|
|
|
WHAT'S NEW
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Happy foods -- Eat to beat the winter blues
|
|
|
Got the blahs? Eat good mood foods and beat the winter blues.
|
|
|
By Aileen Brabazon
|
|
|
|
|
Have the winter blahs arrived for their yearly visit? After many long days of dreary, cold and uninspiring weather, many of us suffer from a case of the winter blues. The weather plays a role in how you feel but what you eat can also affect your mood. While you may be tempted to eat heavy, warm foods when it's cold outside, the type of food you consume can make you feel even more cranky or sad.
Julie Daniluk, a registered holistic nutritionist at the The Big Carrot Natural Food Market in Toronto says the refined carbs many people crave in the winter (such as pasta made with white flour and pastries) can quickly cause blood sugar to spike -- so you feel peppy for a bit -- and then crash down, which causes irritability, mood swings and fatigue.
But food can also help you to feel brighter during the winter. The key is to keep your blood levels stable throughout the day by eating small meals with whole, unrefined foods every few hours. Here are five foods to help you beat the winter blues.
1. Salmon
This fish is brain food. Salmon's omega-3 essential fatty acids -- DHA, in particular -- improves your mood while helping your brain and body to work like a well-oiled machine. "For healthy communication patterns in the brain, we require DHA," says Daniluk. "It's also a building block for the neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) connected with positive emotions."
If you're not a fan of fish, go for walnuts and flaxseeds. While nuts and seeds don't offer DHA, their other omega 3s will help keep your mind and mood in a happy place.
2. Lentils
Lentils can curb the blues because they're rich in folate. "It's a very common vitamin deficiency, which has been linked to depression," says Toronto-based registered holistic nutritionist Nicole Coward. You can also get a folate fix from foods such as fortified breakfast cereals, asparagus and liver. Plus, these little legumes are loaded with B vitamins which your body needs for energy, she says. When your body lacks these vitamins, you'll feel tired -- and no one's in a good mood when they're exhausted.
Click to continue...
Page 1 of 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 more articles |
|
|
|
|
|
|
