After
the rush of the holidays, winter blues can have a great affect on your
mood. Staying active and getting enough sleep are important to
maintaining your well being, but including superfoods in your diet is
another crucial factor to brightening your day. Here are a collection of
foods that will give you a boast and put your mind at ease.
Swiss Chard
This
leafy green has high levels of folic acid, which has been proven to be a
strong mood booster.Spice up a meal with some delicious sauteed swiss
chard and onions
Asparagus
A versatile green veggie that
can easily be roasted for a delicious addition to any meal and has been
proven to raise low folic acid levels that are linked to depression.
Asparagus also contains vitamin C which has been connected to easing
depression. Eating a cup of this vegetable is recommended to be
effective.
Oatmeal
This morning staple is high in
magnesium that has been proven to combat anxiety and depression. It also
has large amounts of soluble fiber that helps stabilize mood swings.
Almonds
An
easy and filling snack, these nuts are packed with magnesium, which are
vital to maintaining good brain health and alleviating depression.
Create a savory-sweet snack by making your own trail mix with almonds
and other heart-healthy nuts and dried fruits. Snacking on around 23
almonds daily will allow you to see positive changes in your mood.
Dark Chocolate
Have
a sweet tooth? Satisfy your cravings and get a natural mood boost
through this sweet treat by eating 3.5 to 7 ounces daily.Dark chocolate
is filled with cocoa flavanols, a key ingredient that helps reduce
stress levels.
Tomatoes
Often mistaken for a vegetable,
these fruits are packed with the antioxidant lycopene, which helps rid
the body of free radicals that damage cells. Tomatoes are also known to
have high levels of folic acid that help prevent depression.
Eggs
This
protein-packed breakfast food, assists with your body’s ability to
create serotonin. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to
depression. For a bright start to your day, check out these healthy
egg-based recipes. It is proven that up to three eggs are safe for daily
consumption for healthy individuals, but if you are worried about your
cholesterol intake consult with your physician first.An added bonus is
that lentils are packed with folic acid, which is a major mood booster.
Lentils also have the amino acid L-tyrosine, that allows your brain to
create the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine that help fight
off depression. A cup of cooked lentils is the minimum amount
recommended for effectiveness.
Honey
Nature’s sweetener is
known to have a calming effect that can soothe anxious minds. Honey is
also known to have tryptophan, an amino acid that induces sleep by
creating the hormone serotonin that is known to aid in relaxation. Try
it in a cup of tea, with some plain yogurt or just as a spoonful to have
an instant effect on frazzled nerves.
Mussels
This
superfood from the sea is filled with vitamin B12, which is necessary
for normal nervous system functioning and is critical in creating a
compound named S-adenosylmethionine that monitors your mood. |
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