Serotonin, a neurotransmitter, helps bring you a sense of calm and improved sleep by relaxing you. Neurotransmitters work in the brain to regulate moods and other responses. Serotonin may also act as an appetite suppressor. When you have high levels of serotonin circulating through your body, you may experience a feeling of fullness, which helps you avoid overeating. Foods do not directly release serotonin, but certain foods contain tryptophan, a precursor that converts to serotonin when it reaches the brain.
Energy Boosters
Foods release amino acids that help manufacture neurotransmitters. If you feel nervous, agitated or anxious, you may be consuming too many energy-inducing amino acids from protein. Amino acids released from high-protein foods may overpower serotonin and interfere with its effects. For example, the amino acid tyrosine enters the bloodstream and travels to the brain where it boosts production of dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine, Middle Tennessee State University explains. These neurotransmitters increase your motivation, concentration and energy. This comes in handy when you need to tackle mental and physical tasks, but at the expense of serotonin, which you need to relax.
Tryptophan
Anxiety and tension may arise because of stress, which can intensify from a high-protein diet. One way to avoid overexcitement during stressful periods is to include plenty of fruit in your diet. Fruits contain carbohydrates that aid the performance of tryptophan, another amino acid. Tryptophan often ends up crowded out by energy-inducing amino acids, such as tyrosine, which excite your moods. Carbohydrates release insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin clears the other amino acids away to make them absorb into the body, but it leaves tryptophan alone. Tryptophan then moves to the brain network and converts to serotonin.
Tryptophan Foods
To improve your sense of calm, eat apples, peaches, pears, melons, berries and other fruits with your meals or in salads for a boost in carbohydrates. Vegetables and whole grains, including bread, pasta, high-fiber cereal, brown rice, oatmeal and barley, also contain carbohydrates to improve tryptophan's action and raise your levels of serotonin. Bananas also contain tryptophan and have been recommended along with other tryptophan foods by MayoClinic.com to help combat anxiety. Some protein foods contain tryptophan, including turkey, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, peanut butter and peanuts. You can include these foods in your diet for your necessary protein intake.
Balanced Meals
Protein helps your energy levels, but you need foods with tryptophan and carbohydrate-rich foods to release more tryptophan and boost your serotonin levels. Balance your meals by combining fruits, vegetables and whole grains for complex carbohydrates along with low-fat protein foods. Avoid simple carbohydrates, such as pastries and other sugary foods, which only provide you with a temporary energy boost followed by fatigue.
