By Judy Davie
Some foods simply make us feel good, and I’m not talking about chocolate and your favourite gooey pudding!
Without getting too technical, the amino acid tryptophan found in certain foods is one of the 10 essential amino acids required by the body to produce necessary proteins for growth, development and tissue repair.
Tryptophan is also known for its important role in the nervous system. It is linked to chemical messengers involved in relaxation, restfulness, and sleep and can help us just stay calm.
When we eat certain foods our brain produces chemicals. One such chemical is seratonin. It’s the precursor to sleep, makes us feel relaxed and is known as the feel good brain chemical. Seratonin originates from tryptophan.
Turkey
Chicken
Beef
Lamb
Eggs
Salmon
Dairy
Tuna
Soybeans
Brown rice
Sesame seeds
Peanuts
Other nuts and seeds
Cottage cheese
Banana
Essential fats
However, it’s not as simple as eating these tryptophan-rich foods to feel good. Because other amino acids found in protein-rich foods compete for absorption, tryptophan often misses out.
To boost its absorption, we must accompany each meal with a quality carbohydrate food. The insulin produced after eating a carbohydrate rich food helps with the absorption of tryptophan and the production of serotonin. The net result is we feel good.
The skeptics among you may be interested in the findings of Harvard, Oxford and MIT Universities which found that women on high protein/low carbohydrate diets lower their serotonin levels, making them more prone to weight gain relapse, depression, excessive craving, bingeing, bulimia, and severe PMS. So, if that’s not enough to convince you that some carbohydrate is good, nothing is!
This month’s diet is designed to make you feel good and keep you calm. We combine tryptophan-rich protein with quality carbohydrate and, what’s more, the meal ideas are delicious!
Day one | Day two | Day three | Day four | Day five | Day six | Day seven
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
