Feeling Down? These Foods Can Reverse Your Mood
Diet April 28, 2024 Hannah Lamarque
Feeling down from time to time is part and parcel of everyday life and while changeable moods are perfectly normal, there are a number of methods we can use in order to get over them more quickly. While staying sociable, learning to relax and exercising regularly are all great ways of staying in a more positive mindframe, you can also use food to help you feel better about things. It turns out that the type of produce we eat can have a remarkable effect on our feelings of wellbeing and simply by eating more food boosting meals, we can develop a sunnier perspective on life. Are you ready to look on the brighter side? These foods are all that you need.
- Chocolate
Believe it or not, chocolate can actually work wonders when you’re feeling less than wonderful. While you might be tempted to reach for the candy drawer, you might want to stop yourself before you eat everything you have. Although chocolate can help to make you feel better, studies have shown that it’s typically darker varieties that really have the mood boosting effects. Consuming 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate each day for 2 weeks can effectively help you to feel happier and more relaxed, making dealing with tensions a real walk in the park. Finishing off a balanced meal with a few squares of high intensity dark chocolate can be all it takes to find a healthier and happier you!
- Carbohydrates
There’s good reason why we associate carbs with comfort food so often; promoting the production of serotonin, the food group can help us to feel happier and more content, even when faced with moments of stress. While eating huge bowls of refined carbs might not be the best way to go, you can incorporate complex varieties into your diet to feel all of the benefits. Eating more wholegrain pasta, brown rice and wholemeal bread will help you to feel fuller, happier and bursting with energy!
- Oily Fish
Feeding your body healthy, well balanced foods is a sure fire way to up your stores of nutrients and in turn, feel more content! Helping to boost your levels of healthy fatty acids, oily fish like salmon and mackerel are great choices when you’re developing a balanced diet and eating more of them will help you to feel healthier and happier. Packed full of omega 3, the fish boosts your brain’s production of serotonin and dopamine, making it easier for you to feel happier. When you feel your mood waning, just up your consumption of the fish; you will feel better in no time at all!
- Saffron
It’s not just whole foods that can have a positive effect on your mood, either. There are a number of herbs and spices that can do wonders for your health and when it comes to developing a positive outlook, few spices come as well equipped as saffron. As well as helping to keep your mood in check, saffron can effectively ward off the emotional effects of the menstrual cycle in women, keeping mood swings and depression in check. Keeping your consumption levels regular to one capsule a day can be all it takes to throw symptoms of PMS to the curb!
5. Coconut
As well as nourishing your skin, hair and nails, boosting your internal health and helping with your circulation, coconut can help you to feel a whole lot happier, too. When you’re feeling stressed, just a whiff off the fruit might be all it takes to get your “fight or flight” response under control, helping you to feel a great deal more relaxed. Coconut can also help to lower your blood pressure level, giving your body the chance to deal with any anxiety that might come your way. Keeping coconut fragrance with you might be all that it takes to feel happier and more relaxed!