We all know how food can make us happy: in front of a table laden with delicacies, it is difficult for us not to smile. We often link desserts, like chocolate, cakes and ice cream to serenity and to the happiest moments of our life, but behind these foods, one of the most dangerous enemies of our health is hidden: sugar. What, then, are the best foods for good mood? Let’s find out together!

We are used to think about sugar and all desserts as the best cuddles to improve our mood. What’s better than a piece of chocolate when our mood is at historic lows? Actually, chocolate, as well as sweets and everything containing sugar, affects negatively our mood and health. Sugar, which abounds in all industrial snacks and in classic desserts, not only does not improve our mood, but can also encourage the development of problems such as anxiety and depression.

Refined sugar, made up of pure saccharose crystals, is an extremely processed product: from the cane or beet a molasses is extracted, but it is deprived of all the nutritive properties, until obtaining a product which can be considered similar to a drug. In fact, sugar causes an immediate addiction and provokes at first a glycemic peak, followed by a drop in blood glucose levels. These surges can interfere with the mood in a direct way, making us feel happy only in the brief moments of hyperglycemia.

In addition to this, sugar can also negatively affect the mood in an indirect way, killing the intestinal bacterial flora. The good bacteria that inhabit our intestines constitute our immune defenses and act as mediators in the very close relationship between the intestine and the brain. Our state of health depends on our mood as well as our general well-being. A not properly working intestine can also interfere with our mood through the levels of serotonin: the hormone that regulates good mood, in fact, is produced mostly in our largest organ and not in the brain, as we thought until some time ago.

Nutrition, therefore, plays a central role in the regulation of our mood: a good mood is an important indicator of our psychophysical health and there are many foods capable of favouring it. Let’s find out what they are.

• Cocoa: raw cocoa is an excellent source of polyphenols such as epicatechin, an important and powerful antioxidant. Cocoa is famous for its tryptophan content, which is the precursor of serotonin. We must pay attention, however: in order to be able to enjoy its benefits, we must choose only organic cocoa, of excellent quality, not toasted and without sugar, like our Raw Cacao Powder.

  • Omega 3: good fats affect the functionality of serotonin. Low levels of the hormone of happiness are often associated with a low intake of Omega-3. Our Omega 3 Mix is a plant source of these precious essential fatty acids.

  • Prebiotics: this is the food of probiotics, the good bacteria. Similarly to us, the bacteria in our gut need nourishment to live, and their favourite food is fiber. A high-fiber diet is essential for good bowel health, and therefore for our good mood. Our breakfasts Buddha’s Awakening, Sprouted Oats, but also Maca and Baobab in powder are excellent natural sources of fibers.

  • Complex carbohydrates: they are able to increase the levels of serotonin in the body and therefore to promote good mood. Excellent sources of complex carbohydrates are whole grains, but for many people the gluten they contain can be problematic. Buckwheat and oats are very rich in complex carbohydrates. You can find them in all our healthy breakfasts!

  • Vitamin D: its deficiency can cause a state of depression and this vitamin is therefore central to the regulation of mood. Seeds and dried fruit are among the foods with the highest content of vitamin D. Try our toppings and snacks: they are a delicious mix rich in vitamins and minerals, and also have a lot of taste that will stimulate your good mood!