Contest: Food for Mood| Season 5| Oats with Milk, Veggies Salad, Ginger and Tumeric

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Some food nutrients can be of help and support to our mood and mental health because of the nutrients they contain. As humans we are daily faced with mood changes or swings due to hormones connecting to our brains being triggered by stress which can inadvertently cause us behalf abnormal at times.

What instant food do you make to have a positive effect on your mood?

I use the following food and veggies to reduce mood changes while balancing hormones naturally:

Oats with dairy milk and honey
Make oats added with milk and honey for breakfast

Oats is helpful because it's a complex carbohydrates that stabilise blood sugar while promoting serotonin production in the body.

The step :
Boiling water add Quaker oats, mix and later add milk and honey in the place of sugar

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Fresh Veggies Salad with Salmon

Ingredients: carrots (sliced), spinach, broccoli, tomato, cocumber, riped avocado (sliced) with a two spoonful of lemon water and canned salmon or tuna.

I prepare this food as salad garnishing it with 1tp of Salad cream preferably mayonnaise.

Why it's helpful: carrot contains beta carotene for building the immune function, broccoli and spinach contain vitamins for brain function and hormone balancing while salmon has omega-3 fatty acid for mood regulations and lowering of depression, avocado and cocumber contain folate and healthy fats for proper brain stability.

Taking of Dark Chocolate and Mixed Berries

Taking 70% of pure cocoa is very good for mood support due to its antioxidant properties and can increase the release of endorphin. While berries such as chase berry, raspberry, bullberry, strawberry are rich antioxidants helping in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.

The Process in preparing it:

Boiling mix berries and add powder cocoa and take as dark chocolate bitter tea

Quick Ginger and Tumeric Tea

Use of ginger root or the powder with tumeric powder or root boiled with hot water to make a tea and added with honey really help for mood balance. As tumeric contains coccumin an anti-inflammatory compound known for boosting brain function and support, while ginger help to assauge digestive problems and other inflammatory diseases.

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Quinoa with Bell pepper and carrot taken with chickpeas

The Steps:

These veggies can be sliced together and chewed or stir fry with olive oil and soy sauce. It's a perfect homemade combo for mood problems as quinoa contains essential protein, amino acid, magnesium and fibre known to promote brain health.

What do you do when you need this food right away but don't have the ingredients available.

I usually have the essential ingredients like ginger stored in my home while tumeric and spinach are planted in my backyard garden. However, if for any reason, I lack either of them, I simply drink enough water to stay hydrated

Would you recommend this food to others to improve their mood?

Definitely, we can always include these nutrients rich food into our diets either taking them as tea or salad, they really help balance stress-hormones which subsequently affect our mood changes.

The general tips for mood support and balancing is to stay hydrated by drinking a enough of water for balancing of the body energy levels.

Reduce alcohol intake and taking of excess sugars .

Adding these nutrients and other balance diets in your food routine can help promote and sustain a better mood.

I invite @okere-blessing, @eveetim, @bessie2023 to participate in this contest

Cc: @ripon0603