EAT HAPPY

I’ve hit complete mid-winter funk. I’m cold all the time and free-floating anxiety kind of hovers around me like Pigpen’s dirt cloud. The Interwebbies tell me to laugh more, hang with friends, exercise, stay away from social media, listen to music, meditate, eat right and have more sex.

Huh.
That's a lot of work for someone in a funk.

Some of those are waaaay more fun than others, and some are just plain mutually exclusive. But I can promise myself to eat better. Eat Happy. Around 90% of the “happy hormone”, serotonin, is made in in your gut, so I’m trying to make sure that mine is in fighting shape. That means eating fiber and keeping good bacteria levels up by including both probiotics and prebiotics in my diet.

Probiotics include yogurt, sauerkraut, soft cheeses, sourdough and miso. *I’m a complete fan of Good Belly Plus probiotic shots. They’re little pre-mixed vitamin + probiotic shots that make gut health easy. Plus, they smile at you in the morning. Hello!

Prebiotics include garlic, onions, leeks, avocado, peas, artichokes, asparagus, bananas {especially raw, green ones}, blueberries, oatmeal and rye.

I’m also trying the serotonin boosting combination of foods high in tryptophan {cheese, eggs and turkey} + whole grain carbs. Finally, I’m curbing my alcohol consumption because it can really de-stabilize my mood and make my “what-the-hell-is-going-on-in-the-world?” anxiety so. much. worse.

So eat happy and hit these good and good for you recipes:
Miso Glazed Salmon
Lemon Chicken with Artichokes
Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry Chutney
Whole Oat Granola Bars
Avocado Rye Toast
Quinoa Risotto with Asparagus