all the energy you need to serve your family each day.

Here’s a list of mood-boosting foods that are probably already in your kitchen:

Food	Mood Boosting Vitamin	How it helps	Tips
Meat (chicken, pork, beef)	Vitamin B12	Prevention of mood disorders
Dairy (cheese, milk, yogurt)	Vitamin B12, Vitamin D	Prevention of mood disorders,
Fish	Omega- Fatty Acids, Vitamin D	Brain Support,	Try these: Salmon, Tuna, Rainbow trout, Mackerel, Sardines, Herring
Green vegetables Beans	Folic Acid (floate)	Prevention of mood disorders
Sun Exposure, Eggs, cereals, breads, juices	Vitamin D	Your body makes D when sunlight touches your skin directly (not through windows, etc.). It is also what allows the calcium you consume to be absorbed. D increases serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain, both keys to maintaining a balanced mood.	Egg yolk is filled with Vitamin D, while the egg white contains Vitamin B12. Your body needs both to function properly. Short, frequent period of sun exposure are best.
Dark Chocolate, 1 oz each day	Antioxidants	Releases Endorphins in the brain, the chemical that helps us feel happy and calm. Antioxidants also protect your brain cells from damage.	A regular size bar of chocolate is about 1.5 ounces, so about 2/3 of the bar is a good daily portion to get the benefits of the antioxidants in the chocolate to support your brain and stabilize your mood.

LIMIT: Alcohol and Caffeine.

Alcohol is a depressant to the brain.

Caffeine brings a burst of energy that will drop suddenly, leaving you irritable. If you consume caffeine in the late afternoon or evening, it will disrupt your sleep and leave you less rested in the morning.

So if you are starting to feel down, irritated, or even overwhelmed, try one of these yummy dishes that feature the mood-boosting vitamins:

· A burrito or enchilada made with black beans plus beef, chicken, or pork

· A spinach salad topped with crab or salmon

· An egg white omelet filled with spinach and cheese

· Lentil Soup- recipe

· Three Bean Salad- recipe

If you are looking for other ways to help improve your mood, whether you are diagnosed with depression or not, here is a great site on Health.com about 10 No-Cost Strategies to Fight Depression.