Page 20
The
Portland Observer Black
History Month
The Happy Food Diet
The dopamine naturally pro-
duced by your brain makes you feel
good and have self confidence. You
get a rush of dopamine in response
to pleasurable activities. On the
other hand, without enough dopam-
ine, you may feel sluggish, de-
pressed and uninterested in life. Here
are excellent methods to boost your
dopamine levels if you're feeling a
little low.
In order to make dopamine, your
body needs tyrosine found natu-
rally in certain food – essentially
processed by your body into happy
February 25, 2015
meats. Of course many dairy and
meat products are high in calories
and fat, so exercise caution and
monitor your caloric intake with this
high-dopamine diet.
While the above foods will in-
crease a positive chemical balance,
to maintain their impact it is also
important to increase your intake of
antioxidants. Dopamine is easy to
oxidize, and antioxidants may re-
fuel. These foods include almonds,
duce free radical damage to the brain
avocados, bananas, low-fat dairy,
meat and poultry, Lima beans,
sesame and pumpkin seeds, which
may all help your body to produce
more dopamine through the con-
version of their natural tyrosine.
Tyrosine can be found in soy prod-
ucts (like tofu, etc.), fish, dairy and
cells that produce dopamine. Many
fruits and vegetables are rich in
antioxidants. Beta-carotene and
carotenoids are in greens, orange
vegetables and fruits, asparagus,
broccoli and beets. A boost in vita-
min C is available from peppers,
oranges, strawberries, cauliflower
and brussels sprouts. Finally, vita-
min E is found in nuts and sunflower
seeds, greens, broccoli and carrots.
Even with a good diet, it’s impor-
tant to maintain regular exercise to
reap the full benefits of your in-
creased happy mood, even if it means
a daily walk, cycling commute or
similar activity.
Sweet Street Food Cart
on the corner of MLK and Lombard
call 503-995-6150 to place order
Monday - Friday, 11:00am - 7:00pm
Sweet Street Salutes
Black History Month
Buy one BBQ Dinner and get the 2nd one 1/2 off
until February 28th, 2015
(Must be the same dinner)