The winter months bring with them a melancholy mood, but there are foods to lift our spirits.
The fall of the first snow and the temperatures outside are usually an occasion for children's smiles and more time spent with the family warmly at home. But sometimes the cold and gloomy winter days bring with them a feeling of sadness, depression, lack of motivation and melt like snowflakes outside, good mood.
It is not easy to lift your spirits in the pre-holiday hysteria that is already occurring. Shopping, a trip or a conversation with a friend are always a good option, but they are not always enough. And if the maxim that a man's love passes through the stomach often turns out to be untrue, then nutritionists have long proven that if not love, then at least a good mood can be caused by delicious and carefully selected food.
Chocolates are a temptation that is difficult for both young and old to resist. Proven dark, dark and bitter chocolates chase away bad thoughts and bring back a smile on your face for a long time. They contain a large amount of cocoa, which has positive effects on mood, stress levels and concentration. In addition, dark chocolate contains polyphenols - a type of antioxidant that fights stress.
Now do you understand why all the desperate girls in the movies are bursting into tears with chocolates?
Magnesium is a mineral known to work as a natural antidepressant, reducing stress, anxiety and keeping away the first symptoms of depression. Unpeeled almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts and peanuts are great sources of magnesium every season. Magnesium can also be obtained through whole grains - black and rye bread, biscuits from unrefined flour, muesli, oatmeal, lentils, beans, bulgur and more.
Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, lettuce and others. overflow with vitamin B9 (folate), which is necessary for the metabolism of neurotransmitters - serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, endorphins, phenethylamine and oxytocin, or better known as the hormones of happiness.
Proper metabolism of these neurotransmitters has been shown to improve mood.
Fish is delicious and useful. And an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help fight bad mood by relaxing muscles and interacting with mood-related molecules in the brain.
Eggs are one of the best sources of vitamin D, namely the vitamin directly related to the level of serotonin in the body. It brings us that feeling of happiness that will make the upcoming holidays warm, cozy and unforgettable.
Strawberries and blueberries can also help fight stress and exhaustion at the end of the year. Their consumption prevents the release of the stress hormone cortisol and helps the body get rid of the daily feeling of tension.