"Bad day? Fight the blues without blowing your diet by picking foods that boost happy brain chemicals while helping you stay slim."
My answer for a hot summer day: A banana split! Not just any banana split, but an ultra healthy mood enhancing refreshing treat! Using several "happy" ingredients from the article below place banana halves in a shallow dish, scoop on 1% cottage cheese, add grape halves, citris slices, strawberries, pineapple and top with honey, cocoa powder & chopped walnuts... yum!
Ingredients1 banana
½ c. cottage cheese
¼ c. grapes, halved, 1 kiwi, diced & orange slices
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup or honey
½ c. strawberries, sliced & pineapple chunks
1-3 Tbsp. raspberry yogurt mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon or cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
Directions
1. Cut banana lengthwise and place in a shallow bowl.
2. Combine cottage cheese with grapes/kiwi wheat and honey. Form into a “scoop” and set in the middle of the banana.
3. Top with strawberries, orange slices, pineapple and yogurt.
4. Sprinkle with cocoa powder & walnuts.
Or be creative and try your fruit variety...
½ c. cottage cheese
¼ c. grapes, halved, 1 kiwi, diced & orange slices
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup or honey
½ c. strawberries, sliced & pineapple chunks
1-3 Tbsp. raspberry yogurt mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon or cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
Directions
1. Cut banana lengthwise and place in a shallow bowl.
2. Combine cottage cheese with grapes/kiwi wheat and honey. Form into a “scoop” and set in the middle of the banana.
3. Top with strawberries, orange slices, pineapple and yogurt.
4. Sprinkle with cocoa powder & walnuts.
Or be creative and try your fruit variety...
By Hollis Templeton 
Cottage Cheese
The mood booster: Tyrosine
Low-fat sources of protein, like egg whites and low-fat cottage cheese, are packed with tyrosine, an amino acid that aids the brain’s production of norepinephrine and dopamine, two chemicals that influence motivation and reaction time. Early studies showed that tyrosine could be used to alleviate symptoms of depression, as it is an essential building block for the mood-regulating brain chemicals norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Enjoy half a cup for only 90 calories and stock up on 14 g of filling protein.
Low-fat sources of protein, like egg whites and low-fat cottage cheese, are packed with tyrosine, an amino acid that aids the brain’s production of norepinephrine and dopamine, two chemicals that influence motivation and reaction time. Early studies showed that tyrosine could be used to alleviate symptoms of depression, as it is an essential building block for the mood-regulating brain chemicals norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Enjoy half a cup for only 90 calories and stock up on 14 g of filling protein.
Bananas
The mood booster: Magnesium
This portable treat makes a great 100-calorie snack when you’re craving something sweet. Bananas are a good source of magnesium, a mineral that helps the brain deal with stress and may help boost mood, too. In a study of 5,700 adults published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, researchers linked higher levels of anxiety and depression to study participants with lower magnesium intake. Bananas are also packed with potassium, which helps boost alertness, tryptophan, an amino acid that aids the body in producing mood-boosting serotonin, and mood-stabilizing vitamin B6.
This portable treat makes a great 100-calorie snack when you’re craving something sweet. Bananas are a good source of magnesium, a mineral that helps the brain deal with stress and may help boost mood, too. In a study of 5,700 adults published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, researchers linked higher levels of anxiety and depression to study participants with lower magnesium intake. Bananas are also packed with potassium, which helps boost alertness, tryptophan, an amino acid that aids the body in producing mood-boosting serotonin, and mood-stabilizing vitamin B6.
Citrus Fruit
The mood booster: Vitamin C
For only 60 calories a pop, it’s easy to get nearly 100% of your daily recommended vitamin C in one place. Skip your orange and you might end up feeling bitter. In a study conducted by doctors at Jewish General Hospital in Montreal and published in the journal Nutrition, researchers found that when vitamin C-deficient hospital patients were supplemented with 500 mg of vitamin C twice daily for 1 week they experienced a 34% reduction in mood disturbance. Even the smell of citrus can put you in a better state of mind. When participants in an Ohio State University study smelled lemons, they reported greater improvements in mood and had higher levels of norepinephrine compared with when they sniffed lavender or unscented water.
For only 60 calories a pop, it’s easy to get nearly 100% of your daily recommended vitamin C in one place. Skip your orange and you might end up feeling bitter. In a study conducted by doctors at Jewish General Hospital in Montreal and published in the journal Nutrition, researchers found that when vitamin C-deficient hospital patients were supplemented with 500 mg of vitamin C twice daily for 1 week they experienced a 34% reduction in mood disturbance. Even the smell of citrus can put you in a better state of mind. When participants in an Ohio State University study smelled lemons, they reported greater improvements in mood and had higher levels of norepinephrine compared with when they sniffed lavender or unscented water.
Walnuts
The mood booster: Alpha-linolenic acid
While EPA and DHA, two omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, tuna, and fish oil supplements, have been touted to help depression sufferers beat the blues, a new study of 55,000 women published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid in plant foods like walnuts, soybeans, and flaxseed, is the real star in alleviating depression symptoms. In the 10-year study, Harvard University researchers found that the risk of depression was lower among women who consumed more ALA, a compound previously thought to have few health benefits.
While EPA and DHA, two omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, tuna, and fish oil supplements, have been touted to help depression sufferers beat the blues, a new study of 55,000 women published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid in plant foods like walnuts, soybeans, and flaxseed, is the real star in alleviating depression symptoms. In the 10-year study, Harvard University researchers found that the risk of depression was lower among women who consumed more ALA, a compound previously thought to have few health benefits.
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