-
Health, Food & Diet
- Sugar content in alcohol - best & worst
- Coconut oil: the science
- Guilt free snacks
- 5 Post workout recipes
- 5 Common healthy eating mistakes
- Teatox – Whats it all about?
- After School Snacks for Kids
- Summer Fruits – What’s Hot, What’s Not
- The Professional Athlete Diet
- What is a Cleanse Diet?
- Losing Weight Without a Fad Diet
- Cheat Days: Worth it?
- Light Milk: Healthier than Full Cream?
- Protein Shakes – Do they really work?
- All About the IIFYM Diet
- 8 Superfoods You’ve Never Heard Of
- 5 Surprising Facts About Coffee
- The Changes Your Body Goes through When you Quit Sugar
- The Truth About Soft Drinks
- Does Detoxing Actually Work?
- Natural Alternatives to Sugar
- Replacing Artificial Sugars with Natural Energy
- Sugar in Caffeinated Drinks
- Diets 101 – The Bloodtype Diet
- Delicious Sugar Free Recipes
- The Low-Down on Artificial Sweeteners
- The Health Benefits of Smoothies
- The Aztec Diet
- Breaking Sugar Addiction
- Organic vs Non Organic Foods
- Spices of a Sunburnt Country
- 7 Healthy Kids Lunchbox Snacks
- The Great Weight Debate
- Sneaking Vegetables into your Children’s Food
- Fast or Feast? The Guide to the 5:2 Diet
- Nutrition tips for the everyday cyclist
- Creative, Fun (and healthy!) Christmas food ideas for kids
- Medical Spotlight: Heart Disease
- What's for Breakfast
- Coconut Oil – why you should make the switch
- Healthy Fast Food Options
- Salt – Friend or Foe?
- Changes to your body during pregnancy
- Spotlight on Sugar – how much sugar is in your favourite drinks?
- Five Surprising Facts about Food and Nutrition
- The Secret Sugar Hidden in Your Favourite Foods
- Are saturated fats and cholesterol really the bad guys?
- 5 Foods to Help Fight Pain
- The Importance of Potassium and Sodium
- Nutritional Truths About Sushi
- Slim Shakes and Diet Pills
- What are Macrobiotics?
- The Ketogenic Diet and Epilepsy
- Winter Foods To Keep You Warm
- What’s in season for Winter?
- Feeding fitness: Eating and exercise tips for breastfeeding mums
- Breast Milk versus Formula
- Foods that Speed Up the Ageing Process
- Beat the Winter Blues
- The Raw Food Diet
- Severe Nut Allergies: The Signs
- How to Make a Better Lunch Box for Kids
- Foods and Asthma
- Kids and Food Allergies
- The Lowdown on Homeopathy
- What is involved in traditional Chinese medicine?
- What is Ayurveda? And Why Do It?
- Diets 101: Mediterranean v Sonoma Diets
- Autumn Foods – What’s in Season?
- 5 Bad Habits Healthy People Have
- 5 Under-Appreciated Foods With Surprising Health Benefits
- Happy Valentines Day, Every Day! The Benefits of Chocolate
- Diets 101: Jenny Craig vs Weight Watchers
- Spice up your Life
- 5 Simple Fixes for Bad Eating Habits
- 5 Ways To Teach Your Kids About Healthy Food
- Don’t worry – Eat happy! 5 mood enhancing foods
- What’s in Season for Summer?
- The Fruit Superhero
- How to beat the bulge this festive season
- The best snack ideas that leave you guilt free
- Dairy – Good or bad for your health?
- What’s in Season for Spring?
- Is fasting good for you?
- Diets 101 – Atkins and Dukan Diets
- 15 reasons why it is smart to shop at local markets
- Why is fish oil good for you?
- Five foods for a healthy brain
- Recipe for the perfect breakfast shake
- Minimize the Effects of Alcohol on Your Health
- Diets 101 – Paleo & Ferris
- Die Diet Die!
- Eating Out – Restaurant Junkies
- 4 healthy habits you can build in just a few weeks
- 7 Nutritional Beliefs That Are Wrong
- 3 Kids Snacks To Replace The Happy Meal
- Monday’s medical myth: chocolate causes acne
- Monday’s medical myth: food additives cause childhood behavioural disorders
- More Than Meats The Eye
- Weight-loss TV, patience is not its virtue
- All About Eczema
- 10 Ideas on How to Stay Healthy in a Stressful Work Environment
-
Sports & Fitness
- Crossfit – What’s all the hype about?
- This Year’s Hottest Fitness Trends
- How to Choose a Good Gym
- 5 Ways to Work Different Parts of Your Body
- Exercising in Cold Weather
- HIIT – Train Smarter, Not Harder!
- The Importance of Correct Form in the Gym
- Strength Training: More than simply lifting weights
- Why Men should try Women’s Workouts
- Clean Out your Gym Bag
- Alternative Forms of Cardio
- The Health Benefits of Snow Sports
- Barre – Fusing Yoga, Pilates and Ballet
- Keeping Fit with the Kids in Tow
- The Great Weight Debate
- Body Weight Workouts
- Maximise the Benefits of Cycling Training
- Nutrition tips for the everyday cyclist
- Deskercise! Your 7 Step Office Workout Guide
- How to improve your cycling
- Work the Twerk
- The Health Benefits of Playing Cricket
- Kickboxing your way to fitness!
- Let’s Dance: Shake Up Your Fitness Routine
- Fitness Myths Debunked
- Training for a Triathlon – Where to Start
- Trampolining: Not just for kids!
- Physical Culture: Let’s Get Physical
- How to Buy the Perfect Pair of Running Shoes
- Hiking, Climbing & Bushwalking Tips
- Gym bag essentials
- Assisting Recovery when Injured
- Learn to Love Your Body
- Pole Dancing for Fitness & Confidence
- Yoga for Pecs, or Peace?
- Feeding fitness: Eating and exercise tips for breastfeeding mums
- 5 Bad Habits Healthy People Have
- How to Make a Visit to the Pool Fun
- How to Prevent Stitches During Your Run
- Take Off Your Shoes! The Pleasures of Running Barefoot
- Breathing and Anxiety
- 6 Ideas on How to Carry Items Whilst Running
- Exercise at home
- How to beat tHow to beat the bulge this festive seasonhe bulge this festive season
- Brrrr it’s cold outside! Indoor sports to try this Winter
- Snow Sports
- Martial Arts – Good for Everyone!
- No More Exercise Excuses
- Tips to get your kids moving
- What is a bike fit and why get one?
- Pre-race preparation
- Pregnancy and Exercise: Is it safe?Pregnancy and Exercise: Is it safe?
- Finding motivation to get fit
- Keeping work healthy
- Rise to the challenge
- 5 Ways to Train like an Olympic Athlete
- 4 healthy habits you can build in just a few weeks
- How can I get addicted to exercise?
- What Kind of Yoga Class Should I Choose?
- 3 Reasons To Stand Up At Work
- Work Hard… Recover Harder
-
Parenting & children
- 17 Bright Ideas for Vintage Games & Sports
- Sleep Series: Bed Wetting and Other Problems
- Kids Sleep Series: Changing Sleep Patterns with Age
- Choosing an Obstetrician
- What Activity is Best for My Child?
- Keeping Fit with the Kids in Tow
- The Benefits of Prenatal Yoga
- Medical Spotlight: fertility, infertility and technology
- Sleep in Toddlers and Young Children
- Sleep in Infants
- What I wish my mum had told me growing up
- Can Having a Pet Promote Better Health for Your Family?
- How to Help Your Toddler Learn to Ride a Bike
- The Importance of Family Rituals
- Yoga for Kids
- First Time Dads – What to Expect
- Music for Kids
- First Time Mums – What to Expect
- How to Make a Visit to the Pool Fun
- How to de-stress as a Mum
- Pregnancy and Exercise: Is it safe?
- Pain: The Body Speaks!
-
Health insurance
- How to Select a Health Insurance Provider
- What Private Health Insurance is Right for Me?
- Uncomplexicate
- Choosing a Healthcare Professional
- Simplifying out of pocket expenses
- What to Expect When Going to Hospital
- Your handy checklist to Private Health Insurance
- First Time Mums – What to Expect
- The Costs of Pregnancy
- Private Health Insurance Explained
- Healthcare: Public vs Private
- I’m young and healthy, why do I need health insurance?
- Osteo vs. Chiro: What’s the Difference?
- Getting Health Insurance for the first time
- Australian Health Insurance: The top 10 things you need to know
Don’t worry – Eat happy! 5 mood enhancing foods
If you’re feeling a bit blue or down in the dumps, you could be lacking in some essential vitamins and minerals that will turn that frown upside down! Food is not only a source of fuel for physical activity; it can also affect your mental and emotional health too.
Here is a short list of foods that contain nutrients to put a smile back on your dial.
Red meat
Whether you love a big juicy beef steak or a lamb chop, red meat is rich in wonderful vitamin B12 and zinc.
Vitamin B12 plays a role in nerve development and facilitates the prevention of mood and brain disorders. It also helps the body metabolise carbohydrates, protein and fat. Other sources of vitamin B12 include salmon and dairy.
Zinc is another mineral needed in the diet because it helps to stabilise blood sugar levels and carbohydrate metabolism, which ultimately regulates mood. You can get zinc from pumpkin seeds and oats as well.
Walnuts
Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, a polyunsaturated fat that plays a variety of health-promoting roles in the body
Apart from reducing inflammation, preventing cardiovascular disease and maintaining the fluidity of cell membranes, omega-3 fats have been clinically proven to provide relief from mood swings and depression.
Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, tuna and flaxseeds.
Salmon
This oily fish is rich in vitamin D, a nutrient that has been known to increase the production of the mood enhancing neurotransmitter serotonin. Other sources of vitamin D include eggs and cheese, but our bodies can synthesize vitamin D with a bit of exposure to sunlight.
Seasonal affective disorder is a kind of depression that happens commonly during winter and is believed to be caused by a lack of exposure to the sun, which in turn causes low levels of vitamin D.
Beans and Legumes
The great thing about beans and legumes, especially chickpeas and lentils, is that they are high in iron and folate. Both of these minerals contribute to a happy disposition.
Iron is found in every cell of the human body and helps oxygen to be carried around the body. Without iron, our tissues get less oxygen and we become weak, tired and can even experience headaches and dizziness. You can get iron from other sources such as spinach and olives.
Folate is part of the B-vitamin family and supports nerve function and helps to maintain the synthesis of neurotransmitters to prevent nervous system problems and mood disorders. It also promotes the development of red blood cells so they can transport oxygen around the body. Folate is also found in asparagus and spinach.
Bananas
Bananas are a happy fruit for a number of reasons. Yellow is a cheerful colour, they’re shaped like a smile and they contain magnesium and vitamin B6!
Just like it’s B12 cousin, vitamin B6 supports a whole range of neurological function, including the production of happy neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. It also plays a role in the breakdown of carbohydrates, which is important for providing energy to the body. Other sources of vitamin B6 include tuna, chicken and potatoes.
Magnesium is known to be a happy mineral because it relaxes and soothes nerves and muscle by chemically blocking calcium from activating muscle contraction. It also plays a role in the metabolism of carbohydrates and regulation of blood sugar levels. You can get magnesium from pumpkin seeds, spinach and almonds as well.
References:
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/9-mood-boosting-foods-you-should-be-eating.html#b