SEPTEMBER 2019 82 SHAPE.COM
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
and a coauthor of the study.
For instance, women who
had higher amounts of
Bifidobacterium, a microbe
found in the gut and also in
foods like yogurt, had lower
levels of anxiety, Holscher
says. She and her team haven’t
proved cause and effect, but
they’re exploring whether the
microbes might communicate
with brain cells via the vagus
nerve, which runs between
the brain and the abdomen.
One thing scientists do
know for certain is that the
foods most likely to boost your
mood will also improve your
health, meaning the benefits
are twofold. Here’s how to
score all the perks.
Get fresh
Eat a variety of fruits and
vegetables, plus whole grains,
legumes, nuts, and yogurt, to
get a full spectrum of nutri-
ents, Holscher says. And
add fatty fish like salmon to
your diet twice a week—they
contain omega-3 fatty acids,
which have been shown to
improve mood. The key is to
choose things you really enjoy
and then find easy and cre-
ative ways to incorporate them
into your meals, she says. Love
oranges, beets, and fennel?
Toss them in your salad, use
them to make a salsa, and roast
them with chicken for dinner.
Fill up on fiber
Consuming more produce,
which contains fiber, is
linked to positive emotions,
Holscher says. Fiber feeds
your gut bacteria, and certain
types of it, like inulin, found
in foods like asparagus and
leeks, and pectin in apples
and plums, stimulate the
microbes Bifidobacterium
and Lactobacillus, and some
strains of these can enhance
mental well-being. Aim for
25 grams of fiber daily.Go Mediterranean
You know about the diet, but
research shows that following
the entire Mediterranean life-
style is beneficial, Begdache
says. That includes exercise,
which has been found to help
improve your outlook. So
work out several days a week,get together with friends, and
spend time in nature in addi-
tion to eating healthy foods.
Get your fill of whole grains,
she adds. They’re a good
source of B vitamins, which
are important for brain func-
tion, including mood.Eat breakfast
If you’re over 30, a morning
meal helps promote hap-
pier emotions, according to
Begdache’s study. “ We have
an increased level of cortisol
in the early hours of the day,
which can make us irritable,”
she says. “And when we’re
older, stress takes a greater
toll on us. If we eat breakfast,
our cortisol levels decrease.”
A combination of protein,
whole grains, and fruit is best,
Begdache says. Have eggs
with whole wheat toast and
melon, or oatmeal with yogurt
and berries.