HUNTING FOR HAPPINESS

Much of the food we eat is loaded with sugar and other sweets that contribute to the key brain areas of mood regulation.  Plant foods contain the minerals, vitamins  and phytonutrients that we call the Essential Elements of Happiness.  Your brain needs these as a first step to optimal brain functioning.   Eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains will be an important first step to take.

   It is best to use grass fed meat whenever possible.  This promotes omega-3 fatty acids that provide new brain connections.  Variety is important and this will give a broader range of brain boosting nutrients and energize the mind.  We need B12  for brain cells and this will be helped by eating eggs and prevent irritability, depression and cognitive decline.

    We should add a little folate to keep our brain's neurotransmitter factories humming.    Iodine would be another plus since it is essential for good thyroid functioning.  An underactive thyroid leads to lethargy, weight gain and depression.  A barnyard egg is a nutritional powerhouse.

    Grass fed butter is brain food.  It has a long list of nutrients that are not found in most vegetable oils including vitamin A which promotes the production of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, a key player in mood and memory along with vitamin B12 and D.  The more grass-fed a cow eats is even healthier and more nutritious.  Grass fed beef is also brain food and contains heme iron which is the most absorbable form.  The brain needs a constant form of oxygen so you must get enough iron for red blood cells.  Research suggests that it improves better academic performance so use grass-fed beef when possible.