It has become common knowledge over the years the benefits that exercise can have upon a person’s mood, and this is all thanks to the release of the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin. Now it appears that the benefits of serotonin are more extensive than first thought, as the hormone can have a positive effect on burning fat and losing weight outside of the gym!
UK nutritionists have researched into the topic and discovered that the amount of serotonin a human releases does have a direct effect on boosting fat, and there are many ways aside from exercise that can aid serotonin release which are much simpler than you may think. Omega 3 has been widely regarded as essential brain food for a long time now and it has been heavily encouraged, and consuming this helps our brain cells to pick up neurotransmitters like serotonin more easily.
Even simpler methods such as just hugging somebody or watching something that makes you laugh online can also be beneficial, and this is because hugging releases something just as good as serotonin – Oxytocin. This is another happy hormone which is released upon physical contact from a loved one, whereas serotonin itself can be significantly boosted by laughter which is why watching something funny can be helpful too.
“Daily exercise is the easiest and most effective way to increase serotonin levels,” commented Shona Wilkinson, a nutritionist at SuperfoodUK.com. “However, make sure you choose an activity that you really like and enjoy. If you feel like you are forcing yourself it may not have the same beneficial effects and that may be a result of our ancient instincts. Our brain can tell the difference between running because you’re hunting something, and running because it’s hunting you.”
So there you have it, you don’t have to rely on exercise for your serotonin and doing things you enjoy can actually be very good for you!
