Get Happy With Your Daily D. O. S. E. — Improve Your Mental Health through Diet, Movement and Meditation

Here we'll talk about the importance of covering these essential basis to give you more opportunity to feel how amazing your body and mind is capable of feeling. Ensuring you're doing the things daily to feel better, content and happier.

Have you ever reached for a piece of dark chocolate in an effort to boost your mood and give you a little extra energy? Preliminary studies suggest that there may be some science to support the idea that having some dark chocolate may boost cognition. Exploring the link between diet and brain function is what the emerging field of nutritional neuroscience is all about.

Nutrition Impacts Mental Health

In some ways, it’s funny that we haven’t explored the link between what we eat and how we feel mentally and emotionally more fully before now. Recent research is fast rectifying that gap and study after study is showing that there’s a direct link between what you eat and your mental health. In a paper exploring the links between nutrition, depression and mental illness published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, the authors write, “… [m]any of the easily noticeable food patterns that precede depression are the same as those that occur during depression.” These include decreased appetite and a craving for sweet foods.

Glucose Fuels the Brain

So what’s the neurochemistry that links what we eat with how our brains are feeling? The brain needs glucose to operate optimally - it’s estimated that about 20% of the calories we burn are used to run the complex piece of machinery of our brain. Feeding your brain a healthy balance of protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats throughout the day helps keep your brain working efficiently.

Neurotransmitters: Keys to Optimal Brain Function

At the cellular level, you need to make sure your body has what it needs to manufacture and/or utilize enough critical neurotransmitters used to transmit information throughout the complex network of brain cells that make up your brain. One way to remember what you need is to make sure you are getting your daily D. O. S. E. of Happiness. Getting enough of the following neurotransmitters ensures you are providing your brain with everything it needs to allow you to think clearly, perform mental tasks well, feel energized, and enjoy a well-balanced, positive emotional state. Be Happy.

D. O. S. E. Yourself for Brain Health

D: Dopamine is involved with pleasure and reward centres of the brain. It’s also generated when you take risks, confront your fears, and meet them head on. The rush of dopamine is a mood-booster, but just as importantly this video helps to explain how confronting your top three fears can accelerate your journey toward reaching your life goals and becoming the best version of you that you can be.

O: Oxytocin is known as the love hormone (or, love neurotransmitter) and is produced during sex, with a large release immediately before you reach orgasm. The result (no surprise here) is that you feel great and its production can help you form strong bonds with others. Nursing mothers produce oxytocin and it’s thought this is one of the mechanisms that facilitates mother-infant bonding.

S: Serotonin regulates mood, contributing to feelings of happiness and well-being. It also affects your sleep-wake cycles. It’s produced in both the pineal gland and in the intestines. Eating whole, healthy, clean food is one of the best ways to make sure your body (and brain) has enough serotonin for optimal function. Great GUT Health is important for this. Meditation increases Serotonin and if you'd like to learn more about it, read this amazing 'How To' article here.

E: Endorphins are produced when you exercise and produce a feeling of well-being and elevated mood. What type of exercise isn’t as important as the fact that you enjoy whatever your chosen activity might be and that you indulge on a regular basis. Endorphins help reduce stress, anxiety, depression and improve sleep, all great side effects of a good workout.


Try This Brain Boosting Smoothie Recipe

Help get your day off to a good start by whipping up this delicious mood-boosting smoothie:

1 scoop of 5 Greens

1 scoop of Australian Grass Fed Whey Powder

1 handful spinach greens

1 cup blueberries

3/4 cup coconut water

6 blanched almonds

6 raw cashews

1 tsp coconut oil

Throw the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Be the Best Version of You!

If it’s important to look after yourself through nutrition, rest, and exercise, it’s also important to live your life in line with your personal values. Don’t let the attitudes and doubts of others get in the way of you pursuing your dreams and living life to the fullest. Take risks, follow your dreams, and embrace the opportunities that come your way, even if they feel terrifying at first. That’s the only way you’re going to get to the end and not look back with regret that you didn’t go for the gusto. You only have one shot at this life of yours - you owe it to yourself to make the most of it!

At Life Grip we create our products with passion and dedication that stems from a deep desire to help others live their best lives. Come check out our blog for a regular dose of inspiration!

Not sure about the best way to integrate a protein supplement into your diet? Get in touch with us at Life Grip - we’re always happy to answer your questions.

For more information about the best ways to help your body recover quickly so you can get on with your next workout, visit the Life Grip blog where we regularly post our latest findings about health, nutrition, and fitness.

For more information about the benefits of grass fed whey protein and whole food vitamin powders, come visit us online at Life Grip.

You want your supplements and vitamins to be in their most natural state possible just as nature intended.

3 things to look for when choosing a supplements or vitamin product:

  1. Ingredients List: you want minimal ingredients (only the ones you need, without fillers) and nothing artificial.
  2. You want to know where the ingredients come from, this is very important.
  3. Calculate the cost per serve: total cost / container servings = cost per serve. This is the true cost of any vitamin or supplement.

Don't be fooled by flashy diagrams, infographics and fitness models. Have a look at the container and nutrition table. Is this the best value and quality combined?

If you're not sure where to start, please feel free to schedule a free 30 min wellbeing consultation by clicking this link here. No strings attached :) I will help you make the change to improve your quality of life.

Schedule your call at a time that suits you here.

Eat Clean, Think Clean and Live Clean, your body changes, your mind thinks better, you handle stress and challenges better and are more driven and motivated as your energy levels have increased along with your mental clarity. You now begin to look at other areas of your life and how you can enhance them.

Share your experience with changes in your diet, I would love to hear!

Don’t Forget to share!

Eat, Think & Live Clean.

Kind Regards

Adam Phillips – Founder of Life Grip

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