CAN food and drinks play a role in enhancing your mood? Researchers are beginning to see a connection between dietary habits and your mood.
They’re not saying that certain foods are a sure cure for depression and severe feelings of lowness, but this is just yet another bit of evidence that good nutrition does enhance your wellbeing, not just physically, but also mentally.
So bring on the feel-good vibes with these healthful dietary habits.
1. Eat Sufficiently To Sustain Your Energy Level
Are you severely restricting your carbohydrates intake to lose weight? One common mistake a lot of people make to drop weight fast is to stop eating all carbohydrates, such as rice, breads, potato and starchy vegetables. Research shows that depriving yourself of enough food plus being on an extremely low carbohydrate diet will make you feel more tired and moody. Here are some tips:
• Take a good hard look at your carbohydrates. Not all carbohydrates are created equally. Cakes, pastries and cookies (refined carbohydrates) are mainly made up of butter, sugar and flour. Treat them like a once-in-a while dessert.
• Focus on whole grains as your preferred carbohydrate foods. Wholegrains gradually increase your blood sugar levels when you digest them. This stabilises your blood sugar levels better, helping you stay full for longer.
• Be adventurous. Try brown rice, multigrain bread and noodles, pasta, millet, quinoa and more. Do look up recipes and try them.
• See a dietitian to help you work out a balanced meal plan with the appropriate amount of foods to eat so you don’t get the moody blues because you’re hungry all the time.
2. Eat lean protein
Meat, fish, poultry, milk and dairy are good sources of tryptophan. This is an amino acid that is a building block of protein which plays a role in the synthesis of serotonin in your brain, together with the B-vitamins. Serotonin regulates and enhances that feel-good mood. Here are some tips:
• Include at least 2-3 servings of lean protein in your daily diet. A serving is a palm size portion.
• If you have trouble falling asleep due to feelings of anxiety, have a cup of warm milk.
• If you’re time challenged, do this trick of mine. Buy boneless chicken fillets and marinade them with salt, pepper and other herbs and spices that you like. Then, lightly panfry with a little oil. Keep them in airtight containers in the fridge (they keep well for up to three days) for use anytime. I slice them to make sandwich fillings, toss them into salad greens to make a quick salad or add them to one-dish meals such as pasta, fried rice or noodles. Healthy, quick meals in a jiffy will help you balance out your moods even on your most stressful days.
3. Kick Start Your Day With Breakfast
Researchers observe that regular breakfast eaters tend to have higher incidences of clarity of thought and calmness of mind. These are two wonderful qualities to have when you’re busy trying to churn out quality work or even getting a task completed. Numerous other researches also show that starting your day with breakfast improves memory and concentration. Here are some tips:
Combine protein and carbohydrate for a healthy, sustaining breakfast. Try the following:
• Wholegrain cereal with milk, topped with fruit and nuts
• Wholegrain bread with a filling such as tuna, cheese, eggs, scrambled eggs and toast
• A quick whiz of milk, grains and fruit to make a smoothie.
4. Boost Your Vitamin D Levels
Studies done on people who reported feelings of seasonal depression (e.g. feeling low and moody during winter, where the days are shorter and the nights are longer) showed that Vitamin D could help to boost serotonin levels in the brain. Your body synthesises Vitamin D from moderate exposure to sunlight. That’s one way to boost your Vitamin D. The other is to include Vitamin D rich foods in your daily diet. Here are some tips:
• Vitamin D rich foods include salmon, sardines, tuna (even canned variety is fine, and especially handy for convenience), catfish, milk, cod liver oil and mushrooms. Also eggs, lean beef and soya bean milk.
• If you’re stuck in an office cubicle or small room, get out for a sunshine break. Just 10 minutes outdoors or by a window will uplift your mood.
5. Healthy Omega-3 Fats
Your body cannot make Omega-3 fatty acids. You must get it from food. Research suggests that Omega-3 fatty acids may have protective properties to fend of feelings of depression. It’s not fully understood how, but Omega-3 fatty acids seem to affect the neurotransmitter function and pathways in the brain. Here are some tips:
• Salmon, cod, tuna, sardines and mackerel are good sources of Omega-3. Try to include 2 servings of fish weekly.
• Wholegrains, beans, legumes, seeds, fruit and vegetables also contribute to your Omega-3 intake.
• Look for Omega-3 fortified foods such as eggs , milk, yogurt and cereals.
6. Selenium Surprise
Research has found a connection between feelings of lowness when insufficient intake of selenium. To avoid running risks of selenium deficiency, take wholegrains, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, dairy and seafood into your daily diet. Here are some tips:
• A handful of nuts (40g) is a recommended serving.
• Add nuts to breakfast cereals or to dishes such as vegetables or rice.
• Spread peanut butter on wholegrain crackers for a selenium-rich snack.