How To Boost Your Mood Through Diet
I have shared before that a plant based diet saved my life. Both physically and psychologically, I found peace, recovery, and renewed health from a life-long eating disorder. Research and studies demonstrate this as well.
When sitting down to write this on this topic, it occurred to me all of the reasons that this happened for me personally, and I think apply to many. Once I decided to adopt a fully plant-based diet, I knew I was not only helping myself and improving my health, but I was also doing something for the greater good. I had already eliminated meat, but to transition into a fully plant-based diet and lifestyle felt like I was truly living sustainably; helping to heal the environment, myself, and saying no to the cruelty of industrial agriculture.
“If we don’t change our ways and begin implementing plant-based meat and dairy alternatives as the primary sources in our diets, climate change will continue to create an imbalance in the environment and the planet, risking our lives and the lives of all species.”
The above statement from an article I read recently, stands out to me, and I think it’s very relevant to my explanation of being a part of the greater good, while also healing ourselves and striving for optimal health through a plant-based diet. This gave me more confidence and also healed my relationship with food, knowing that all that I consumed being plant based was an act of compassion.
Continuing, I also want to share with you some of the physical healing properties of whole plant foods. I will, of course, share many of these abundant benefits each week, but this week, I want to discuss mood-boosting whole plant foods. This topic, in turn, leads to the discussion of plant foods healing our gut and microbiome, which, of course, allows us to feel SO much better!
Omega 3’s are incredibly important to our mood and functioning. HOW do we get these from a plant-based diet?
Seeds such as chia, hemp, flax, and pumpkin seeds, are an excellent source.
HOW WE USE THEM: We add chia, hemp, flax and pumpkins seeds to our morning oatmeal, and to our salads. We don’t always have hemp seeds on hand, but consistently use the others every single day!Walnuts are also an excellent source of Omega 3’s. We also add walnuts to both our morning oatmeal, and to salads. Additionally, recently, we have been enjoying walnut milk, as a change from our usual cashew milk. Delicious! We add walnut milk to our little one’s baby cereal every day as well.
Leafy Greens are yet another amazing plant source of Omega 3’s. I’ve shared our oil-free salad dressing recipe with you, and re-shared this week on Instagram. This dressing helps ensure that we eat our leafy greens twice every day!
Omega 3’s are incredibly important to our mood and functioning.
Additionally, the gut healing power of a plant-based diet, always helps one’s mood, due to the gut-brain connection. (MUCH more on this in a later post).
