Many overlook the significant impact that a holistic diet can have on our wellbeing. And we don’t just mean our physical wellbeing, it’s beneficial for both the emotional and mental health. For instance, you can manage symptoms of depression by indulging in foods that enhance mood, quality sleep, and relieve anxiety and stress. There’s no specific diet that cures depression, but here’s a list of foods you can include in your daily routine to help manage the symptoms of depression.

Bananas
Bananas aren’t limited to being just the perfect healthy snack but make for natural antidepressants. Vitamin B6 and tryptophan are two key elements present in bananas that work individually to produce the hormone dopamine which is the happy hormone that puts us all in a good mood.

Fish
When it comes to including fish to the diet with an intention to fight depression, the oilier the better. For instance, mackerel, trout, sardines, and uncanned tuna make for great options. If you follow a vegan diet you can opt for walnuts, cashews, brazil nuts, flax, and chia seeds, which are also high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 enhances the brain function and promotes the role of the mood-boosting compound, serotonin. It has a significant influence over our mood, sleep, appetite, memory, social behavior, etc.

Probiotic Foods
Yogurt, kimchi, miso, tofu, kombucha, sauerkraut, tempeh promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut, reducing the inflammation in the body. Fermented products are also associated with enhancing brain health, owing to the link between the brain and the gut tract. Many mental health studies revealed a significant improvement in patients who followed a probiotic diet. It can also be a combination of both, prebiotic and probiotic foods.

Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate has long been associated with its mood-enhancing properties owing to its plant-based antioxidant that helps relieve anxiety and stress. Studies prove that people who consume high flavonoids are less likely to develop symptoms of depression.

Vegetables and Fruits
Vegetables and fruits are rich in antioxidants that help curb the production of free radicals in our body that are responsible for damaging cells, aging, stress, and other unwelcome effects. The brain is more likely to be affected by the free radicals and there’s no way to stop their production. However, certain foods can help reduce the impact and they include banana, apples, cantaloupe, spinach, beans, carrots, collards, broccoli, peppers, pumpkin, tomato, potatoes, strawberries, grapes, oranges, and kiwi.

Chicken and Turkey
Both these poultry delish carry the amino acid tryptophan which releases the mood-elevating hormone serotonin. With improving mood, this tryptophan-rich protein also induces sleep, that has a substantial impact on the overall well-being of the patient.

Sweet Potatoes
Packed with the antioxidant carotenoids, sweet potatoes are associated with optimism and high spirits. Many studies reveal that people with depression lack the antioxidant carotenoids, which is helpful in managing depression symptoms.