5 Surprising Foods to Brighten Your Mood

The dead of winter can be a bit dreary so here are 5 heart healthy foods to brighten your mood and add some spring to your step as we count down to…spring (of course)!

1. Chick peas (garbanzo beans): Adding a handful ~¼ cup to your salad daily will provide 70 calories of heart healthy nutrition and is an excellent source of the mood enhancer compounds folate, magnesium, tryptophan and Vitamin B6.
2. Red or yellow raisins: Adding ½ handful of the crimson red or yellow raisins to your salad or as a snack daily will provide 60 calories, is a good source of iron and potassium and has a higher antioxidant concentration than darker raisins.
3. Peanut butter is an excellent source of resveratrol, a compound that is not only a potent antioxidant but also possesses mood enhancing properties.   Just 1 teaspoon of natural peanut butter a day (60 calories) may improve your mood.
4. An Apple (a day): The original expression that dates back to the 19^th Century, ‘Eat an apple on going to bed, and you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread”, holds true today. An apple a day will not only brighten your day but also packs a powerful punch of the heart protective antioxidant, quercetin. My favorite is Fuji…what’s yours?
5. Chocolate: In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, there is little doubt that chocolate improves mood. Try 1 ounce (~30 grams) of dark chocolate 70% (or greater) each day- it’s good for your heart and vascular health too!
6. Dr. Michael Miller is a cardiologist and Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.  His bestselling book is: “Heal Your Heart: The Positive Emotions Prescription to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease“