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Thursday, September 8, 2016

Boost your dopamine healthfully

We all have something that makes us feel alive; an interest or habit that gives us pleasure. Some thrive on the challenges that hold the most danger, like scaling Mt. Everest. With its jagged terrain and nose-bleed altitudes, climbing this behemoth landscape in spite of the hazards it holds makes some giddy for the adrenaline.

There might be a medical explanation for those who strive to reach the tallest peak, soar through skies at break-neck speed, bungee jump off bridges, or swim with the sharks. These adventurous souls like the dopamine release - the rush of good feelings from employing risky behaviors, even if these daredevil habits could potentially claim their lives.

Dopamine is a naturally-occurring chemical in the brain that affects mood, sleep, learning, and the central nervous system. A disorder in the brain where dopamine-producing cells are damaged, dead, or degenerated, has been linked to Parkinsons disease (a neurological condition). Dopamine is crucial to our movement, health, happiness, and our longevity.

We all crave feel-good fixes. But, what matters most is if our cravings are healthy and that they do not harm our bodies or threatens our lives. Our moods are regulated by our habits, but if a big greasy burger dripping with cheese and fatty dressings is what helps jack up your dopamine levels, then you may want to consider finding other naturally beneficial alternatives. While making a habit of wrestling alligators in your spare time, or eating horrible, unhealthy foods gives you a pleasurable feeling, theres a good chance youre body will soon tell you that its time to quit these downright dangerous habits.

Dr. David Kessler, MD (former FDA Commissioner and Harvard-trained pediatrician and medical school professor at the University of California in San Francisco) believes there are forces which may be driving some to overeat, make bad choices, and delve in dicey behaviors.
According to a new book written by Kessler, the culprits for these bad eating behaviors include: fat, salt, sugar, and brain chemistry. For some, its alcohol, Kessler says. For some, its drugs. For some, its gambling. For many of us, its food.
Learning to eat healthier, especially during times of stress or emotional upset, entails that the brain changes its pattern of thinking and learns how to react differently to the triggers which usually induce us into reaching for a fat-laden donut or a greasy, cheese-loaded stack of French fries.

Train Your Brain

Increasing dopamine levels in the human brain also helps to improve your decision-making ability, reduces anxiety, and aides in developing healthier sleep patterns. Increased dopamine levels can occur through habits you put in place now.

  1. Throw away the junk. Include foods rich in antioxidants: carrots, apples, potatoes, red beans, blueberries, artichokes, prunes, cranberries, all of which help stimulate healthy brain function.
  2. Drink decaffeinated coffee and cut down on alcoholic drinks (one or fewer per day). Serotonin is temporarily boosted after drinking coffee, but dopamine levels sink eventually and the brain crashes. A fat loss review can help you establish a clear outline of what you demand to focus on to complete your fat loss target if you're a starter; or serve as a reminder for these who are at an intermediate or more enhance phase of their weight loss plan. Promptly after are seven steps that can serve as methods for your personal weight loss program. The first thing that one must understand is that losing weight and losing fat is not a similar thing. Many weight loss applications have fooled people into wondering that it is the same, but most diets and weight loss applications only work by resulting in a person's body to burn more muscle tissue and water than actual body fat, more help please visit The Fat Loss Factor. Alcohol also gives the brain a false sense of security and limits neurotransmitter function. Especially if you are prone to depression, try to cut down on the bad habits from drinking caffeine and alcohol.
  3. Dopamine can also be derived from bananas (make sure they are ripe). The quinine in bananas (located especially in the small brown areas of this fruit) is a naturally occurring form of dopamine. The more bruised, the better. To read more on the health benefits of bananas, follow this link: www.nourishing-the-soul.com.
  4. Reduce your diet of sugary and fatty foods. These culprits will reduce dopamine levels in your bloodstream, increase risk of clogging your arteries and increase your chances of heart disease.
  5. Eat your nuts, greens and beans. Leafy vegetables, edamame, black beans, chick peas, lentils, raw almonds, sunflower seeds, low-fat dairy products, fava beans provide nutrients which indirectly facilitate dopamine production.
  6. Take supplements. Natural amino acid supplements are dopamine boosters and are available at many health food stores, including: www.wholefoodsmarket.com, www.rainbow.coop, and www.vitaminexpress.com.
  7. Exercise, exercise, exercise. This activity lowers the cortisol levels in your body, which reduces cravings for high-fat and high-sugar foods.
  8. Sleep if off. Sleeping can solve many problems. Sleep-deprivation causes high levels of cortisol, high imbalances of leptin, and negatively impacts the hormones which regulate your hunger.

The business of risk

If you do happen to be a thrill chaser, drug taker, or an all-around adrenaline junkie, your actions are mostly driven by a decreased ability to process dopamine. There are some methods to counteract these bad habits:

Become an art lover: Looking at art for just 40 minutes can help people decompress. If youre thinking about jumping your motorcycle over a river with a makeshift jump for the first time, try grabbing a book about Picasso or Cezanne.

Smarter friends instill smarter choices: Sometimes, friends are our worst enemies if they are the wrong kind to begin with. We are less likely to take risks when the friends were with dont share the same aim for danger and unsafe behavior. Dont surround yourself with people who encourage bad behavior or harmful practices.

There are bitter consequences: Remind yourself, even if these consequences have not yet occurred, that your repetition and repeat bad behaviors only bring you closer to an eventual downfall. Its a matter of logic.

Little by little, try making wiser choices: Make a choice to ride your motorcycle, but with a helmet. Swim with the sharks, but stay inside the cage to avoid becoming their afternoon snack. And eat that burger, but without the cheese!

Posted by at 11:10 AM

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