Dopamine: the Feel-Good Neurotransmitter

I just finished a short study on dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps you to feel good. Imagine coming home from a very long day of work. Do you usually feel exhausted and want to do anything but think or move? Or do you want to go for a run and do some yard work? If you are in the first category, you are probably low in dopamine.

Dopamine is produced from four major substances; two amino acids called tyrosine and phenylalanine, a B3 vitamin, and it's active coenzyme counterpart, NADH. Without going into the details of how it all works out (study the Krebs cycle if you like), take this simple advice.

1. Don't neglect meat. Vitamin B3 is high in almost any kind of meat you can think of from fish, to poultry to cattle.

2. Get some nuts, leafy greens, and dairy.

3. Eat much less bread. Only about a 1 to 1 ratio between bread and beans & legumes.

Try making a new food pyramid for yourself with the bottom categories being beans, legumes, and vegetables, the middle categories being meat, poultry and dairy, the top categories being fruit and grains, and the cap being anything packaged, processed, man-made, refined or tampered with.

More info is available if needed. Let me know.