Top eight ways to boost the happy hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is a neurochemical made by your body that helps you to feel cheerful, happy, and in a state of well-being. Maintaining emotional balance, focusing on your thoughts, and staying relaxed are all important aspects of mental health. Practicing proper attention and concentration can help you stay on track with your goals.
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Signs Of Low Serotonin
Unfortunately, many people have low levels of serotonin, which can cause you to feel irritated, and stressed, and you may suffer from anxiety. People with low serotonin levels also often have low self-esteem, perceiving that the world is an unfriendly place which can even develop into depression. Low serotonin can cause you to crave short-term highs from eating junk foods, binge eating, alcohol, or drug use.
It can also disrupt your sleeping patterns, possibly causing you to oversleep or wake up many times during the night. It’s also involved with maintaining normal digestion, so without enough, you may develop irritable bowel syndrome or chronic diarrhea. Fortunately, there are some simple and natural ways to boost your serotonin levels to overcome these problems.
And that’s exactly what we’ll be talking about in today’s article. It’s crucial to emphasize that this video is intended solely for educational purposes, and medical or mental health issues must be discussed with a healthcare professional. We advise that viewers consult with the appropriate health specialist if any questions arise.
Tryptophan
The first item on my list is tryptophan. If you wish, you can take a supplement containing 250 milligrams of L tryptophan, 45 minutes before you go to bed and on an empty stomach. Tryptophan crosses the blood-brain barrier and it’s converted into the happy hormone, serotonin. By boosting your serotonin, tryptophan enhances your mood, and it helps you to access and store your memories.
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People usually take this at night because it helps them to fall asleep and get a deeper, more restorative sleep, which is essential when it comes to balancing out your brain chemistry and overcoming depression, anxiety, or other issues that I just talked about. If you do decide to use this natural supplement, make sure to take it on an empty stomach as other proteins can block your ability to absorb it.
Sunlight Exposure
The second way to boost serotonin is by getting more sunlight. Lots of people feel down, sad, and depressed in the winter because they aren’t being exposed to enough sunshine. This is why there are higher rates of depression in Iceland, for example, where they may only get around 4 hours of daylight in the winter because of the country’s high latitude.
You see, when sunlight enters your eyes, it stimulates the part of your retinas, which tells your brain to make and store more serotonin. Also, when UV rays contact your skin, this triggers the production of vitamin D, which can reduce the stress hormone called cortisol, and naturally raise It is widely accepted that people become more relaxed, content, and joyous when exposed to sunny environments such as a beach.
This is thought to be due to the psychological and emotional benefits associated with such exposure. I myself, for example, have had some of my most creative ideas whilst sitting in the sun because of how it improves my mood and allows me to think more clearly. So I recommend taking slow walks outside for at least 45 minutes each day whenever you can, even if there’s cloud cover. The essential oils that are released from the plants and the trees also have a soothing effect that can help to balance out your nervous system.
Prebiotics
Number 3 is a prebiotic fiber. Did you know that 95 % of all the serotonin in your body is actually made by EC cells in your gut?
A healthy digestive system is essential for the activation of EC cells. This requires a diversified population of friendly bacteria, probiotics, and other beneficial microorganisms in order to maintain balance within the digestive tract. Unfortunately, junk foods, medications, artificial sweeteners, and stress can all cause imbalances in this bacteria, which can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders.
This is what we call the gut-brain connection. The microbes that live in your gut produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, GABA, and dopamine to keep your brain chemistry in balance. Fortunately, it’s very easy to fix your microbiome by eating lots of probiotic and probiotic-rich foods. I recommend Sauer Kraut, Keifer, and kimchi. In terms of boosting serotonin, however, you want to eat foods that are rich in a specific prebiotic called Oligosaccharides.
This is a type of plant sugar that’s been shown to feed certain microbes that live in your gut. These microbes then stimulate the EC cells to make more serotonin. Chicory root and Jerusalem artichokes are the richest sources of this prebiotic, but you can also get it from asparagus, onions, garlic, leeks, berries, watermelon, and also supplements.
Exercise
Number 4 is given, get more exercise. Start performing at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise twice per week, like jogging, biking, swimming, or anything that gets your heart pumping.
Studies show that motor activity and getting moving speed up the brain’s ability to convert tryptophan into serotonin, therefore, boosting your serotonin levels and making you feel good. This is why exercise is always recommended for people with mental health problems. Exercise also triggers reward centers in your brain by boosting dopamine, which can make you feel more pleasure and less depressed or anxious.
Stop Snacking
Number 5, stop snacking. When you snack frequently throughout the day or you eat too small meals, you continuously raise a hormone called insulin, which helps to keep your blood sugars under control. However, when you snack for years, this can cause insulin resistance. This stops the hormone from transporting certain nutrients to your brain like tryptophan.
This can cause you to have lowered serotonin levels and the blood sugar fluctuations can make your mood go up and down easily. So please stop snacking and start eating two solid meals per day. Add lots of healthy, nutritious vegetables, proteins, and fats to help normalize your hormones and your neurotransmitters.
Manage Stress
The sixth way to boost serotonin is to manage your stress. Whenever you feel stressed or anxious, your adrenal glands release a hormone called cortisol as part of the fight or flight response.
Cortisol works with serotonin to keep you alert and ready to escape or fight in a life-threatening situation. However, if there’s too much cortisol, over time, this lowers serotonin, eventually causing a chemical imbalance in the brain. It’s important to be proactive and take action to help manage stress levels. Taking the appropriate measures can ensure you maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
Consider getting a massage once or twice per week, as this has been shown in studies to lower cortisol and boost serotonin. You can also take long walks as I mentioned earlier to counter stress. You can drink herbal teas like passion flower, and make sure that you’re cutting out caffeine and stimulants that are in your diet.
Improve Sleep
This brings me to my next point, improving your sleep. The best way to lower your stress and feel calmer, more focused, and happy is by getting more sleep. So start going to bed an hour earlier and giving yourself a little extra time to relax before sleeping. Turn off all of your devices and block as much light from the room as possible. I recommend going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning. Over a couple of weeks, this will help to synchronize your body’s internal clock and regulate the amount of serotonin that your brain stores and uses.
Recall Happy Events
Finally, number 8, recall happy events. Research from the UK uncovered that people who spend more time remembering specific and happy memories have lower rates of depression. I recommend writing a list on your phone or in a paper journal of specific memories from your life that give you a sense of joy, laughter, and pleasure. You can go back and read through these regularly to train your brain in focusing on positivity rather than negativity. This stimulates the release of endorphins and other happy brain chemicals, which will improve your mood and also help to regulate serotonin and cortisol.
Summary
So for a quick summary, here are the eight things you can do to boost the happy hormone called serotonin. Take 250 milligrams of L tryptophan before bed. Get more sunshine for at least 45 minutes on a daily basis. Eat probiotic and probiotic-rich foods. Get 30 minutes of aerobic exercise twice a week. Stop snacking to help tryptophan and fuel cross into your brain. Finding ways to manage stress is essential for overall well-being.
To do this, consider trying activities such as getting a massage or drinking passionflower tea. Both can be effective in calming the body and mind. Improve your sleep by going to bed at more regular times and turning off your devices. And Journal to recall happy moments and joys from your life.
Thank you so much for reading my article today, and as always, I wish you great health, wealth, and happiness.