Happy foods -- Eat to beat the winter blues

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.

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3. Pumpkin seeds
Feeling tense and irritable? Consider nibbling on a pinch or two of pumpkin seeds because their magnesium content can help you feel better. “Magnesium is known as the anti-stress mineral and it's very calming,” says Coward. Plus, Daniluk notes that you need it for your body to properly absorb omega-3s fatty acids.

One of the tastiest sources of this mineral is cocoa. For a treat, indulge in a small piece of dark chocolate (containing at least 70 percent cocoa) -- it has less sugar than milk chocolate, so it won't cause a fatigue-inducing spike in your blood sugar.

4. Brown rice
Get your carb fix from complex starches like brown rice. Unlike refined carbs, complex ones keep your blood sugar level and your mood steady, and are your body's preferred source of energy. Filled with B vitamins and fibre, brown rice also contains the essential amino acid tryptophan which, according to the Mayo Clinic, your body converts into serotonin -- a brain chemical that makes you feel calm. Other complex carbs that promote peacefulness include oats and millet.

5. Kale
A serving of kale a day keeps the crankies away. Kale provides a healthy dose of calcium, which is important for your nerves and helps you to relax, says Daniluk. Meanwhile, a study from the St. Luke-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York found that calcium can reduce PMS symptoms including moodiness and irritability. For variety, include other calcium-rich foods in your diet, such as yogurt, tofu, sardines and turnip greens.

What you drink can also affect your energy level and mood, so think before you sip. Your best bet is water, since a lack of it makes you lethargic and prevents your body from working well.

When you're feeling down, avoid alcohol since it's a depressant and skip the java if you're on edge – coffee can make you jittery and deplete your body of the vitamins and minerals that improve your mood.

“Instead, reach for a healthier source of caffeine like green tea with 33 milligrams of caffeine versus 300 milligrams [of caffeine] in an extra large coffee,” says Daniluk. Then munch on the five good mood foods listed above and you'll be feeling better in no time.

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