How to combat a depressed mood, improve your self-esteem and avoid anxiety? Taking foods that increase the production of serotonin, such as the oatmeal and banana smoothie. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter in the brain that produces a calming effect, relieves nervousness and relaxes. In short, it produces a general well-being and happiness.
Depressed mood is something very common in our daily life characterized. It is characterized by lack of energy, decay, disinterest and little desire to perform daily tasks. Anxiety has also become something very present in our lives, and it can be temporary or become chronic, dangerous to health, leading to hypertension, tachycardia, dizziness…
When we hear about self-esteem or anxiety, we automatically attribute it to the rhythm of life, stress at work and in everyday life, tensions and personal problems, but what we don’t know is that one of the main causes of depression and anxiety is poor nutrition. A diet made up of fats and sweets and poor in the necessary vitamins is directly related to a depressed mood.
The relationship between low self-esteem and anxiety and eating
- Complex carbohydrates are rich in serotonin and foods that contain tryptophan are also generators of this neurotransmitter, therefore, they are essential for reducing anxiety and raising self-esteem levels. The best way to get carbohydrates is whole grains, such as oats. It is necessary to avoid refined carbohydrates such as sliced bread, sugar or white rice, which remain in the blood in the form of sugar and only offer momentary energy, so it is important that the oats you eat are natural and sugar-free added.
- On the other hand, the banana is the food that contains the highest amount of tryptophan. Therefore, the combination of oatmeal and banana in a smoothie is the ideal breakfast, since it will give you the energy and positive mood necessary to face the new day. However, if you choose to drink this smoothie in the afternoon or at night it will also help you relax, since another of the properties of these two foods combined is that they help you fall asleep peacefully.
- Also, if serotonin levels are high, not only will you feel better, but your desire to eat sweets and flour will be reduced, but if your serotonin levels are low, you will have more desire to eat these types of foods, which do not contribute anything more than calories to your body, which you will later have a hard time burning.
- But we don’t just want to recommend this rich combination in the form of a shake, with which you’ll feel much better every day. We also want you to take into account the habits that have the opposite effect on your body, that is, they promote a depressed mood and anxiety. Alcohol is the first of them, since it can produce momentary euphoria, but this will disappear and what will result is a worsening of the mood. You should also avoid abusing tobacco and caffeine, as they cause a sensation similar to that of alcohol.