Mood-Boosting Cacao Smoothie

Mood-boosting cacao smoothie - sweet and delicious smoothie filled with mood-boosting ingredients like almond, banana, cacao, and maca powder!

Do you ever feel blah and have a hard time picking yourself up from a bad mood? As a person who experienced anxiety disorder and depression, I totally understand. As much as I love cooking, I want something easy, simple, quick, and nourishing when I am feeling blue. And my mood-boosting cacao smoothie is just that!

Ingredients in Mood-boosting Cacao Smoothie

• Banana
• Almond milk
• Medjool dates
• Maca powder
• Cacao powder and Cacao nibs

Health benefit of each ingredient

• Banana - High level of tryptophan helps raise the serotonin levels in your body.
• Almond - High levels of magnesium help our brain produce more serotonin. And serotonin is the chemical that makes us feel happy and relaxed. Also, selenium found in almonds can help fight depression as well.
• Medjool date - Date is a great source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In addition, Medjool dates can stimulate the immune system, reduce inflammation, and improve hormone regulation. You can learn more about the health benefits of Medjool dates in this article from WebMD here. 
• Maca Powder - Maca powder contains compounds called flavonoids. And they can reduce anxiety and symptoms of depression.
• Cacao - Cacao is rich in PEA (or phenethylamine) and they trigger the release of endorphins (mood-enhancing neurochemicals in the brain). 

Difference between cacao and cocoa

Many people use cacao and cocoa interchangeably. However, they are different in their processing. 

Although both cacao and cocoa come from the same source of cacao beans, you have to roast cocoa at a much higher temperature. And during this process, many of the beneficial nutrients degrade. Since you can substitute cacao powder for cocoa powder, I highly recommend you pick up some cacao powder next time you go grocery shopping. My personal favorite brand is Nutivas organic cacao powder. 

How to customize Mood-boosting Cacao Smoothie

This mood-boosting smoothie is vegan, healthy, and perfect for breakfast or afternoon snack. But these are additional suggestions to customize your smoothie. 

• Add protein powder of your choice.
• For a refreshing treat, you can add ice cubes or frozen bananas. 
• Add oats to make this smoothie a meal.
• Fresh or frozen berries are always a great addition.

Berries are high in antioxidants and great in lifting your mood. After all, there is a good reason why the raspberry and chocolate combination is so popular. 

Other mood-boosting food

• Berries - Berries are high in antioxidants and can help you combat oxidative stress.
• Nuts and seeds - They are a great source of tryptophan, an amino acid responsible for producing mood-boosting serotonin.
• Fermented food - Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that can affect mood and stress levels. And the microbiome in your gut produces most of your body’s serotonin (up to 90%). Fermented food is rich in probiotic bacteria and increases the health of your gut. Most well known fermented food includes yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchi. 
• Food that is high in fiber - Fiber is a non-digestible carbohydrate that can feed good gut bacteria. High fiber foods like avocados, berries, artichoke, lentils, beans, and oats can certainly help boost your mood!

Are you looking for more delicious and healthy smoothie recipes?

• Good Morning Green Smoothie
• Mocha Flavor Banana Protein Smoothie
• Antioxidant-Rich Beetroot Smoothie

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