Skip to main content

5 Mood Boosting Foods to Beat the Winter Blues


Our stress levels tend to skyrocket around holiday time.  And the dark and gloomy weather doesn't help, either. So we often turn to fatty and sugary foods for comfort. But just as our food choices will make it hard to fit those skinny cords, what we eat can also impact our mood—for better and for worse.

So Everything She Wants asked Theresa Creamer, a registered dietician at the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Cancer Care in New York City, for advice on how to beat the winter blahs with 5 nutrient-packed foods.

Salmon: Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, herring and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to have a positive effect on mood swings and feelings of depression. They also help reduce inflammation and the risk of developing heart disease.

Eggs: During the winter, we tend to hibernate and bundle up. So we make less vitamin D—“the sunshine vitamin”--because we have less exposure to the sun.  That's why getting it from foods becomes even more important. Egg yolk is a great source of vitamin D, which can also be found in oily fish (salmon, herring and sardines) and fortified milk. Adequate vitamin D intake may be associated with various mood-related states including SAD, PMS and depression.

Spinach: Dark, leafy greens are high in folate and magnesium, which are both linked to serotonin production, a neurotransmitter that may affect brain functioning related to sleep, memory and mood. Not only will it potentially lift your spirits--increased serotonin levels may help you ward off winter weight gain by controlling your appetite.

Almonds: Almonds are high in magnesium and the amino acid tyrosine, and both may affect the production of mood influencing chemicals in the brain.

Dark Chocolate: Depriving yourself of sweet treats can make you grumpy, so indulging in chocolate—in moderation, of course—will give you a boost. Yay! But skip the milk chocolate and opt for dark chocolate, which is rich in antioxidants and may activate pleasure pathways in the brain.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Conway Discount Clothing Chain Closing in New York City

It's the end of an era. Conway discount stores are closing . As of this weekend, a sign on the sole Herald Square location (34th Street btwn 7th and 8th Ave) says the store will close in "7 Days." Before I relocated to New York City, I was introduced to the discount chain while on a bus trip from Baltimore.  I recall the first time I saw Conway's signature pink bags carried by hurried shoppers in midtown. And Miss Foster, the trip organizer and a bargain hunter from way back, took me to the store for the first time. Conway store in the Fulton Mall./Tracy E. Hopkins When I moved here in 1994, my love affair with Conway continued.  I furnished my first apartment with discount knick-knacks and home goods from the store.  And much to my chagrin, in hindsight, I curated most of my wardrobe for my first full-time job from the long-shuttered 42nd Street and Third Avenue store. One regretful ensemble: Lime green and white checkered pants with a matching lime green

Memorial Day Weekend 2023 Cultural Highlight: DanceAfrica Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Throughout Brooklyn

In her essay, " African Dance is Medicine for the Mind, Body and Spirit ," dancer, teacher and choreographer Cherie Hill wrote, "The more I perform African dance, the more I discover and enjoy euphoria. When the drums are beating and the body is dancing everything fits in sync and I feel limitless and powerful."   Photo by Nate Palmer                                                                                                                         Hill is honored with a portrait by Cecilia Lamptey-Botchway that's on display   at the  BAM Howard Gilman Opera House  during the annual  DanceAfrica Festival .  The festival celebrates Black joy and resilience and the regal power of African dance.  I mark my calendar each year for the  DanceAfrica Bazaar, where I often run into old friends and see familiar faces. In a Brooklyn that has quickly become gentrified, I love to see us walking tall, beaming with pride and to quote Bey, "shining, shining, shining, y

Does Your Cheap Jewelry Contain Lead?

Scouring street fairs, flea markets and discount shops for cheap, chunky costume jewelry is kinda our thing. As a sometime sidewalk sale seller and Etsy store owner, we’ve even sold thread earrings made in Brazil and Peru.  Street fair jewelry is cheap, but is if safe?/Photo by Tracy E. Hopkins Lately, however, we’ve noticed the label " lead compliant " on some of our fashion jewelry finds. But what does that mean? To get the skinny on lead compliance and what we should look for and avoid when shopping for budget costume jewelry, Everything She Wants asked two jewelry experts/medical doctors – Alexis Gopal and Matilde Parente -- for their tips. Everything She Wants : What does it mean when jewelry says, "lead compliant?"   Alexis Gopal : The term "lead compliant" means that the piece of jewelry conforms to the standards set forth by the Consumer Product Safety Information Act , which was signed into law in 2008. It set limits on the am