Suicide Prevention Month: Swimming and Dopamine

QHealth Tips is written by Martha Cardenas, a Holistic Nutrition professional. Q Swimwear publishes it as general wellness information for swimmers. It is not medical advice — talk to your own healthcare provider before changing your diet, supplements or training.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, US) or go to your nearest emergency room. In Mexico, call the Línea de la Vida at 800 911 2000.

September: Mental Health Awareness Month

Dopamine — the drive or reward neurotransmitter

September is Suicide Prevention Month. We can say that none of us asked to be brought into this world (at least not consciously). Oh, but how wonderful it is to feel alive! Unfortunately, this is not true for some; and it is NOT their fault. The good news is that the way we live, including exercise and food, has an effect on how we feel. Dopamine is not the only compound involved in this; there are many physiological aspects in regard to mental health.

Exercise, according to John J. Ratey, MD, is a way of offsetting the feeling of hopelessness and uselessness; it boosts dopamine and calms the amygdala (brain structure involved in arousal and emotional states). When there is a lack of dopamine or there is fault in the reward center of dopamine receptors, people feel numb to most things — they can’t feel it, as Ratey writes in his book Spark.

How can exercise like swimming help boost mood?

• Thirty minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise five days a week is the bare minimum to see a positive outcome in mood.
• Being part of a team gives the opportunity to experience ourselves as part of a community.
• If you swim competitively, being aware of your technique, intervals, and speed can take your attention away from thought patterns that depress mood.
• If you do not swim competitively, the way water strokes against the skin can soothe and massage, calming the nervous system.
• If you get into a rhythmic breathing pattern, the nervous system can regulate and so does mood.

Food and mood — food and dopamine

• Eat to get enough good quality protein. Tyrosine and phenylalanine are necessary amino acids for dopamine synthesis. Sesame seeds, good quality cheese, nuts, poultry, meat, and fish are excellent food sources of these amino acids.
• Avoid processed and ultra-processed foods that risk affecting the microbiota’s delicate balance, because of the lack of fiber and phytonutrients that feed good bacteria like the ones that produce phenylalanine.
• Use saffron to spice up your dishes; the mechanism is unknown; in animals, saffron increases levels of dopamine and other neurotransmitters.
• Mucuna pruriens helps boost dopamine levels in humans. It is a legume that can be taken in supplement form.

To learn more about Martha or book an appointment, email her at martha@marthacardenas.com or follow her on Instagram at @marthacardenasnutricion.