Nowadays we are exposed to a lot of distractions and addictions. They sell us dopamine through social media, video games, alcohol, drugs, tv shows, fast food. What is dopamine? I think we´ve all heard about this but are not quite sure what it is. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, basically is the “ feel good” hormone. It is released by our brain when he expects a reward. Our brain anticipates how we will feel after doing the action that gives us dopamine, he anticipates the feeling of reward . For example when we binge watch videos on Instagram or post a photo. When we really enjoy doing something we will repeat, that's logic. But there is this tiny line between doing something and becoming addicted because it's not easy to realize it.We are used to earn dopamine without doing nothing, with just a click. Indeed, platforms like Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram leverge the same reural circuitry used by slot machines and cocaines to keep us usig them.
What does dopamine to our brain? This hormone plays a role in our digestion, blood flow, heart rate, memory and focus,sleep, pain processing, etc. Yes dopamine it's not a bad thing but like everything in life too little or too much dopamine will affect our body and our minds.
We already know what is dopamine and things like : social medias, sex, fast food, social medias ( I know it looks like dopamine it´s a bad thing but it isn´t. I will give you examples of “ natural” things and good thighs that give us dopamine)
Too much dopamine in your body can play a role in :
Addiction: when something gives you too much dopamine like is the case of drugs you can become addicted to it. Your brain is used to having this big amount of dopamine because of the drugs so then it´s more difficult for it to produce it in other ways. Your brain becomes dependent on the drug for the dopamine release.
Obesity: it´s similar to an addiction, but in this case you are addicted to food. Such as the drug addiction who activates the “ dopamine reward system”, junk food does the same.
Although these high levels of dopamine that are caused by drugs or junk food for example can also cause you a dopamine deficiency because your body is now used to create this hormone thanks to those things. So the “natural cycle of dopamine” is affected
Too little dopamine:
Parkinson: In Parkinson’s disease, there is a loss of the nerve cells in a specific part of the brain and loss of dopamine in the same area.
Depression: Some of the depression symptoms are due to a high level of dopamine in some brain areas , this causes hallucinations and delusions BUT also a lack of it in other parts of the brain can cause other symptoms such as lack of motivation and desire.
How to produce natural dopamine?
. Eat food rich in tyrosine : In order to make dopamine, your body needs tyrosine which can be found in almonds, bananas, avocados, eggs, beans, fish, and chicken.
. Working Out: Yes I know a lot of us are very lazy but we know all the incredible benefits that working out gives us. Good health, longer life, it puts us in a better mood . Working out helps to the increasing of brain cells production and dopamine
. Reading : When you acquire the pleasure of reading a whole new world is open to you. Reading disconnects us , even for a little time, from the real world. I think that soon I will post book recommendations.
. SLEEPING : A lot of us don't give too much importance to our sleep schedule, we are so busy with our lives, our problems, our tv shows. But getting enough sleep is very important in order to have a good brain function, a good mood and even a longer life.
.Meditating :Meditation is a practice that has thousands of years and helps us to know ouservelves, increase motivation and focus. I´ve been meditating a lot , for the last 2 or 3 months and I can tell you that I feel such a difference. I feel calmer, happier. I have a more positive mind.
Dopamine cell
