The Happy Kitchen: Good Mood Food

Book excerpt: Did you know that your gut is responsible for producing around 90% of your serotonin, the chemical which makes you feel good? The Happy Kitchen is a joyous bible of good mood food, packed with recipes and meal planners to keep us calm, boost energy and help us sleep. Since suffering her last serious bout of depression in 2011, Rachel Kelly has evolved a broad holistic approach to staying well, but at the heart of her recovery has been changing the way she eats. Over the past five years, she has worked with nutritionist and food doctor Alice Mackintosh. Together, they have built up a repertoire of recipes that target particular symptoms, from insomnia and mood swings to stress and exhaustion. In chapters ranging from Steady Energy and Beating the Blues to Finding Comfort, they put all the theory into practice, setting out how you can incorporate it into your daily life. Along with delicious new recipes and meal planners, there is a toolkit of Super Good Mood Foods, as well as ‘Science Bites’ scattered through the text in which Alice explains the biology and chemistry of nutrition. When you’re feeling fragile it can be hard to overhaul your diet; it is one more thing on your ‘to do’ list. But as Rachel has learnt, it is small steps that make a difference. Alice’s recipes are easy to follow, and soothe and gladden the soul. Follow their advice, and without trying, you too will, week by week, begin to feel stronger and happier.