Starve Off the Winter Blues with Foods that De-stress

Posted on December 9, 2019

The cold, short days of winter are notorious for affecting our mood. Though most of us might feel a little more sluggish during this time, some people get a really bad case of the winter blues, known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Luckily, there are a few foods that can help keep those blues at bay.

Omega-3 has been shown to help us maintain healthy levels of dopamine and serotonin, two brain chemicals that impact our mood greatly. Eating foods rich in omega-3 can help turn your frown upside down! Really great food sources of omega-3 include oily, fatty fish like salmon, anchovies, herring and sardines. Walnuts and flax seed also contain omega-3s, but our body’s ability to convert it into the active form is limited.

Carbs promote the production of serotonin, but not all carbs are created equal. Skip the simple carbs like sugar, white bread and white rice, and instead opt for complex carbs like popcorn, lentils, brown rice and sweet potatoes.

Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin, yet we receive very little sunshine during the long, cold winter months. There is a correlation between low levels of vitamin D and depression. Foods high in vitamin D include milk, egg yolks, fortified cereals and codfish oil. With needs for vitamin D being higher than what is typically found in food, you may also need to take a supplement as well (just make sure to check in with your doctor first).