Protein for happiness?
What they didnโt tell you about wellness, optimism, trusting teams, and serotonin.
After starting this new habit, eating enough protein for breakfast, eating breakfast period (after years of morning fasting), I noticed I didnโt feel that agitated or a little bit on edge and tense, I didnโt feel the sense of frantic urgency like it all has to be done right now. Something changedโโโI felt at ease. Still very productive, getting things doneโโโbut there was some peace and trust to it, some confidence, that itโll all work out and Iโll figure itย out.
Iโve recently finished another brain+nutrition book, The Mood Cure, that goes deep into the connection between undesirable moods and mental states and foodโโโanxiety, stress, overwhelm, obsessions, racing thoughts, dissatisfaction, seeing the glass as half empty, feeling like itโs never enough, like we are never enough, feeling blah and unexcited aboutย life.
As I was reading about serotonin, our major happiness neurotransmitter, essential for feeling well, safe, confident, creative, at ease, and satisfied, being able to enjoy life exactly where it is, also essential for sleep, not having food cravings, especially sweet ones, not needing alcohol or marijuana to calm down and feel relaxedโโโI learned finer details of eating habits and lifestyle that contribute to more serotonin, or less of it. Let me share with you what I learned, why Iโm feeling so much more relaxed now, even though nothing else changed, and how you can too, by implementing a few missing habits in your lifestyle andย meals.
PROTEIN
Protein is essential for everything in our body and brain. And specifically crucial for serotonin levels. Tryptophan, an amino acid, thatโs serotonin is made of, needs to be present consistently in our bloodstream to make serotonin that keeps us happy. A couple of details: mostly available in animal protein foods like chicken, turkey, salmon, beef, pork, eggs and dairy, especially cheeses. Thereโs not a lot of tryptophan in foods, and on top of this, it is not easy for it to make its way through the BBB (blood-brain barrier). Thatโs why eating those foods regularly and sufficiently is so important. 3 times per day, 30โ40g, add a shake if you find it hard to eat protein in foods (that I actually absolutely love).
This is my protein routine that gets me 100โ120g of protein perย day.
Sardines or 3 eggs, some tuna and avocado for breakfast, 500ml of Greek yogurt for lunch, 150โ200g of chicken, seafood or fish forย dinner.
EXERCISE
Even when you eat all that proteinโโโitโs still hard for tryptophan to make it all the way to the brain. Exercise is a hack for that. Our engaged muscles suck up a lot of other amino acids from our bloodstream, allowing tryptophan to go into the brain with less competition, AND oxygen levels (increased during exercise) are also important for serotonin synthesis.
So, exercise and eat your protein early to feel good the whole day.โโโAlso important for trust, openness, and confidence to express novelย ideas.
And keep moving and eating protein throughout the day to maintain higher serotonin levels.
LIGHT
Serotonin is also light sensitive, and not all light will do. Ideally, youโd spend no less than 30 minutes outside in the morning and early afternoon to stimulate serotonin. Did you know that seasonal affective disorder, when people feel โunder a dark cloudโ, more often in the winter months, is actually because of lower serotonin related to less light exposure? Get outside more often to prevent that, or at the very least, purchase one of those daylightย lamps.
SUPPLEMENTS
Being deficient in nutrients like magnesium, zinc, iron, vitamin B6 and folate, vitamin Cโโโmakes it impossible to make serotonin from tryptophan and all the protein you eat. So supplement to be on the safeย side.
SEROTONIN BOOSTERS
Eating fatty fish, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, or supplementing with fish oil boosts serotonin, and so does eating probiotic foods like yogurt or sauerkraut, and so does turmeric that I absolutely love adding to my dinners as curryย spice.
Whatโs really bad for serotonin?
Inactive lifestyle, insufficient sleep, insufficient light, eating sugar and foods that feed bad gut bacteria (basically processed foods), drinking alcohol, smoking anything, having high unmanaged stress levels, and taking many medications.
Why did I start feelingย better?
For me it was protein. As I found out, prolonged fasting (till noon and more, after 6 pm dinner)โโโwasnโt great to keep me happy. On the bonus side, after adding proteinโโโmy appetite and energy levels got even more consistent, I enjoy my workouts more and my ABS never looked sharper! Oh, and sleep is just phenomenal! Did you know that melatonin, the sleep hormone, is made from serotonin too?
Still have questions? Reach out! My Instagram @1000yearyoung is especially good for it, or angela@brainbreakthroughcoach.com email.
๐THANK YOU FOR READING! DO GREATย THINGS.
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Foundational neuroscience-backed routines for a ๐ง productive, happy brain in my โCancel Brain Fogโ course. (New and now free onย Udemy)