Dopamine is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter in our brains that causes pleasure, addiction, and reward. Though it’s value to overall well-being is often overlooked. Depression, fatigue, procrastination, apathy, hopelessness, low libido, and inability to concentrate are signs that you need a dopamine boost. Luckily there are plenty of natural and healthy ways to get you back on track. Are you ready to increase your euphoria, bliss, and lust for life?
This article focuses specifically on dopamine though it is not the only mood-enhancing neurotransmitter in our body. Oxytocin is just as important as dopamine for sustainable happiness and well-being. That’s why I dedicate a whole blog to oxytocin in The Neurobiology of Love and Relationships. Modern society is fast-paced so we usually go for the quick fix from dopamine rather than the slow build of a sustained oxytocin high.
The Quick Fix
The quick-fixes we all seek do give us the needed energy spike but over time they devolve into unhealthy habits. Ultimately they drain our energy more than they replenish it. The quicker the rush, the harsher the come-down. Prolonged dopamine spikes and crashes can lead to depleted adrenals and depression.
After a dopamine spike the brain often experiences a temporary drop in dopamine levels. This leads to feelings of dissatisfaction, lack of motivation, or low energy. This is usually when we’ll reach for something that gives us another dopamine spike.
Repeated over-stimulation of the brain’s reward pathways causes the brain to downregulate dopamine receptors. This makes it harder to feel pleasure naturally. This phenomenon is called dopamine desensitization and can lead to depression. Being mindful of this will help you keep a healthy balance with your indulgences to avoid dopamine desensitization.
Dopamine has a lot to do with reward and pleasure. When balanced it helps us to concentrate while keeping our eyes on the prize. It is responsible for that great feeling of accomplishment when you reach a goal. Small amounts of dopamine will also be released when you finish reading this article. This competitive drive for success and completing tasks can help us in business, sports, and also love. So developing a lifestyle that is rich in dopamine-inducing practices is a goal worthy of pursuit.
Quick Fix Foods
Quick-fix foods include caffeine, alcohol, and sugar. Manufactured crises , high drama, impulsive shopping, too many video games, porn, and gambling all produce a quick surge of dopamine. When you are reaching for these substances or activities regularly it is a sign that you are low dopamine. You should consider modifying your lifestyle.
Diet
Healthy dopamine levels are connected to having balanced intestinal flora. Make sure to eat some foods that are high in natural probiotics such as yogurt, kombucha, kefir, and raw sauerkraut. A balanced diet that is rich in whole “natural” or unprocessed foods is best. Plant foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, seeds, and nuts.
Don’t forget that diet is more than just food. Diet includes the the media you take in, the environment you are surrounded by and the mental attitudes you absorb every day. These things will also affect your mood and dopamine levels.
Healthy Foods
- Apples: A compound found in apples called “quercetin’ is an antioxidant that studies have shown may not only help in the prevention of cancer but may also play an important role in the prevention of neurodegenerative disorders.
- Bananas: A banana is a good source of tyrosine. Tyrosine is the amino acid neurons turn into norepinephrine and dopamine. Norepinephrine and dopamine are excitatory neurotransmitters that are important in motivation, alertness, concentration and memory.
- Beets: Betaine, an amino acid naturally present in certain vegetables, particularly beetroot (beets), is an antidepressant of the first order. Betaine acts as a stimulant for the production of SAM-e (S-adenoslmethionine). The body cannot do without SAM-e, which it produces. SAM-e is directly related to the production of certain hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine is responsible for feelings of well-being and pleasure.
- Chicken: Chicken, like eggs, contains complete protein that increases levels of the excitatory neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine. Chicken is also a good source of coenzyme Q10 (Co Q10), which increases the energy generating potential of neurons.
- Cheese (especially Cottage Cheese): Cheese is a well known protein food . . . Protein provides amino acids, which help produce dopamine and norepinephrine.
- Eggs: Research from the University of California, Berkeley suggests that people who suffer from depression have low amount of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine in their brains. One natural antidepressant is to increase dopamine by eating protein-rich foods. Eggs are great for this purpose.
- Fish: Omega-3 fatty acids are found in seafood, especially mackerel, salmon, striped bass, rainbow trout, halibut, tuna, and sardines. These fatty acids may have many jobs in the body, including a possible role in the production of neurotransmitters.
- Wheat Germ: Wheat Germ is a good source of Phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid found in the brain and blood plasma. It converts in the body to tyrosine, which in turn is used to synthesize dopamine.
Source: Medhelp.org
Exercise
Many of us spend a whole lot of time at a desk or driving in a car. This means that we should make a conscious effort to stretch and exercise. Dopamine is released when we get our blood pumping, this is increased when it is combined with a goal like hiking to the top of a mountain for sun set. Exercise and positive actions can also have a cumulative effect. For example maybe you lose a few pounds and look healthy thus attracting a new romantic interest.
Physical activity creates new brain cells, by improving the flow of nutrients to the brain. It also produces serotonin, norepinephrine as well as adrenaline. Norepinephrine is a key neurotransmitter and hormone. It plays an essential role in the body’s stress response, mood regulation, attention, and overall physiology. So some yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, bike-riding, or hiking should set you up for many feel-good rewards.
Gratitude
One of the most interesting aspects of brain chemistry is that we can change our biology with thoughts and attitude. Being grateful has been noted as a good way to boost dopamine. Gratitude sets up a virtue-cycle. This encourages us to be grateful for what we have while working towards more things that make us grateful. A great practice is to keep a gratitude journal that you write in and read each day. You can take it one step further by practicing the feeling of gratitude often throughout the day.
Among things to be grateful for – you have almost completed reading this article. Your reward is that now you have a bunch of ideas to get started on. This increases your dopamine-forming habits in a healthy way. Try it for two weeks and see if you like the results. Then with all that added euphoria, drive and inspiration you can ignite a local dopamine movement and save the world.
Trust Your Gut and Follow Nature’s Example
We can’t always explain or rationalize why certain people or activities make us feel a certain way. If we tune in, we can tell whether a situation or a person is giving us energy or draining it. Social relationships can have a drug-like affect on us.
Once we know this, it becomes a conscious decision how we respond. Choosing behaviors that feed us energy instead of draining it is the key to a balanced life. The less depleted our system is, the less likely we are to get into dopamine spike and crash cycles.
When in doubt, nature is probably our greatest teacher in the realm of energy and Life Force management. Animals exclusively trust their “feelings” and instincts to find food and avoid threatening situations. Plants continually store and draw energy from the around them and grow towards the light. They don’t question or try to justify staying in Life Force Draining situations.
How balanced is your Life Force right now? If you are experiencing depression, fatigue, procrastination, apathy, hopelessness, and an inability to concentrate then hopefully this article will help. There are plenty of natural and healthy ways to get you back on track and balanced. Experiment and find the past path for you to boost your happiness naturally.
