A study at Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows that snacks in the form of easily digested carbohydrates, like cookies or bagels, can elevate the level of serotonin in the brain, which is the same thing modern antidepressant medicines do. In order to be most effective, however, the snacks should be part of a two-step eating plan, as suggested by clinical psychologist Thomas Crook:
1) Make sure to include protein (Crook recommends poultry, seafood, and lean meat) in breakfast, lunch, and supper. This raises blood levels of tryptophan, which will be turned into serotonin in step two.
2) About three hours after each meal, and about one hour before the next one, eat a small carbohydrate snack like a couple of oat meal cookies, or part of a bagel, or a piece of whole wheat bread. Don’t eat any protein between meals, and be sure to eat the snacks on an empty stomach. This procedure causes tryptophan to enter your brain, where it is changed into serotonin. The serotonin will elevate your mood in about thirty minutes.
The bonus of this plan is a good night’s sleep, because at the end of the day your body converts serotonin into melatonin, which is a natural sleep aid. Easing depression and getting sound sleep all starts with a cookie or two eaten at the right time between proper protein meals, according to Crook, and the plan works for both men and women, though perhaps more effectively in women.
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