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If you find yourself feeling blue as the days get shorter and the nights get longer, you may be part of the 5 percent of the U.S. population that suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Also known as the “winter blues,” seasonal affective depression can also cause anxiety, lethargy, and sleep problems in many people. Luckily, there are ways that you can curb winter depression. One of the most common ways (and one of my personal favorites) is to eat mood-boosting foods, such as ones that contain lots of vitamin D for seasonal depression.
Research has found that certain foods can have a positive impact on mood. While food alone won’t cure the symptoms of winter depression, it’s a delicious way to help you feel a little better. With that in mind, I have chosen 6 mood-boosting recipes that I believe are excellent for anyone who needs a bit of a mood boost.
6 Mood-Boosting Recipes
Bread lovers, unite. This fig and ricotta toast recipe is one of the more innovative mood-enhancing foods. Figs can help with your learning and memory, keeping your brain active when it starts to feel lethargic. The ricotta adds a tasty touch that will make for a happy and healthy breakfast.
If you fancy yourself quite the cook, you'll want to try out one of the top mood food recipes, Persian grilled chicken. Chicken is lean-protein meat that contains the amino acid tryptophan, which assists your body in creating serotonin or the "happy hormone."
One of the best mood-boosting foods, in my humble opinion, is a smoothie rich in greens. If the thought of a green smoothie seems not-so-appetizing to you, know that this particular recipe also has bananas to even out the taste of veggies. The rich nutrients in this drink can also aid your body in boosting its energy levels so that you feel more active this winter season.
I find this red lentil and vegetable soup recipe is both easy to make and unbelievably tasty. If you live in a particularly cold area, a hot bowl of soup will act as the perfect way to have you feel better both physically and mentally. Even better, lentils are rich in B vitamins, one of the best vitamins in good mood food.
Love steak? Love salad? Then you'll love cooking up a steak salad for mood food. Steak is rich in healthy nutrients and vitamins like B12, which can help fight off anxiety and depression. Even better, veggies like leafy greens give you brainpower so that you can maximize the state of a healthy mind.
If you are a chocolate lover, you'll fall in love with this chocolate good mood food. Dark chocolate has long been known to help ward off depression. Plus, it tastes delicious! This chocolate recipe has you making chocolate truffles with nuts to snack on or serve as a happy dessert.
Hopefully, you’ll find at least one recipe that I’ve listed here that can assist you in beating the winter blues. Make sure also to incorporate exercise, spend plenty of time in the sunshine, keep up with therapy appointments, and get lots of vitamin d for seasonal depression. Also, make sure you keep up with your social circle during the winter months to lessen your SAD symptoms for the rest of the season.