5 Foods to Beat the Winter Blues
Winter is beautiful in theory, but it’s pretty common to feel the winter blues when the world outside is frigid and/or covered in a layer of freshly fallen white. Don’t let all that weather get you down. Stocking your kitchen with these 5 foods will help you stay on the sunny side of the season.
5 Foods to Beat the Winter Blues
Spinach
This leafy green is high in iron and vitamin K, but it’s also chock full of those fatty acids that health professionals love to tell us all about – we’re talking heart healthy Omega 3s.
We know they are great for reducing inflammation (that pesky culprit which can play a hand in how often and how long you suffer from nasty winter colds), but what you might not know is that medical studies have shown they also have the ability to reduce depression and depression symptoms. Pass the spinach, please!
Eggs
Almost everyone suffers from a lack of vitamin D during the cold winter months (and if you don’t spend at least 15 minutes outside without sunscreen during the summer you might be lacking then too), which has been linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder, among other things. Bright, sunny egg yolks are an egg-cellent, tasty way to up your intake (they contain about 10% of your recommended daily dose) when you can’t spend that much needed 15 minutes outdoors. Worried about cholesterol levels? Never fear. Egg yolk is finally shaking that bad reputation. A 2013 study in the British Journal of Medicine concluded that “higher consumption of eggs (up to one egg per day) is not associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease or stroke.”
Berries
Need we say more about how you really have to incorporate berries into your daily diet routine? Berries can help prevent the release of cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal gland that is associated with high levels of stress and that stubborn, dangerous belly fat.
Dark Chocolate
Those with a sweet tooth will be happy to hear that dark chocolate is a superfood that can boot those winter blues. Research has shown that dark chocolate that is at least 70 percent cocoa can kick in the production of phenylalanine, a chemical believed to up the levels of dopamine in your brain. Low levels of dopamine have been associated with depression in some individuals.
Turkey
There’s a good chance by now you might be tired of it (get what we did there?) but those same chemicals – tryptophan and melatonin – that have grandpa snoozing after the holiday meal make turkey a natural remedy for stressful situations. Besides – it’s cold out, there’s no better excuse to stay in than practicing for the next big day!
→ Check out our article on 10 Foods to Enhance Your Natural Beauty here plus 7 Foods That’ll Make You Happier!
