You know that little high—or feeling of happiness—you get when you're working on a puzzle and you find two pieces that fit together? Or when you post a picture on Instagram and it almost instantly gets more likes than usual? Well, that’s dopamine at work! In today’s episode we explain what dopamine is, why it’s key for mental wellness, and how our culture today is impacting our dopamine production leaving us feeling less productive and just blah. We wrap the episode with 6 simple ways to naturally boost dopamine—for a happier, more productive you! 
 
References and links mentioned in the episode: 
 
Food for thought: association between dietary tyrosine and cognitive performance in younger and older adults
 
Evidence That Sleep Deprivation Downregulates Dopamine D2R in Ventral Striatum in the Human Brain
 
Ultra‐high‐field fMRI insights on insight: Neural correlates of the Aha!‐moment



Show Notes: 
Thank you for listening to The Happy Eating Podcast. Tune in weekly on Thursdays for new episodes! For even more Happy Eating, head to our website! 
https://www.happyeatingpodcast.com
Learn More About Our Hosts: 
Carolyn Williams PhD, RD:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realfoodreallife_rd/
Website: https://www.carolynwilliamsrd.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealFoodRealLifeRD/
Brierley Horton, MS, RD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brierleyhorton/
Got a question or comment for the pod? Please shoot us a message! 
happyeatingpodcast@gmail.com
Produced by Lester Nuby OE Productions