Yes, happiness is also on the plate. If it is not enough to eat well to be happy, a well-chosen diet is the basis of happiness.
The keys to good health and a high morale are found in the sneakers (we no longer praise thebenefits of sport to boost the production of dopamine and serotonin!) as much as in the plate. A clean plate, of course, but a plate that is varied, colorful and vitamin-rich according to the seasons.
Summer is colorful



Holidays are the perfect time to discover or rediscover the joys of the market. For some, it is even the trigger that will mark the first steps towards a clean diet . The greengrocers' stalls are full of multi-coloured vegetables and fruits. The more colourful your basket , the more you vary the vitamins, minerals and nutrients, think about it every time you do your shopping and prepare your daily menu. Except in the case of a detox where green is the order of the day, pick from the reds, purples, yellows, oranges, greens and whites to concoct a balanced plate. Add seafood if you like it, it is a real reserve of minerals and trace elements. Rich in amino acids which contribute to the good assimilation of vitamins and magnesium by the body, they perfectly play their role as a good mood booster. Summer is the key time to stock up on vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K… It’s simple, they’re all there and that’s already happiness!
Autumn is magnesium



The light is fading, temperatures are gently sloping and morale needs a boost. The holidays and long summer evenings are in the rearview mirror and it is common for us to get caught up in the back-to-school blues. On your plate, focus on anti-fatigue and anti-depression foods . Go all out on nuts (cashews, Grenoble nuts, Brazil nuts), they are all full of magnesium, omega 3, methionine (an amino acid that boosts the production of melatonin which regulates sleep and day/night rhythms). If we have said everything and its opposite about chocolate, it is indeed rich in magnesium provided you choose dark, rich in cocoa, quality, organic or even raw. Pair it with bananas, cereals (why not, a homemade granola for a snack, around 5:00 p.m. when the need for serotonin is at its peak, granola made of walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax, to which you add a pinch of buckwheat, sesame, a few dark chocolate chips, a few banana slices). Magnesium, a great stress regulator, itself at the origin of the increase in the level of cortisol in the blood. An excess of cortisol - leading to a decrease in the synthesis of serotonin - is the promise of seasonal blues, or even depression if the vicious circle continues. Also think about spices, such as cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, pepper, which facilitate digestion, warm the stomach as much as the mind and which are above all energizing.
Winter is all about vitamin D



The days are shorter than the nights, here we are. But far from being a harbinger of depression, this season can also offer its treasures of cocooning, like in the Nordic countries where light, softness and warmth are indoors. And on the plate, it's the same! The sun is hidden, the synthesis of vitamin D is also slowed down. It's time to supplement yourself daily with a quality vitamin D because we know that it is directly linked to seasonal depression, even to depression. To naturally ward off the risk of deficiency, imagine the ideal plate: oily fish (anchovies, salmon, herring, mackerel), calf's liver, cod, fish eggs, egg yolk, mushrooms, oysters, cheese, butter, milk... And vegetarians can rest assured, a plate composed of legumes, vegetables and cereals constitutes a reserve of clean and balanced nutrients. They will just need to supplement with a course of vitamin D throughout the winter period to compensate.
Spring means lightening



We are coming out of a season of quasi-hibernation, during which we have made a place of choice for fatty, rich foods, which warm and compensate for the laziness of the sun. Spring signals the arrival of lighter dishes, even a fast (always accompanied) or more simply a mono-diet, a super anti-gloom tool. Start by choosing mood-regulating foods and always seasonal, like all new vegetables. As their name indicates, they are just coming out of the ground and are full of vitamins and the energy of renewal (artichoke, carrot, cucumber, lamb's lettuce, morels, sorrel, apple, pear, kiwi, fennel, asparagus, radish, etc.). Combine them with sprouted seeds which are real little bombs of nutrients and vitamins. Also rely on B vitamins which act on the nervous system and have an immediate effect on mood (certain spices such as paprika, turmeric and pepper, abas, seafood). Finally, use and abuse aromatic herbs , fresh, they twist dishes, juices and smoothies and bring that little touch of chlorophyll to combat the blues.
Our 10 happy foods

If you had to keep only 10 to fight against gloom, they would be:
- Salmon for its omega 3, which has a proven effect on depression. The good lipids in this fish regulate sleep disorders, just like sardines or herring: we therefore eat it 3 times a week.
- Dark chocolate, a quality antidepressant, should be enjoyed consciously... at a rate of two squares per day maximum.
- Banana , for its magnesium and vitamin B6, super anti-stress.
- Avocado , whose good fat and tyrosine regulate hypertension, diabetes as well as morale. Indeed, rich in tyrosine, a precursor of dopamine, it is surely the food for good mood par excellence. But on condition of not abusing it for ecological reasons, the avocado being a big consumer of water. We choose it in short circuit and in season so as not to explode the carbon footprint.
- Tomatoes and their red promise of lycopene, a super antioxidant that guarantees a good mood! Eating tomatoes between three and six times a week would almost halve the risk of depression.
- Fermented foods (like pickles, sauerkraut, etc.) contain natural probiotics that pamper the gut microbiota and therefore the second brain. Every day if you want, it is the levels of serotonin and dopamine secreted by the digestive tract that will be better.
- Oilseeds (nuts, almonds, etc.) are so rich in omega, selenium, magnesium, and amino acids that a small handful a day is enough to promise serenity.
- Fruits and vegetables of course, but red fruits in particular. So rich in antioxidants, fiber and vitamin C, they help cells stay young and in a good mood!
- Cereals (whole grains), especially buckwheat, are full of vitamin B, which is ideal for nervous balance. We can eat them every day if we want.
- Coffee. It has been much maligned, but as long as you don't exceed 3 small cups per day, it is an energizing drink that does you good. Other feel-good drinks: golden milk (coconut milk and turmeric) and chai latte (spices, tea and vegetable milk), to sip whenever you feel like it!