Happiness hormones : how to prevent winter blues

Happiness hormones : how to prevent winter blues

Categories: Food, Wellness

As the clocks change and darker days linger, how can we prevent winter blues? Mary Cotter is full of advice…

Janet Johnston

By Janet Johnston

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As the clocks change and darker days linger, how can we prevent winter blues?

Mary Cotter is full of advice on how eating the right balance of nutritious food can make a difference from the inside out.

Which foods should we focus on?

It’s the foods rich in B6, B12 and folate that we need to target to keep our levels of homocysteine in balance – that’s a marker for mood disorders. So pack in the following: B6: tuna, turkey, beef, chicken, sweet potato, sunflower seeds, spinach, banana; B12: meat and dairy (vegan sources: sea algae supplementation); Folate: legumes, dark green leafy veg.

What is the happiness hormone?

Serotonin : it’s made from tryptophan which comes from protein rich foods (meat, fish, dairy, soy, legumes). We now know that 95% of serotonin is made in the gut (not the brain!) so what you eat is vital. We also require optimum stomach acid levels to be able to absorb protein (and tryptophan) properly, so naturally increasing stomach acid levels is also important. For example, sip apple cider vinegar before meals and eat more bitter foods e.g. rocket, artichoke, fennel, watercress. And to build the serotonin receptors in the brain, we need omega 3 fats (flax, oily fish; sea algae supplement if vegan).

What about our depleted amount of sun in the winter?

Direct sunshine on our skin is what we need for generating vitamin D – if you are not getting this in our climate during the winter months you may want to consider a supplement, but seek advice on this and find out your natural level before you start.  Spending any time outdoors during the day (while it won’t make vitamin D during winter) is still uplifting to mood and helps sleep quality: better sleep = better moods.

To learn more join our next Revive Days  and chat through dietary changes that could keep you smiling this winter.

www.stellarhealth.co.uk

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