You’ll be on the road to health and bliss once you understand what vitamins are essential for a good mood, which types of food have these vitamins and then eat these foods consistently. Below you’ll find important vitamins and foods that boost your mood.

1. How to use Food to Boost your Mood +
Vitamin Reference
HEALTH
by Kristen Butler
We all deserve to feel truly happy every single
day. The truth is that some of us have a hard time sustaining a good mood throughout the day. In
fact, chronic unhappy days become bouts of depression and some people who need hope turn to
medications. What if you could rely on food to boost your mood daily?
“Nature itself is the best medicine.” – Hippocrates
For centuries we have known that food affects our mood and mental health. Imagine this
knowledge being applied and the food you eat being your daily medication to sustain a good
mood, increased energy and vibrant health. Eating clean not only helps you gain more energy,
release toxins, and release weight, it also allows for mental well-being. A study found that
vitamin deficiency causes a decline mental health which leads to stress, anxiety, depression,
addictions and other psychological disorders. If mental illness runs in your family, it is even
more essential to eat healthy for your own well-being and to existing and future DNA.
Tweaks and additions to your diet can make a big difference. Eat whole foods as often as you
can. Reducing processed and refined carbohydrates will also improve your mood because you’ll
experience more stable blood sugar levels. You’ll be on the road to health and bliss once you
understand what vitamins are essential for a good mood, which types of food have these vitamins
and then eat these foods consistently. Below you’ll find important vitamins and foods that boost
your mood.

2. How to use Food to Boost
your Mood Vitamin Reference
Vitamin D
Researchers are discovering that Vitamin D plays a KEY role in mental health and depression,
because it increases serotonin, one of the neurotransmitters responsible for mood. So, skip the
Vitamin D pills and get out there in the sunshine as often as you can! Most people will
immediately go to a supplement, but studies show that real UV Light is the only way the body
can produce Vitamin D that it recognizes.
Our favorite health coach and expert, Tyler Tolman, suggests to get in
the sun at least 15 minutes a day and don’t use sunscreen. As an alternative, use organic coconut
oil for maximum Vitamin D absorbancy. If you’re worried about getting skin cancer, throw out
that negative belief. Tyler Tolman says, “A bad diet, sunscreen, and other chemicals on the skin
cause skin cancer – not UV Light. UV Light [the sun and tanning beds] simply bring cancer out
through the skin.”
If you’re living in a climate that isn’t always sunny or has harsh winters, Tyler suggests going to
the tanning bed. Yep, that’s right. “I recommend any solarium with newer bulbs and a stand up
room so you don’t lay down in chemicals,” says Tyler. He continues, “If it’s a 15 minute session
go for 10 and you will feel and look great from doing this 2-3x per week.” Tyler lives in Bali so

3. he doesn’t have to worry about going to a tanning bed. But he said if he was in a city for more
than a week with low sunlight he would definitely be looking for a tanning bed.
Antioxidants
A published study by the Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine in 1998 found that
Antioxidants can help perk up the mood of people affected by anxiety and stress. The 5 foods
with the highest levels of antioxidants are:
 Small Red Bean (dried)
 Wild blueberry
 Red kidney bean (dried)
 Pinto bean
 Blueberry (cultivated)
This helpful article shows 20 common foods with the most antioxidants.
“Health requires healthy food” – Roger Williams
Protein
Your brain’s chemical activation is dependent on the foods you eat.Believe it or not, protein
plays a significant role in keeping your mood and energy level, in check. Proper protein levels
sustain your energy, keep your mood up, and keep you strong. Next to water, protein makes up
most of your body weight. Protein is great for your brain as well. Your brain’s chemical
activation is dependent on the foods you eat. Your brain cells neurotransmitters are made of
amino acids which are the building blocks of protein, so it’s a ‘no-brainer’. And when you eat
protein, it raises the levels of another amino acid called tyrosine that help create the mood
boosting chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine.
B Vitamins
Folate and vitamin B12 seem to also be important mood-boosting vitamins. Studies have shown
that low blood levels of these vitamins are in some cases linked to depression. Some scientists
believe that the body uses these vitamins to create serotonin; which as we mentioned is one of
the key neurotransmitters that help boost your mood.
Add rich dark leafy green veggies as well as beans into your diet to get more folic acid. Healthy
sources for Vitamin B12 include nutritional yeast and plant-based fortified foods. If you discover

4. you are low in B12, you can get B12 Shots from the doctor or use high-absorbancy B12 Patches
recommended by Matt Monarch, the founder of Raw Food World. While B12 is also present in
meats and cheeses, it can be a very toxic and dangerous way to receive this vitamin.
Selenium
A study in 1991 showed that with proper amounts of selenium, there was an increase in mood.
The study also showed that if there was a selenium deficiency, the brain is the last place that
selenium levels drop, suggesting that the brain considers it very important. A great source of
selenium is from Brazil nuts. These nuts have very high amounts of selenium (68–91 mcg per
nut)
Omega 3′s
More studies are emerging about the importance
of Omega 3 Fatty Acids and their prevention of depression. Omega 3′s can boost mood and
resbuild brain cells that are critical in performing cognitive function. In fact, a recent study found
that consuming healthy Omega 3 fatty acids dramatically boost your mood and reduces negative
harmful thoughts. Some of the worlds healthiest plant foods in Omega 3′s are #1 ground
flaxseeds, then walnuts, organic soybeans, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and winter squash.
“The best doctor gives the least medicine.” – Benjamin Franklin
A unscientific study done at Appleton Central High School in Appleton, Wis., observed that
students behaved better when they consumed healthy lunches consisting of vegetables, fruits, and
whole grains. There are dozens of studies that show that plants are the most nutrient-dense foods
on earth. The only problem is that it is extremely difficult to get people to change their dietary
patterns. Change is on the rise, but Kaplan said that the solution may be supplementation of
nutrients because it is integral that people receive less pharmaceutical intervention for mental
disorders and more broad-spectrum supplementation.

5. If you choose to supplement, it’s important to do so with superior quality vitamins or a shake
supplement containing multiple nutrients and superfoods.
As always, eating specific foods with these vitamins needs to be habitual. Eating healthier for a
few days or once in a while will not bring the result you’re seeking. I’ve found that making small
changes each week and keeping up each habit will bring lasting change. We are creatures of
habit and we feel comfortable doing what we are use to doing.
“Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel.” – Keven Trudeau
On a personal note, at one time I was very depressed and I learned to
use food to boost my mood. So I wrote this article from knowledge I have gathered as well as
experience. For most of my life I had tried everything to release weight and be healthier and
happier. At one point, I even tried supplements and medication. When I eliminated processed
foods and increased my vitamin intake through plant foods and I experienced my life
transformed. I want this for YOU too!
Please, if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. I’m here and happy to help!
You can also follow me on social media.
P.S. If you enjoy our inspirational posters and articles here on Power of Positivity, feel free to
donate and allow us to make our passion and life calling our forever, daily full time gig.
Best of luck on your journey!
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn
Sources:
http://live.ift.org/2013/07/15/undernourished-and-mentally-unbalanced/
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/depression/

6. http://depression.about.com/cs/diet/a/vitamin.htm
http://www.active.com/health/articles/mood-foods-6-snacks-to-kick-your-mind-into-gear
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/7-mood-foods-to-change-your-
outlook-with-every-bite.htm
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2007/oct2007_report_depression_01.htm
You can also read our article on 5 Foods to Boost your Mood.
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