The Rush of Dopamine

What is Dopamine?

Dopamine is an important chemical function in our body and brain which plays a major role as both neurotransmitter and hormone. This chemical involves motivation, willingness to approach the goal, reward feeling, attention towards the work and gives pleasure to do more work.

As the Dopamine releases in large amounts, it gives more motivation and willingness to do work in any specific task and creates more focus and pleasure so that it gives more refreshing and interest feeling while doing such work. So, basically, where you feel the least interesting thing while you perform a task that triggers to release fewer dopamine levels where you feel less motivation and less enthusiasm while doing work because it doesn't excite you much.

How to increase the dopamine level?

1.     Balanced diet/ Proper diet:

(a) Eat a good amount of Protein:

Protein is made up of building blocks of amino acids. Tyrosine plays a major role in synthesis dopamine, where the tyrosine is an amino acid. Tyrosine is also made from phenylalanine which is another amino acid.
Tyrosine and Phenylalanine are found in protein-rich foods like eggs, beef, dairy, soy and legumes.
As the dopamine increases in the brain, this will promote to think deep and improves memory.
If there is less consumption of protein, there is less amount of release of dopamine.

(b) Eat less saturated fats:

Consuming saturated fats like palm oil, coconut oil, butter etc,. can disturb the dopamine signalling in the brain if the person consumes more amount. 

(c) Eat velvet beans:

Velvet beans contain high levels of L-dopa. L-dopa is the precursor molecule to dopamine.

(d) Eat good supplements: 

Vitamins and minerals are required for our body to create dopamine. These include vitamin B6, Iron, Niacin and Folate.

2. Get enough Sunlight:

Low sunshine exposure will lead to decreased levels of neurotransmitters which boosts mood including dopamine. So, exposure to sunlight leads to an increased level of dopamine.

3. Lifestyle choices:

(a) Get enough sleep: 

The dopamine level increases as well as get enough sleep. A person should sleep 6-8 hours on average. Enough sleep does repair and renews of the body.

(b) Listen to music:

As we listen to calm music, this relaxes our brain and body which can increase pleasurable feelings, improve focus and mood, reduces stress and helps in concentration because of an increase in dopamine levels.

(c) Exercise:

Regular exercise for 20 minutes minimum can improve the flexibility of our body, improves body cells and increases the production of dopamine.

(d) Meditation/ Yoga: 

Yoga gives overall health benefits. This improves in the production of dopamine and this will lead to improved focus and concentration.  

Summary:

The Balanced diet or proportionate nutrients in food lead to an increase in the dopamine level. As a person gets enough sunlight his/her neurotransmitter activates which leads the improving level of dopamine. The lifestyle choices make an important role to improve our lifestyles, physical, emotional, spiritual and mental improvement which leads a healthy lifestyle and leads to an increase in dopamine level.