You are what you eat, as they say – but did you know that food can affect your mood as well as help you fight stress?  Poor diet can have a strong influence on your concentration and wellbeing. Help yourself to feel better this spring by making the right food choices:

Good Mood Food Ideas 

• For breakfast, try a bowl of porridge flavoured with a little honey, cinnamon, chopped-up fruit and toasted seeds. Oats releases energy slowly so it doesn’t affect your blood glucose levels as dramatically as something like white toast and it gives you energy all morning. Sunflower seeds are a great source of essential fats that can benefit your mood.
•  For your mood enhancing midmorning snack, opt for seasonal citrus fruit such as oranges and naartjies. They contain loads of mood boosting Vitamin C which lowers your stress hormones. Eat these regularly and you’ll feel calmer during tough situations. Or else try dried cherries – they’re packed with potassium, magnesium and Vitamin C which all work to curb your body’s stress response, leading to a calmer, happier you!
• Lean red meat, bananas, turkey and nuts may seem like an unrelated assortment of foods, but they are all good sources of tryptophan, which can help regulate your mood .
• Omega-3 oils are beneficial for mental health – so up your oily fish and seed intake.  Leafy greens such as spinach and kale contain folic acid which can reduce depression and even improve blood flow to the brain.
• For the ultimate mood enhancing dinner, make the most of this powerful combination by grilling a fresh tuna steak drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serve it with spinach that has been lightly sautéed in lemon juice.

 Do you have a secret good mood food? Let us know!