Health & Hustle: The Recipe for a Better Mood

Welcome to Health & Hustle, where we break down wellness for busy people who want to stay on top of their game—whether you’re an entrepreneur, a parent, or just someone trying to feel better every day. Today, we’re talking about mood, what it is, how it works, and two things you can do to improve it right now.

What is Mood?

Mood is not just a feeling, it’s a chemical process. Think of it like a recipe, with neurotransmitters as the ingredients that create emotions like joy, passion, and motivation. The key players? Serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

Here’s where things get interesting: If you’re low on serotonin, you might feel depressed. But do you actually have depression, or do you just have a serotonin deficiency? Instead of fixing the deficiency, many people get prescribed SSRIs and are lumped into the depression diagnosis. But what if we could produce more of the ingredients that create mood naturally?

How to Improve Mood Naturally

So let’s talk about two things you can do today to improve your mood naturally.

1. Nutrient Optimization: Fuel Your Brain for Better Mood

Your body needs raw materials to make neurotransmitters, and that starts with nutrients. B-complex vitamins, magnesium, and amino acids like tryptophan are crucial. These nutrients help convert tryptophan into serotonin—the neurotransmitter that stabilizes mood. If you’re feeling mentally foggy or down, you might not need a prescription—you might just need better nutrition.

Here’s the general rule in holistic medicine: Everything starts in your gut. If your digestion is off, your brain chemistry is off. The gut produces about 95% of your body’s serotonin, so if your gut health is compromised, your mood will be too. This is why diet and proper digestion matter, especially for high-performance individuals who rely on their mental clarity every day.

Dana White, the president of the UFC, once shared how doctors put him on hypertension meds, but the real issue was a nutrient deficiency. We do this all the time in medicine—label symptoms as diseases instead of fixing the underlying problem. The same applies to conditions like hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, and even mental health disorders.

2. Sleep: The Ultimate Superpower

If you want an edge over your competition—whether in business, fitness, or just life—sleep is your greatest weapon. Sleep isn’t just rest—it’s when your body does critical maintenance that doesn’t happen at any other time of day.

• During deep sleep, your brain eliminates toxins through the glymphatic system—which only activates when you’re deeply asleep. Without deep sleep, waste builds up in the brain, leading to brain fog, mood swings, and long-term cognitive decline.

• Lack of sleep is a root cause of many autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammation, and even cardiovascular issues. Yet sleep is the first thing we cut when we’re busy.

The truth is, you can’t outwork bad sleep. If you want better focus, energy, and mood, you need a sleep routine.

The Bigger Picture – This Applies to Everything

Now, let’s zoom out. These same principles of fixing the root cause instead of just treating symptoms apply to everything—from human health to finance, corporate culture, and even cannabis cultivation.

• Growing cannabis? If your plants are struggling, don’t just add fertilizers—figure out what they’re missing at the root level.

• Running a business? If your team is underperforming, don’t just set stricter deadlines—look at the work environment, the stress levels, the leadership structure.

• Struggling with mood or energy? Don’t just rely on stimulants or meds—look at your sleep, your nutrients, your gut health.

If we focus on foundations, we set ourselves up for real success—whether it’s in health, business, or life.

That’s it for today’s lesson in Health & Hustle! If you’re feeling stuck, start by fueling your body right and fixing your sleep. Your mood, energy, and focus will follow.