[shyherdier]

I was wondering if some of you get relief from certain foods? I know that science touts things like bananas (serotonin) and turkey (tryptophan) as "mood foods", but outside of the lab it's a completely different reality, and not everybody benefits from those chemicals.

Any ideas?

Avocados. I read about them in an article of foods that help depression. The idea of eating a whole avocado was kind of off-putting at first. They have a lot of fat in them, even though it's healthy fat.

You don't have to eat the avocado "as-is" of course, but I usually do. They seem to give me a brain boost.

I also like berries and walnuts and kefir.

[Shiznit86]

Chocolate definately gets my mood up

[alienrock]

I don't care how nutritional it is (or isn't). If my mind isn't working right, my body won't either anyway. When I'm feeling down a good old fashioned American Cheeseburger usually picks me up.

[shyherdier]

Chocolate makes me want to kill myself. I'm a former chocaholic and then one night about three years ago I binged on a 200gm block and my depression skyrocketed soon afterward and I had suicidal thoughts. I did a lot of crazy things but didn't end up hurting myself. Then a few months later I binged again on chocolate and had to be taken to hospital as I was feeling like killing myself. Since then I've curbed my chocolate intake. I still eat it but don't binge on it anymore.

jo_thorne how do avocados give you a brain boost, can you be more specific? Also how do you eat them - mashed up or just eat them straight out of the skin?

i know its bad but chocolate helps me. shyherdier i'm sorry you had such a horrible experience.

[Bernard54]

Extra dark chocolate seems to help me, as long as it's not too much.

[ragsnfeathers]

Coffee helps me. Maybe because I don't drink it every day so my body doesn't acclimate to it.

[shyherdier]

I don't understand, can you all be a bit more specific? All you say is that it 'helps' you. That could mean anything.

[alienrock]

They bring pleasure.

Is that not what we are after?

[Babymonster]

My psychiatrist recommended probiotic yogurt. I can't remember his scientific explanation but something to do with digestive system being strongly tied to certain chemicals in the brain. I'm sure a quick Google could explain the benefits better than I.

I haven't really tried it consistently enough to notice a difference.

[ragsnfeathers]

I've been eating probiotic yoghurt and sometimes other stuff (kombucha, sauerkraut) for about a year and I haven't noticed any difference, except before I was deficient in calcium and my arthritis got a lot better. ETA it did improve my digestion significantly.

As far as how coffee helps me, for a couple hours after I drink I feel not just energized but happy. If I start drinking it every day, though, I don't notice this so much.