HAPPINESS SMOOTHIE

boosts your mood and sharpens your memory!

1Foods that boost your mood and memory! Sip the “Happy Smoothie”!

Start your day smiling with this moodboosting smoothie, advises Rachel Kelly, author of the forthcoming The Happiness Diet. “The star of this ‘Happy Smoothie’ is the cacao, a rich source of magnesium that helps ease tension and anxiety. At the same time, the yogurt and pumpkin seeds contain tryptophan, and the banana, serotonin— happiness-boosting chemicals that explain the smoothie’s name!” To make: In blender, blitz until smooth: 1/2 medium banana, 1/2 cup raspberries, handful fresh spinach, 2 Tbs. yogurt, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 heaping Tbs. cacao powder, 1 Tbs. pumpkin seeds, milk to top up and 1 Tbs. honey. “Have it for breakfast, and you’ll be set the whole day!” ● It revs your memory, too! Bananas are full of amino acids shown to strengthen brainpower, notes Kelly, “and cocoa contains antioxidants called polyphenols, which improve concentration,” she says. “Plus, the seeds are a gold mine of zinc and B vitamins that aid communication between brain cells, sharpening memory!”

Get a “fat head” with omega-3s!

You’re a fat head, declares Pamela Wartian Smith, M.D., author of What You Must Know About Memory Loss & How You Can Stop It— but she means it in a good way: “Our brains are 80% fat— literally,” she explains, “which is why feeding your brain foods rich in ‘good’ omega-3 fatty acids is great for managing your mood and overall brain health.” Her Rx: two servings of omega-3-rich salmon, tuna or sardines a week, along with some nuts and avocado. Or opt for a 1,000-mg. supplement, such as Country Life Omega-3, 1000 mg., $10.79, Vitacost.com. ● It revs your memory, too! Women who took fish oil supplements daily for six months improved their working memory 23%, reveals a new study in the journal PLOS ONE.