RECIPES TO BOOST SEROTONIN FOR SLEEP & MOOD

Sleep is critical, it is when your body restores, repairs & heals, so getting both quantity (7-8 hours) and quality (4-6 cycles without waking) sleep is necessary.  Resting allows your gut to work with the raw material you provided for the day(aka food) fueling the other organs to complete the tasks at hand.  Gut dysbiosis(bacterial imbalance) will disrupt this cycle.

When sleep is irregular there are a lot of factors contributing and food is one.  Making poor food choices can cause inflammation creating a gut imbalance making it difficult for vitamins and minerals to be absorbed and utilized.  Two important factors include…

Magnesium – known for it’s calming

Serotonin – a hormone that helps produce healthy sleep patterns by making melatonin, plus boosts your mood.

Since the gut is where 95% of serotonin is produced choosing whole, real foods that decrease inflammation will provide the best support for a healthy, balanced gut.  Dark leafy greens like spinach are rich in magnesium, so drinking one green protein smoothie per day packed with spinach helps. Plus, nuts and seeds have been shown to boost serotonin.  Eating a healthy diet will lead to a balanced gut and plenty of zzz’s.