This is how your diet influences your mood and well-being
Energy Balls, Energy Balls or Bliss Balls – our recipe contains ingredients that can be a real mood booster. Did you know that your diet can have a significant impact on your well-being? With the right diet you can even Depression, anxiety or sleep disorders and more mental disorders be mitigated. Before we get to the delicious Bliss Balls Recipe come, we will explain the background between nutrition and psychology.
The gut-brain axis
The The intestine and our brain are in constant, mutual exchange and can influence each other. Through the so-called Gut-brain axis communication between the intestine and the brain is possible. Information is sent to the other organ via nerve pathways, metabolic products such as short-chain fatty acids from intestinal bacteria or hormones.
So it's not at all surprising that a healthy gut also leads to better well-being. Your microbiome also plays a very important role because it keeps your intestine healthy and produces important messenger substances that enable communication between the intestine and the brain. (1,2)
So if we choose our food in such a way that our intestines can tolerate it and feed the good bacteria, then we have already done a lot for our mental health.
You're probably familiar with the situation where you can't eat because you're nervous or you eat too much. Recent studies have shown that chronic stress can change the composition of your microbiome. (3)
nutrient for your gut-brain connection
In addition to the gut-brain axis, certain ingredients in food can also have a positive effect on your mood have. For example, you are probably familiar with the effect of chocolate, which ensures that happiness hormones are released into your body (4). So that you can use this phenomenon to your advantage, we have a recipe for wonderfully delicious ones Bliss Balls for you, which supplies your intestinal bacteria with their favorite food, fiber, and can lift your mood.
Bliss Balls are delicious and the perfect snack in between.
Bliss Balls: Recipe for your gut-brain axis
Ingredients
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150g dried apricots
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50g cashews
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30g sunflower seeds
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60g raspberries (fresh or frozen)
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100g oat flakes
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1 tsp psyllium husks
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30-40g dark chocolate (at least 80% cocoa content)
You will need these ingredients for the preparation.
Preparation
- The dried apricots are cut into rough pieces. Chop the chocolate into pieces.
- The cashews are placed in a bowl with the sunflower seeds and apricots and poured over with hot water. The whole thing is allowed to soak for about 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, the water is drained and the raspberries, oat flakes and psyllium husks are added to the soaked ingredients. The ingredients are chopped in a blender or with the help of a hand blender until a mushy mass is formed.
- The chocolate chips are stirred into the mixture and small balls are formed from the mixture. Optionally, the Bliss Balls can be rolled in cocoa.
How long do Bliss Balls last?
The Bliss Balls should be stored in the refrigerator and will last for several days.
You can prepare a larger quantity of Bliss Balls straight away and store them in the fridge.
Here's why these foods are good for your mental well-being:
Cashews contain the amino acid L-tryptophan, which is needed in both the intestines and the brain for the production of the happiness hormone serotonin and can thus improve mood. The nuts also contain a lot of vitamin B6, which is important for the health of our nervous system. If the nervous system is healthy, we are more balanced and sleep better. It also contains magnesium and zinc. These minerals promote our calmness and can counteract stress. (6)
Oatmeal are rich in vitamin B6, which is needed for the production of the happiness hormone serotonin and counteracts stress. In addition, vitamin B6 is also required for the production of melatonin. Melatonin regulates our sleep. Oat curls provide starch, which is needed for the production of some mood-regulating substances in the body. The fiber it contains is beneficial for a healthy microbiome (6)
Cocoa has the ability to boost the production of serotonin and endorphins and reduces the concentration of stress hormones (cortisol) in the body. Cocoa contains many antioxidants and polyphenols, which are good for our brain performance by increasing blood flow to the brain and protecting against oxidative damage. Consuming cocoa can improve memory. Magnesium contained ensures that the nerves relax. (4), (6)
Psyllium husks provide our body with fiber and stabilizes blood sugar. This can counteract stress. (7)
Raspberries contain a lot of antioxidants that protect the entire body from unwanted changes and oxidative stress. Due to the manganese they contain, raspberries can counteract depression or dementia. Regular consumption of raspberries can promote the growth of health-promoting intestinal bacteria. (8), (9)
Dried apricots : dried fruits are real nutrient bombs, as drying multiplies the content of some nutrients. Dried apricots contain many B vitamins, also known as nerve vitamins. Vitamin B5 in particular is plentiful and ensures that we feel fit. Magnesium and potassium can have a stress-reducing effect. The fruit also contains many antioxidants and bioactive ingredients that ensure optimal communication between the gut-brain axis. (10)
Sunflower seeds contain a lot of unsaturated fatty acids. These can have a positive effect on inflammatory parameters in the blood and on our brain performance. Regular consumption of healthy fats can make us feel more balanced and happier and can also alleviate depression. The seeds also contain fiber and B vitamins. (11), (12)
You can find more exciting articles on our blog. Take a look here: Depression: is the cause in the intestines?
You can find more recipes for your well-being in our microbiome food recipe book. You can find the direct link here: Microbiome food – recipes for your intestinal bacteria
References
- Capuco A., Urits I., Hasoon J.. Current Perspective on Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and Depression. Adv Ther. (2020), 1328-1346. Doi: 10.1007/s12325-020-01272-7
- Jang S.-H., Woo Y. S., Lee S.-Y. The Brain-Gut-Microbiome Axis in Psychiatry. Int. J. Mol. Sci (2020), 21 (19), 7122. Doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21197122
- Bastiaanssen T. F. S., Gururajan A., Van de Wouw M., et al. Volatility as a Concept to Understand the Impact of Stress on the Microbiome. Psychoneuroendocrinology (2021), 124, 105047. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.105047
- Godos, J., Currenti W., Angelino D., et al. Diet and Mental Health: Review of the Recent Updates on Molecular Mechanisms. Antioxidants (2020), 9(4),346. Doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9040346
- Simoloka A., Bhikha R.. Reducing stress naturally. Tibb (2016), 4-8.
- Belorio M., Gomez M. Psyllium: a useful functional ingredient in food systems. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2020), 527-538. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1822276
- Mohammed S. G, Qoronfleh M. W. Vegetables. Personalized Food Intervention and Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder Management. Advances in Neurobiology. Springer 24, 225-277 (2020). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30402-7_9
- Govers C, Kasikci M. B, Van der Sluis A. A, Mes J. J. Review of the health effects of berries and their phytochemicals on the digestive and immune systems. Nutrition Reviews 76, 29-46 (2018). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nux039
- Fatima T., Bashir O., Gani G. Nutritional and health benefits of apricots. International Journal of Unani and Integrative Medicine (2018), 2(2), 05-09. E-ISSN: 2616-4558
- Brito L, Tinoco B, Silveira K, Bandeira C. Healthy fats and mental Health. European Journal of Public Health 29 (2019), ckz034.032. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz034.032
- Pal D. Chapter 130 – Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Seeds in Health and Nutrition. Academic Press, 1097-1105 (2011). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-375688-6.10130-6
