Are there any chocolate lovers here?

There’s a truth we all turn to from time to time: chocolate makes us happy. But is chocolate the only thing that makes us smile when we’re unhappy?

Actually, there are many other foods that bring happiness, but we always choose our favorite. Today, I want to talk about other foods that release happiness hormones.

What makes us feel good when we eat chocolate is actually cocoa. Even its smell is enough to make us smile. Cocoa has more antioxidants than many other foods. It releases endorphins, the happiness hormone. Getting this wonderful thing directly from cocoa in its natural form, rather than as chocolate, will give us sugar-free happiness. You can also mix it with milk. I quickly made a dessert. These delicious balls are for those whose energy levels drop during the day.

Date and Cocoa Balls

Ingredients:

• 5 pitted dates
• 2 tablespoons raw cocoa powder (I don’t use packaged cocoa powder because it’s a processed food)
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened peanut butter (recipe available in my “Let’s Love Fats” post)
• 1 handful unroasted cashews
• 5-6 almonds
• I blended all the ingredients in a food processor and shaped them by hand. It only takes 2 minutes, and I can guarantee you’ll experience the happiness of refined sugar-free chocolate.

Raw Walnuts

Walnuts are a good source of magnesium. Magnesium deficiency is one of the causes of depression. Walnuts are also a good source of antioxidants and are low in carbohydrates. Low-carbohydrate foods prevent insulin fluctuations. People with insulin balance problems are often irritable, grumpy, and unhappy. Eating a handful of walnuts every day will keep you one step away from depression.

Coffee

Like cocoa, coffee can change our world just with its aroma. It easily reaches the brain and positively affects neutrons. It solves our concentration problems and gives us energy, but of course, we should use whole bean coffee, not granulated coffee. Granulated coffees undergo a lot of processing and carry chemicals.

Homemade Yogurt and Kefir

As I mentioned in my previous article, “Should We Feed and Grow the Bacteria Inside Us?”, probiotics are vital for our health, but they also have an impact on our happiness. Our brain and intestines communicate through our stomach nerves. Our intestines, nourished and happy with probiotics, send happiness signals to our brain.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are high in selenium. Selenium deficiency causes depression and anxiety. Mushrooms also contain the highest amount of natural vitamin D. Again, as has gained importance in recent years, vitamin D deficiency also causes fatigue and depression.

In fact, as I always say, life and nutrition are about balance. The more natural foods we consume that our bodies need, the happier our bodies and minds will be. The foods mentioned above only help with this. I wish you a wonderful spring where we don’t seek happiness in food, and our hearts are filled with pink flowers.

Note: This article was published on my column at www.hthayat.com on March 10, 2017.