If you’re low on Dopamine (a Neurotransmitter), you’ll have low energy, motivation, and little enthusiasm for life. Let’s boost Dopamine naturally!…

1) Foods that boost…Dopamine is made from the amino acid l-tyrosine which is commonly found in protein-rich foods.

• animal products (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy)
• apples
• avocados
• bananas
• beans (legumes) Fava in particular
• beets
• chocolate
• green leafy vegetables
• nuts
• oats
• olive oil
• oregano
• peanuts
• rosemary
• sea vegetables
• sesame and pumpkin seeds
• turmeric
• watermelon
• wheat

• Foods high in natural probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and raw sauerkraut may increase natural dopamine production. Similar to Serotonin, 50% of your dopamine is found in your intestines where it is synthesized by gut microbes. Healthy microbiome = health neurotransmitters.

2) Avoid foods that DECREASE Dopamine…

• Sugar
• Too much saturated fat
• Aspartame
• Overeating decreases the number of dopa receptors (i.e. the amount of dopamine available)

3) Supplements: (take with advice of your medical providers)

• L-Tyrosine
• Tumeric or curcumin
• Omega 3 EFA’s
• Complete Vitamin/Mineral supp w/the B-complex’s
• Vit D3

4) Physical movement increases flow of blood to brain

5) Meditation and creativity (1000’s of studies) builds a healthy, more resilient brain, including…

• balances brain chemicals, including dopamine
• builds stronger neural connections
• calms brain inflammation
• enhances brain plasticity
• increases blood flow to the brain
• reduces stress hormones
• Listening to music can cause the release of dopamine.

6) Brain scans show that the brain’s pleasure center lights up when listening to, creating, or playing music.

7) Touch and social connection

• Massage
• Hugging
• Petting your pet
• Self-hug/soothing strokes

8) Take a cold shower! If you’re not up for that, at least end your shower with a cold blast. Proponents of cold showers swear it boosts their mood and productivity all day, even more than drinking coffee.

9) Harness your Brain’s Reward System. Dopamine functions as a survival mechanism by releasing energy when a great opportunity presents itself to you and you follow through to completion.

• Dopamine rewards us with a boost when our needs are met.
• We love dopamine surges because of the way they make us feel. Think about how it feels to cross something off your “to-do” list. Remember in the last show on 5 Steps to Peace Up we talk about the ‘bonus step’ of giving yourself praise. It’s a dopamine boost, be generous! Do a victory dance, celebrate everything that goes well, even the small steps which maintain your motivation to keep going toward your end goal.
• Be careful… the constant hunt for your next dopamine boost can turn into an addiction.
• Go for the Goldilocks formula…not too much, not too little.

Learn more about a Sacred Health Journey HERE