7am: Breakfast energy

At the end of a foggy winter, and as the WHO announces for 2020 that depression will be the second leading cause of disability after cardiovascular disease, we would be on the verge of sinking into sluggishness.
But no ! To stay good, even in the best mood, just eat. But not anything. Because yes, we can
to traffic the wheels of his brain by playing good nutrients.

Moreover, "depression always results in biochemical or physiological disturbances, which can be modulated thanks to an adequate supply of nutrients ...", says Laëtitia Agullo *, dietitian.
His proposal? Promote the production of neurotransmitters of happiness and facilitate the conduction of nerve impulses - just to reconnect with its joie de vivre!

* author of "The anti-depression dietetics",
ed. Thierry Souccar.


1 tea or 1 herbal tea
1 slice of wholemeal bread or 1 small bowl of muesli cereal or oat flakes
1 omega 3 egg or from the Bleu-Blanc-Cœur industry.
To cook, version shell, not to deteriorate omega 3
1 fruit rich in vitamin C : kiwi, orange, grapefruit or red fruits.

Why ?

With this plateau, we focus on phenylalanine, a neurotransmitter essential since it allows the production of dopamine and norepinephrine, two hormones that stimulate motivation, self-esteem
and energy, in short, good mood.
They stimulate awakening and action, when the third mood hormone, serotonin, grows toward fullness.

Other options

Swap the egg for a slice of poultry (turkey or chicken), a piece of cheese or a yogurt.
And herbal tea against fake coffee (cereals type Yannoh Instant, Good Morning Lima), but no real car, at a rate of 6 cups of coffee per day (500 mg decaffein), we see appear in some of the irritability, anxiety, or even depression.

11am: Zen break

2 squares of dark chocolate strong in cocoa
1 herbal tea prepared with magnesium-rich water
(Hepar, Contrex, Rozanna, Talians ...)

Why ?

For magnesium. When you miss it, you feel easily anxious. A study carried out in Bristol has shown that if you stress, you secrete cortisol, which leads, in the long run, an anxious state, which affects the production of the essential serotonin.

Other options

Nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds at a rate of 5 to 6 / day.

12:30 pm: Lunch euphoria

1 green salad sprinkled with wheat germ
sardines on the stew: we put fresh sardines in a baking dish, we dirty, pepper, covered with a layer of cut tomatoes, chopped onions and herbs.
A second layer is added (sardines garniture). We spray everything with a trickle of oil
olive and a little white wine. It is left to simmer (180 ° C, th 6) until the liquid evaporates.
1 slice of cinnamon cake (made with whole wheat flour and agave syrup)
1 seasonal fruit

Why ?

Sardines are one of the richest omega 3 fish. These make the cell membranes more fluid. This flexibility is essential to allow neurotransmitters to send their nerve impulses. Without them, the neurons dry up literally.

Cake also contains fibers that help to reduce blood sugar peaks that, if they are
yo-yo, also create mood swings.

Other options

All oily fish such as mackerel, albacore tuna, anchovies, salmon
wild Pacific, herring ...
But it is better to avoid the "big" fish, which accumulate heavy metals such as mercury (bluefin tuna, swordfish, pike, halibut, farmed salmon ...).

And if you want to supplement with a good slice of anti-stress magnesium, you can dig into dried vegetables (lentils, chickpeas, split peas, beans ...) and dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli, green salad ...) .

4:15 pm: Taste happiness

1 choco-banana smoothie : peel
1/2 banana, we melt 2 squares of chocolate to
70% cocoa, we crush 1 tsp. to s. finely flaxseed.
In a blender, put the fruit, 1 tsp. to s. cottage cheese, flax powder, 100 ml of soy milk and chocolate. We mix.
We are tasting.

Why ?

Banana brings tryptophan, an amino acid that is transformed
in 5-htp (hydroxytryptophan), then serotonin, which "promotes relaxation, good mood,
serenity, annihilating tensions, aggression and anger ... "explains Laëtitia Agullo.

And the naturally sweet side of the smoothie also raises the level of serotonin.
So, we feel more perky.

Other options

A fresh fruit or a handful of dried fruits (bananas, dates, apricots ...), sources of tryptophan.

20h: Dinner fullness

1 green salad
turkey penne and ricotta : cut 4 turkey fillets, brown in a little margarine (omega 3) with curry, set aside.
Wash a zucchini, cut it into pieces and put it back in the pan.
Mix 150 g ricotta, zucchini, 3 crushed cloves of garlic and turkey. Cook 250 g pasta, then pour the turkey mixture over the drained pasta.
1 plain yoghurt or soy milk

Why ?

We put again on tryptophan, the precursor of serotonin, naturally secreted at the end of the day.

Good to know :

Turkey is twice as rich in tryptophan as chicken. Finally, pasta brings carbohydrates.
An American Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study found that a high carbohydrate meal led to elevated levels of serotonin.

Other options

Tryptophan is found in eggs, dairy products (ricotta, bush, cottage cheese), fish, tomato,
eggplant, wholemeal bread, banana, dates but also dried vegetables (lentils, beans, chickpeas, beans ...).