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If you don’t feel alert and energized, it’s difficult to enjoy the day, right? You can pop a painkiller to address back pain or drink tea to soothe an itchy throat, but when it’s your mind that doesn’t feel its best, it’s very hard to feel like you’re thriving. A healthy brain might require a combination of several tools, including proper sleep, and possibly even counseling. But there is one simple tool that is at the root of a healthy mind. It’s the same thing that’s at the root of healthy hair, skin, or eyes. You guessed it: food. Store-bought products can help give every area of your body and health a little boost, but if you aren’t eating mindfully, they can only do so much.
Your brain is the same way. However, you get by – through something as simple as coffee or more immersive like counseling – you will likely still feel a deficit if you don’t eat foods that nourish your brain. And it’s wonderful that such a simple thing – something you’re going to consume, one way or another – can contribute to your feelings of focus and joy. You don’t even have to take any extra steps or spend any extra time to do this thing for yourself. You were already going to eat. So, maybe just eat something different. Here are foods for a healthier brain that you should add to your grocery list, particularly as fall is upon us and the change of seasons might affect your moods.
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Fortified dairy
Fortified dairy products such as milk, yogurt, or cheese are good sources of vitamin D. Vitamin D can be an important tool in fighting depression. Though you get it from sun exposure, it’s also important to get it from your food. Dairy cannot replace other important tools like counseling, but research has found that consuming it through diet has a significant impact on reducing major depression symptoms.
