In going with Tuesday’s post on sleep, I thought we would discuss a neurotransmitters, that I’m actually surprised we haven’t covered yet- dopamine. Like all things coming from your brain dopamine plays some very important roles. Besides being essential to cognition, dopamine is responsible for:

• behavior (decreased levels thought to contribute to ADD)
• cognition (decline effects memory, attention, and problem-solving)
• voluntary movement (Parkinson’s Disease is a hard-hitter here, dopamine deficiency is associated with this condition)
• motivation and reward (pleasure system, something is rewarding: sex, drugs, food, etc. we repeat the behavior and cause of the happiness).
• prolactin production (affecting breast milk and lactation)
• sleep
• mood
• attention
• learning

So how can we obtain optimal dopamine levels?

1. Sleep: this is when the brain recovers and revs up your neurotransmitters again.
2. Controlling Stress: increased stress is associated with dopamine deficiency
3. Exercise: blood circulation increase affects hormones and dopamine in the bloodstream
4. Proper eating: Steer clear of sugar foods and alcohol that have negative affects on dopamine. Encourage consumption of foods rich in antioxidants or eat in a way that decreases free radical damage and inflammation (hmm- fat-burner) because free radical have a negative connotation on dopamine. Foods rich in protein, especially the amino acid tyrosine are a precursor to dopamine. Think turkey and salmon especially (or fish oil anyone?). Other beneficial foods:

• almonds
• grass-fed dairy
• pasture-raised eggs
• buffalo
• elk
• leafy green like mustard greens
• seaweed
• avocado

This sounds so familiar, interesting? BE happy: sleep, relax, and eat like a fat-burner and you’ll have one happy brain and neurotransmitters! For more on our fat-burner weight loss programs check out our website at bodychange.net.

Also check out Tuesday’s blog on sleep:

Sleep, Summer, Cravings, and Disease