Milk

Milk Getting yourself to the gym or the field requires feeling like you want to go there. Mental focus, mood, and mental energy are all part of consistent training and the ability to sustain an intense workout. Milk is one of my all time favorite “feel great foods.” Milk is high in the amino acid tryptophan, a building block for the manufacture of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is our primary “good mood” neurotransmitter, and without tryptophan, serotonin levels are low, meaning a bad mood, or even depression, isn’t far behind. The natural combination of carbohydrate and protein in milk allows for the rapid transport of tryptophan into the brain; this transport is impeded without carbohydrate. Milk is fortified with vitamin D, also required for serotonin production. In addition, multiple studies have shown that whey protein and calcium from dairy foods is associated with fat loss, muscle gain, and better maintenance of a healthy body weight. If you can’t drink cow’s milk, then goat’s milk is a close second. Soy milk fortified with vitamin D and calcium is good, but nut, seed, and grain milks are much lower in protein and have a completely different nutrient composition.