Calm Your Worries With This Easy Honey Garlic Salmon | Mental Health Recipes

• 4 salmon filets (about 250 grams each)
• ½ teaspoon of paprika
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 4 tablespoons of honey
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• Salt and pepper

1. Place the oven shelf in the middle of your oven and preheat it to medium heat on a broil or grill setting.
2. Season the salmon on both sides with the paprika, salt, and pepper.
3. Place a pan on medium heat and add the butter. 
4. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté until aromatic. 
5. Add the honey, soy sauce, and water to the pan.
6. Let it heat for a little bit, then add the lemon juice. Stir thoroughly.
7. Add the salmon filets to the pan. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. 
8. Transfer the salmon to the oven to broil for an additional 5-6 minutes (or until your liking).
9. Serve by drizzling the sauce over the top and alongside veggies or rice.

How Does This Salmon Recipe Help You Find Mental Balance Once Again?

Sometimes, the key to calming anxiety and stress is balancing your blood sugar levels, which this high-protein meal does a great job of. So, let’s dig a little deeper. How does this work?

1. This salmon recipe has about 30 grams of protein per serving!

Protein slows digestion, which helps balance blood sugar levels by supplying your bloodstream with a steady supply of sugar as opposed to a huge and quick spike (which, then, can leave you feeling anxious or down in the dumps!).

Most health experts indicate that aiming for about 30 grams of protein per meal is ideal to obtain enough of this essential macronutrient.

Additionally, when it comes to protein and mental health, the amino acids found in protein play a major role in the production and balance of neurotransmitters and hormones. This can help produce proper amounts of dopamine and serotonin, helping you feel more balanced and content.

2. It’s loaded with healthy fats for good cognition and mental wellness.

Surprisingly, your brain is made up of 60% of omega-3 fatty acids. This means that we need to consume enough of these in our diet for proper brain health and mental well-being. Luckily, salmon has plenty of these healthy and brain-boosting fats!

Omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce inflammation, which is often associated with depression, and prevent various other chronic conditions. They even are linked to improvements in heart health and a reduction of adverse health factors.

3. Potassium can reduce your risk of depression.

This recipe is also loaded with potassium.

Low levels of potassium are linked to an increased chance of depression and anxiety. This also may contribute to serious mental fatigue, which may cause us to worry and stress more and have less control over our thoughts.

By getting more potassium, with recipes like this, your mental health and cognition will be significantly better.

4. Veggies add even more of a nutritious punch!

Depending on what you add as a side to this dish (There are so many options!), you’ll likely gain even more nutrition from the veggies you add.

In fact, most vegetables support good gut health, which is intricately linked with our mental wellness.

The brain-gut axis is how the brain and gut communicate with one another. If the gut is in poor standing, our brain will pick up on that, and we might feel mentally unwell.

For instance, most serotonin is actually produced in the gut. This means that poor gut health can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental issues. 

Yet, adding veggies to your diet can help combat this and keep your gut in good health by supporting the gut microbiome and facilitating good communication between the gut-brain axis.

Related Article: Try These 7 Daily Anxiety-Reduction Techniques to Help You Worry Less

Enjoy This Recipe Tonight!

It doesn’t require too much work.

So, go ahead and throw on your favorite tunes and get cooking! This is a wonderful recipe for improving mental wellness, calming our worries and anxieties, and helping our bodies obtain the nutrients they need. 

Read Next: Feeling Stuck in the Worry Loop? 4 Really Simple Practices to Break Free

Credit:lauraag