Let the sunshine in

Spring can feel like a renaissance, optimism and a much needed awakening

You probably already know it’s spring time by the many signs of spring: baseball, taxes, flowers, robins, butterflies, award shows, spring cleaning, longer days—and sunshine.  

But you might not know that getting a healthy dose of sunshine is beneficial for your mental health. 

It’s true, exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the brain's release of a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is associated with boosting mood and helping a person feel calm and focused.  It's a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, that’s involved in many processes throughout your body, from regulating your mood to promoting smooth digestion.

Serotonin also known for:

• promoting good sleep by helping regulate circadian rhythms

• stabilizing appetite

• promoting learning and memory

• helping cultivate prosocial behavior

You may be asking how do I get it? There are many ways to naturally boost your serotonin levels. Sunshine is one, but actually food is the number one on the list. While you can’t directly get serotonin from food, you can get tryptophan, an amino acid that is converted to serotonin in your brain. 

There is some hard science behind the link between tryptophan and serotonin. 

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that helps the body make proteins and certain brain-signaling chemicals. Your body changes L-tryptophan into mood lifting serotonin. 

Which is why we carefully curate the ingredients in Moodify Oatmeals. For example, we combine our oats with foods high in tryptophan like nuts, ginger or probiotics. 

Check out this article on Health Line for more ways to boost your serotonin and your mood. And then, get some oatmeal and a little sunshine. Don’t forget your sunscreen. Happy Spring!