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Bananas and omega-3 - they are usually recommended for patients suffering from depression...
Berries too have been said to impact in a positive way as is watermelon.
Worth a shot :)
Lots of greens. A well packed green smoothie will boost my mood any day.
I have a history of very bad depression. I feel that my daily and sometimes daily green shake has helped me immensely id not cured me. My husband also drinks it every day now and also sees the difference although he is not raw. I agree with pixx..greens are the secret.
My shake (I got this recipe from Susan scheneck's book, The Live food Factor)
Kale (I add spinach when i have it)
bee pollen
cocoa nibs
2 oranges and any other fruit I have on hand
cayenne pepper
1-2 bananas
God Luck!
For me, cacao, and especially, SPIRULINA (and anything else green, the darker the better). I had/have bad depression (recurrences when I can't or don't stay raw hmm.), and the only thing that seems to help when in despair is Spirulina. I'm not saying it solves the external problems that cause the mood /the root, it merely helps me deal with the problems more. And when I drink them (greens) when in an already so-so/okay mood i get HAPPY. Which, until about a year and nine months ago I didn't know what that really felt like. To me "happy" = so-so/not angry or sad. Sometimes happy just meant indifferent. Spirulina and greens. :D And nothing too sugary. When blood sugar fluctuates (honey, agave, sugar, or too many bananas) it can aggravate my mood.
Years ago St. John's Wort helped a bit too.
Good fats are also said to enhance mood.
and.. Get out the toxins! Meaning toilet. ;)
I remember when I went 100% raw for 2 weeks I drank about 2 quarts of fresh green juice every morning, a big salad for lunch, and for dinner a big salad with sprouted beans in it for dinner. (fruit, usually grapefruit for a snack in between lunch & dinner)
After about 4-5 days my chronic, sometimes crippling depression, that i had for almost 8 years literally DISAPPEARED. but then I slipped...got back into SAD food and instantly I'm back to suicidal again. yay... anyways....considering i have been nearly 100% raw for the past week and im still depressed....i think the Key to fighting depression is a MASSIVE AMOUNT OF DARK GREENS. yeahhh..I hope I get into that again...it was nice to feel happiness.
I especially recommend juicing. Carrot is really good in it as a filler & is pretty cheap.
also, when you pet animals you receive as much seratonin as youre giving them! so it's a nice easy boost. i know it's not an herb or food but it's a good reason to pet your pets if you have any.
Poppy seeds as they are the natural source of opium!
Kitzia. That is a very good video. I was doing REALLY bad on my diet and then i saw that not an option video & i've lost 10 pounds in the past 2 weeks from being high raw again. It really helps you be rough with yourself.
I remember reading years ago that avocado is supposed to boost seratonin production. I used to live in Alaska and it was mentioned in remedies for SAD in those dark winter months.
Here are some herbs that can help to support your mood: St. John's Wort (beware of cross reactions), lemon balm, Ho Shou Wu, wild oat milky seed.
Any kind of adaptogenic herb can help with your stress response: ashwagandha, schizandra berry, siberian ginseng, maca, rhodiola, holy basil, turmeric, etc.
Also, any food rich in B vitamins and magnesium help with stress and anxiety. Greens are rich in magnesium, but by weight the top source of magnesium are sea vegetables, with kelp powder likely being no. 1 and dulse likely being no. 2. Greens and sprouts I believe are both rich in B vitamins. Also, vitamin D and B12 are important for mood support. Sunshine is the best way to get your vitamin D. However, a supplement or using a safe tanning bed is important if you live north of 38 degrees latitude during the months between October and April (the line runs across Baltimore, St. Louis, Denver and San Francisco in the U.S.). Research hasn't uncovered a vegan food that will raise the level of B12 in the body yet, even though there are a number of foods that have human-active B12, like spirulina. The analogue B12 seems to cancel out the effect in many of these foods.
Here are some foods to help you produce more serotonin: avocado, spirulina, bananas, kelp, cacao (beware, large amounts can be unbalancing), pecans, almonds, parsley, sunflower seeds, mangos, tomatoes, onions, cherries, carrots, watermelon, hot peppers, squash, papaya, celery, wakame, figs, sweet potatoes, pumpkin seeds, strawberries, grapefruit, etc.
Lastly, you might already know this, but the hours between 10pm and 2am are crucial for replenishing your serotonin. So it's important to sleep during these hours. Also, chewing your food thoroughly can help. The act of chewing produces 2-5 times more serotonin than your normal waking state. So try not to do too many smoothies. If you do smoothies, try to chew your smoothie as much as possible before swallowing! Also, being in a relationship where you feel loved and appreciated can help to maintain or boost your serotonin levels.
Good luck and lots of love. :)
I agree with you, green smoothies are magical. I am not a depressive person, but i definitely feel a huge difference when i have enough greens on my diet. Green smoothies give me a lot of energy!