Foods that enhance your mind and mood

There are certain foods that can help you boost your brain health, concentration and memory.

• Turmeric: The active ingredient in turmeric is Curcumin that can directly enter the brain and benefit the brain cells. It is a great antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory compounds that help to benefit brain health. It helps to reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and depression.

• Pumpkin Seeds: They are a great source of zinc, copper, iron and magnesium. The antioxidant content protects our brain from free radical damage.

• Dark chocolate: The flavonoid content helps to protect the brain along with caffeine and antioxidants that help to boost both mood and memory.

• Oranges: Vitamin C helps to prevent mental decline and protects against age-related issues. Helps to defend our brain against free radical damage so include vitamin C foods like guava, bell peppers, kiwi, strawberries and tomatoes in your daily diet.

Serotonin acts as a mood stabiliser, it helps to boost your overall mood and produces healthy sleeping patterns. When you consume carbohydrates with high-tryptophan foods it provides you with a serotonin boost.

Foods that can help you increase your serotonin levels naturally:

• Tofu: Soy products are a great source of tryptophan.\

• Salmon: It helps to lower blood pressure, is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, balances cholesterol levels and is rich in tryptophan.

• Nuts and seeds: They are a good source of vitamins, fibre, antioxidants and contain tryptophan. They help to lower the risk of respiratory problems, cancer and heart diseases.

• Eggs: The protein content of eggs helps to boost your blood plasma levels of tryptophan. The egg yolk is rich in biotin, omega 3 fatty acids, choline, tyrosine and other nutrients along with tryptophan that helps to increase serotonin levels.

• Cheese: It is a good source of tryptophan.

• Pineapple: They contain serotonin which has mood-elevating properties.