Foods can make us happy or sad. Think about the crash you felt after that delicious, but sugar laden cupcake…but some foods can make us feel real good. Here are some good foods to add to your diet.

Fish

Experts recommend eating fish at least 3 times a week; the most omega 3 rich choices are oily cold-water rich, such as sardines, black cod, salmon, and mackerel.

If you can’t get those in The National Institute of Health suggest 2,000 milligrams of omega-3 supplements a day. According to Joseph R. Hibbeln, a lipid biochemist and psychiatrist at the National Institute of Health, “The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish have been proven to affect our brain chemistry”.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is dubbed the “the sunshine vitamin” because it is synthesized through sun exposure. Some studies suggest it could just as easily be its effect on our disposition. A new study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, found that depressed patients who took Vitamin D supplements (about 20,000 to 40,0000 international units weekly) for one year experienced significant mood improvement. Susan Kleiner, author of The Good Mood suggests a Vitamin D supplement of up to 1,000 IU daily of Vitamin D3 (not D2)

Spinach

Studies show that increasing folate intake, the B vitamin found in leafy greens such as spinach and kale, can maintain or improve cognitive function and suggest that people that have decreased intake of folate are at a higher risk of getting depressed. David Mischoulon, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School recommends eating at least 400 micrograms a day – that’s approximately one and a half cups of spinach, four cups of brocolli, and one cup of lentils.

FWO-ForWomenOnline.com