How to Increase Serotonin in Your Brain

You’ve probably felt the effects of stress from time to time in the form of headaches, tensed muscles, sleepless nights, and even poor digestion just to name a few. This is probably because of what goes on in our day-to-day lives. However, letting stress take the rein over your life can affect your health in the long run which is what you need to avoid by boosting the serotonin levels in your brain.

Serotonin plays a role on how we feel. You’ve probably heard that it is often referred to as the “feel-good hormone” which is true. Increasing the serotonin levels in our body can actually improve our mood significantly. It is just that we are not really aware on how to make this happen naturally. If you want to feel considerably better, then you might want to try the following steps.

Have some animal protein

Our thoughts and feelings can actually be improved upon with the right kinds of food since serotonin is actually produced in our stomach. In order to produce serotonin, your body needs tryptophan which you can get from animal protein like turkey, dairy, chicken, beef, eggs, or fish just to name a few.  There are studies that show that egg and whey protein can actually make an improvement to your tryptophan production which, in turn, can boost your mood.

Get some sunshine

Another trick for you to increase your serotonin production in the brain is to go and get some fresh air and sunshine in your day. You can do this early in the morning or late in the afternoon for 30 minutes so your brain can actually get started with boosting your serotonin levels. Even if it is cloudy, the sun is still out there which can actually help you improve your mood.

Don’t skip carbs completely

Eating carbs can cause your insulin levels to spike which can actually push amino acids out of your blood and into the cells. What this does is to leave tryptophan behind making it the dominant amino acid present in your blood stream because it binds to albumin which insulin cannot touch. If you feel you need to boost your current mood, have some carbs for a bit to feel better.

Minimize your sugar intake

You will know that your serotonin levels are low when you start to crave for something sweet. This is due to the fact that serotonin needs a bit of insulin for it to be produced. However, eating too much sweet can backfire because you might suffer from sugar crash. As much as possible, reduce your intake of sugary treats so that you will be able to regulate your insulin production without causing a crash.

Get moving

Another way for you to increase the serotonin levels in your brain is to start working out. Working out or exercising after a long and stressful day can actually make you feel better as the tryptophan levels increase. This is why many often move their gym session after work to release stress as much as possible. The next time you are feeling out of sorts, go for a run, head to the gym, or even take a walk around the park. You’ll feel better in no time.

Take time to meditate

What else can help make your serotonin levels increase? Meditation. Taking the time to just stop what you are doing and actually practicing the art of meditation can improve your overall mood significantly. You can meditate in the morning while everyone is still asleep or at least before going to bed to get into a more relaxed state afterwards. Meditating allows you to release your worries so that you’ll be in a clearer and more relaxed frame of mind afterwards.

Related Posts
Total
1
Share