Dr. Uma's Mood Foods | Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Hi ,

Are you looking for ways to naturally boost your mood and emotional wellbeing? Are you interested in making healthy choices now that will benefit your health in the future?

Nutritional Psychiatry focuses not only on how specific foods help improve our mood and reduce stress, but also how we can use food to impact our cognitive ability and memory as we age.

Simple adjustments can slowly but steadily become habits you can incorporate for the rest of your life in order to create lasting mental fitness. Each week, I’ll share recommendations here using foods you can add to your diet to support your mental health.

Mood: Anxiety
Food: Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Research has shown that purple sprouting broccoli can help calm the mind because…

It’s packed with carotenoids, which are potent anti-inflammatory compounds that can help reduce the effects of oxidative stress in the brain to relieve anxiety.

Purple sprouting broccoli is especially rich in Vitamin C, a vitamin with antioxidant properties that also help regulate neurotransmitter function for a healthy stress response.

It is also especially rich in both folate and iron, two nutrients whose deficiencies have been linked to a variety of psychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression.

How to add this MOOD FOOD to your diet:
Purple sprouting broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable with even more nutrient density than traditional broccoli and can be enjoyed and consumed in a similar fashion. You can eat it roasted, steamed or even raw! You can serve it on its own, added to colorful salads, as a side along with your favorite clean protein, or added to nourishing soups and stews. Its beautiful purple hue will enhance any dish.

I am such a fan of this calming vegetable that it is on the cover of my new book Calm Your Mind WIth Food.

How to buy purple sprouting broccoli:
Purple sprouting broccoli can be trickier to find than traditional broccoli so I love to pick it up whenever I see it. It is typically available in specialty produce markets or farm stands and may be available in regular grocery stores depending on where you are. You may also consider adding it to your garden if you are a home gardener.

Wishing you a joyful & calm week,
Dr. Uma Naidoo, MD

Well+Good: Eating foods that decrease gut inflammation is an effective way to boost your mood! Learn more here.

Keeping It Real with Jillian Michaels: Check out this podcast where I talk with Jillian Michaels about the worst offending foods and added ingredients that exacerbate anxiety and depression, as well as the most powerful foods and nutrients to optimize focus, contentment, and calm. Plus, top foods to boost libido!

5 Anti-Inflammatory Foods To Eat For A Younger, Healthier Brain: This week on mindbodygreen, take a look at this list of the top five "anti-aging" foods I recommend to help protect your brain from damage over time.
Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta: I join CNN’s Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta on his podcast to talk about how to build a strong brain and keep it sharp. Listen in here.