Happy Food, Atlanta, Ga
Alane Stieglitz-Wincek
holistic nutritionist, naturopath, author
678-372-2913 / alanepnd@gmail.com
March 11, 2022
Happy Food: These are specific delicious foods that make us feel happy and alive
Need a little spring in your step? Maybe your zip isn’t quite as zippy as you want it to be. I completely understand! It is so fascinating how I can wake up feeling fantastic, perky, and full of joy, and then if I cheat by eating foods that I know are not good for me, my energy drops, and so does my mood. I do not think it is fair that food affects our mood so much, but it does.
These are happy food options that can lift your spirits right away; if you feel down and need to perk up.
First off are the happy food, raw walnuts, and cashews; one ounce of walnuts has four grams of protein which fills you up and helps keep that blood sugar level steady! Also, two grams of fiber, and we know what fiber helps the bowels move, and yes, feeling constipated will cause a mood to drop.
Protein is the top happy food as it helps keep the blood sugar balanced. To make life easy, I keep pre-cut pieces of protein in my refrigerator at work. Protein always lifts the mood as it is full of healthy amino acids, great for optimal mental health and a strong body.
Think about the happy food during a Thanksgiving meal. Turkey! Thanksgiving is a “happy” day for many; it loads you up on serotonin, which is the “happy” neurotransmitter. In my house, turkey is the number one source of meat protein, chicken is second, and grass-fed beef is third. Eating turkey is one way to improve your mood with food because turkey increases serotonin levels.
My favorite happy food, which is a vegetable, is Kale. One cup of Kale is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, and fiber. Kale is high in copper and is one of the world’s healthiest foods! And there is an excellent kale option for those who love to eat chips!! Try making homemade kale chips! You can add Kale to anything you’re juicing. If you stir fry it on the stove, try some Bragg’s amino acids or coconut amino’s (non-soy-based soy sauce) and a dash of red pepper and pink salt. Yum!
Coffee is a happy food but keep it healthy! No doubt that coffee brings us to life in the morning! Boosts mental focus and increases dopamine, alertness, and athletic performance. Many people comment to me that with coffee, their brain functions better. And it makes your house or office smell fabulous! What a mental bonus! I love a good almond milk latte with organic, low acidic coffee and a squirt of vanilla monk fruit around 2 pm.
Chocolate! Just the idea of adding chocolate as part of a healthy diet seems odd, but it isn’t. Chocolate is my favorite happy food! But again, keep it healthy and enjoy dark chocolate with the lowest sugar content you can find. I’ve loved dark chocolate over the past few years, but even more when I add it to almonds, cashews, and walnuts! Watch your serving sizes, please.
Lastly, I enjoy drinking delicious and health-supportive ketones in the morning. It is the first thing I do when I walk into the kitchen in the morning. But I like only one brand; the others make me sleepy and brain foggy, which is not ok. Ketones taste delicious and have many beneficial health rewards, including lifting the mood, increasing focus, and burning fat. YAY!
You have to go slow, though. I started by drinking 1/2 packet in 8oz of water first thing in the morning, over 20 minutes. After seven days, I increased it to the entire packet in 16oz of water. Ketones help you eliminate, which is good but go slow. The type I order is the NAT / MAX charged only. If you would like to try the ones I love, here is a link. https://ny1001.pruvitnow.com/
Do you want to learn more about how food affects mood for YOU? I can teach you which foods are best to eat and which ones you should stay away from to stay happy and healthy. We often need to run food allergy testing to learn more about how specific foods affect a person’s mood and body. I can order that for you during an appt.
Hey! I’m Alane Stieglitz-Wincek. I grew up on sugar and plenty of junk food and had no clue how my diet effected my health.
I changed my life and have worked as a holistic nutritionist and naturopath, for over the last 30 years. I help people get healthy, fit and lean, find hormone happiness and recover from all sorts health challenges.
Obsessed With: my family, my dog, my clients, loving life, and living it to the fullest!