Happiness Diet Food List – Its the New Year and the Happiness Diet food list is a great start for a weightloss plan after days of overeating during the holidays.

Happiness Diet Food

The Happiness Diet is all about making that New Years diet resolution stick by eating the right foods that make us feel more satisfied according to Drew Ramsey, a clinical psychiatrist at Columbia University, and health writer Tyler Graham.

Happiness Diet Food List

The Happiness Diet is predicated on the fact that a diet high in fat, sugar and processed food is bad for our waistlines and also makes us feel depressed. The Happiness Diet is centered on the belief that what we eat can affect mood as much as it does weight.

The Happiness Diet food list is remarkably similar to that of the Mediterranean Diet. The foods allowed follow a simple premise summed up by Dr. Ramsey on the Today Show “Focusing on getting skinny by eating a low-fat, low-calorie diet, fails for most people. Your brain is made of food, and the right foods are the foundation of good mental health.Your brain is made of food, and the right foods are the foundation of good mental health. You can’t feel your best if you starve the brain.”

The Happiness Diet argues against any weight-loss plan that simply cuts fat and calories calling this type of diet a recipe for failure. These diets cut out natural mood-boosters such as magnesium, vitamin B12 and conjugated linoleic acid, making us less likely to feel happy and therefore successful.

Dr Drew says the Happiness Diet food list contains foods that are rich in ‘good’ fats, like olive oil, whole grains, vegetables and quality meat can benefit both out minds and our waistlines because, by feeling more satisfied, one will lose weight effortlessly. The weight loss plan includes foods that are rich in nutrients like vitamins A, B12, D and E, Folic Acid, Iodine, Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, Fiber and Omega-3 Fatty Acids. These are the elements generating happiness!

This diet food list is dedicated to ‘feeding your brain’. The recommended food is directly related to three areas of brain functions that can create “capacity for happiness”. The first is its ability to concentrate, think, plan, and remember (“food for thought”). The second is the emotional regulation (“good mood food”). And the third is the food that helps in the ability of anxiety (“food for energy.”)

Here’s the Happiness Diet Food List which is proof positive that the biggest myth out there is that eating right is expensive. We definitely recommend buying the book:

  • Eggs: You need vitamin B12, which is crucial for nerve cells. The deficiency causes depression, irritability and cognitive decline. Then you add some folic acid to keep our brain’s neurotransmitter humming. Iodine is another advantage, since it is essential for proper thyroid function. An underactive thyroid leads to weight gain, lethargy, and depression. Finally, more studies linking low vitamin D levels to dementia and depression. 
  • Butter with Olive Oil:  Butter is one food for the brain. It has a long list of nutrients that are not found in vegetable oils including vitamin A (which promotes the production of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, which are key factors in mood and memory), along with vitamins D and B12. Use a small amount.
  • Lean Red Meat: Red meat is brain food. It contains iron. The brain needs a constant flow of oxygen, and that depends on enough iron for red blood cells. Red meat is also a superior source of vitamin B12, and is one of the best sources of zinc. Smaller portions are key.
  • Anchovies: The most dense source of Omega 3. Research has proved that pregnant women who eat more Omega 3 have children with higher IQ. Anchovies are even healthier than Tuna.
  • Leafy Vegetables: Dr Drew calls them the ‘Food Energy Rocket’ and eafy vegetables are among the most nutrient-rich foods you eat. It helps you protect from depression. As a child, you were probably told a thousand times that a great source of calcium is milk, but you probably have not been informed that the greens also contain calcium. It causes the release of neurotransmitter each time a neuron fires. Two cups of Arugula containers only 10 calories, but contain 6% of your daily requirement of calcium. Diets low in fiber have been linked to depression and increased risk of suicide.
  • Coffee:  Caffeine causes an increase in dopamine which increases your confidence, focus and mood. In addition to its stimulant properties, a cup of coffee has more antioxidants than a glass of grape juice or a serving of spinach. It contains phytonutrients that function as a class of antidepressants and inhibitors.
  • Nuts: Nuts contain a wealth of minerals, macronutrients and vitamins, including magnesium, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, calcium, omega 3, vitamin E, folic acid,  vitamins B and other. The various forms of Vitamin E helps relieve the inflammation of the brain and protects neurons. Patients with depression often have low levels of vitamin E in the blood. Avoid processed foods because they confuse the pure foods with processed version.
  • Sweet Potatoes and White Potatoes:  The skin of the potato has phytonutrients as good as it is found in broccoli. Nutrients found in potatoes can help reduce blood pressure which protects the brain. But potatoes are also loaded with essential elements of happiness, such as folic acid and iodine. As noted above, iodine is essential for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland, which in turn is a regulator of mood. One of the first things that a psychiatrist checks when assessing someone suffering from depression is the thyroid. Iodine deficiency is also the most common cause of brain damage.
  • Salmon: Salmon is an important source of each essential element of happiness, except fiber, and Wild Salmon is one of the best. Studies have found that people in countries with higher fish consumption have lower rates of depression, bipolar disorder and postpartum depression. This is at least partly because the fish are high in omega 3 fatty acids.
  • Tomatoes: Tomatoes helps maintain mood by preventing the formation of inflammatory compounds that are associated with depression. Tomatoes contain mood enhancers, such as folic acid and magnesium, and iron and vitamin B6, both necessary for your brain to produce humor.
  • Beets: Beets are an excellent source of vitamin B and folic acid. This is crucial for the proper mood, memory retrieval and processing speed. Research says that important nutrient called uridine is  found in beets which  is as effective as antidepressants when combined with omega 3.
  • Garlic:  Garlic is a top source of chromium which influences the regulation of serotonin, a chemical in the brain known to be the molecule of happiness.
  • Honey: Honey contains vitamins B complex, folic acid, iron and manganese, as well as 181 different bioactive compounds helping to increase energy production in the brain.

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