Happy Valentine’s Day.

Lucy, my elderly rescue JackRat, is hanging out while I write, and I snapped our pic because her endless need for love and validation kind of  goes along with what we are talking about today.

If you’ve been following:  It’s All About Hormones this week, and since it’s Valentine’s Day, let’s talk about the “feel-good” and love hormones: dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, oxytocin.  All of these hormones are complex, they don’t do one things, and they work throughout the body, helping regulate things like mood, appetite, kidney, blood pressure, and lactation.

What to know?  You can’t take supplements to balance these hormones. (Prescription medications that alter these hormones are another matter).  But boosting them naturally is easier than you might think.

The Basics of 4 of the Feel Good Hormones:

• Dopamine is the “reward hormone.” It’s one of the things that, for example, makes you reach for a second chocolate after you enjoy the first one.  Dopamine has a role in the disease of addiction, and too little dopamine is one of the features of Parkinson’s disease. Some studies suggest dopamine is important for mood and memory.  Boosting dopamine in a healthy way?  Foods such as avocado, bananas, pumpkin, soy, and sesame seeds.  Meditation may also boost dopamine.

• Serotonin is the one most people think about when they think about the hormones in depression.  The theory behind some commonly used antidepressants (drugs like SSRIs and SNRIs) are that they will increase serotonin, but the drugs don’t work for everyone. Boost your serotonin naturally?  1) Get active!   Walk, cycle, swim, dance:   That “runner’s high” – it’s a real thing! 2) Get outside: Daylight and other bright light can help boost serotonin. 3) Healthy foods including vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. These foods can help absorb the amino acids that are made into serotonin.

• Endorphins (there are 20+ types of these) are our natural pain killers. How to boost these?  Exercise (this is another of the hormones from the “runner’s high”  Meditation. S*x.  Singing/dancing/playing music. Laughter.  Get outside:  sunlight has  role in endorphin release.

• Oxytocin in the love hormone.  Women typically think about its role in childbirth and lactation, but it does more than that, including having roles in trust and relaxation.  How to boost oxytocin?   Exercise, music (especially when you sing in a group),  and the simple act of touch:  massage, cuddling, or giving someone (or a loved pet) a hug. Yes:  cuddling your pet gives you both a boost of oxytocin.

What else to keep in mind?  Mental health – like physical health – is more than just hormones!

All this week has been All About Hormones:  Thyroid, Adrenals, Testosterone, Menopause