The Serotonin – Food Connection

When watching one of my guilty pleasures – the food network, a commercial break mentioned eating carbohydrates as a snack to help boost mind-calming/mood-altering chemicals in the body, essentially to feel calm and happy. If you know anything about me, I am revered by some as the “food police.” In my defense, I believe that food therapy is one of easiest ways that we can take control of our own health.  I discuss diet with every patient and usually send them home with homework – doing a food journal. In the future, I could see myself visiting my patients’ homes and cleaning out their refrigerators…that would be a good time for me! Okay…another guilty pleasure – fridge cleaning!

Back to the point…during the commercial, the suggestions were to snack on popcorn and other carbohydrates for that calming effect. Now, unless you don’t care about your waist or hip circumference…then, by all means, indulge in what is considered as those “comfort foods.” But if you are figure-conscious and want to look stellar in your 7 For All Mankind Jeans, then let me give you the skinny on the subject…

The neurotransmitter Serotonin is the chemical that, when released from the brain into the bloodstream, produces a calm and happy, almost sedative effect – hence the term “comfort food.” The food sources for serotonin to be produced are those that contain tryptophan and those that contain B vitamins. Tryptofan is an essential amino acid that can only be derived from food, the body does not produce it. In the brain, B vitamins convert the tryptofan to serotonin. Yes, some of these foods are carbohydrates such as brown rice. However, the others are kale, spinach, collard greens, broccoli, peas, sunflower seeds, almonds, salmon, blue green algae, brewer’s yeast, eggs, meats, and tofu. There are plenty of better foods to choose from when desiring a calming effect. The trouble when relying on the carbohydrates, specifically, the refined ones like cookies, cakes, white breads, is the blood sugar (insulin) crashing effect that occurs. And don’t forget that excess sugar not burned gets stored as fat…or in laymans terms – saddlebags, bat wings, muffin tops, belly pooch, etc.

In conclusion, if you’re feeling a little nervous or anxious and desire a little calmness, skip the bread and popcorn, bring on the kale salad or power green smoothie!

Here are a couple of my go-to recipes:

Kale Salad

• 1 bunch of lacinato kale (I prefer this to the curly kale) – de-ribbed and cut into bite size pieces
• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (usually 3 limes)
• 1/3 cup organic extra virgin olive oil (could use grapeseed oil as well)
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ – 1 teaspoon raw agave nectar (or stevia) – if desire sweeter vinegarette

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil to the lime juice, agave, salt, and pepper. Pour over the kale and massage (using clean hands) into all the leaves until kale softens.
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Add to the mixture some chopped veggies:

• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 10 carrots
• 1 cup broccoli (raw or steamed)
• 1 cucumber
• slivered almonds or sunflower seeds (raw, unsalted)

*Note: you can add just about anything to this salad – be creative!
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Power Green Smoothie

• 8 oz coconut water
• Large handful of kale or spinach
• 1-2 tablespoons of Blue Green Algae (I use E3live)
• ½ to 1 banana
• 1 apple – skinned and chopped (or whatever other fruit you like to sweeten this up a bit)
• Handful of ice
• Using a Vitamix, blend the liquids, add the banana and apple, then the green leaves and ice.

Enjoy!!!