Good Food For Good Mood
Staying home during this COVID-19 pandemic has made many of us feel bored, stressed and dreary. It has greatly created a negative mood among many of us. So how do we mitigate the impact of these uncertain times?
Enjoying what we eat is one way to overcome stress. Choosing what we eat can truly make a difference. Everyone knows how nutrition is important to one’s mental health as well as physical health.
Food and nutrients can positively impact your mood, attention and focus. Let us check out some ways:
#1 Enjoy a Tasty Meal with Complex Carbohydrates & Protein
Enhance your mood with tasty meals that combine complex carbohydrates with lean protein.
Sweet potatoes rolled oats, beans, and quinoa increases the availability of serotonin. This is a feel-good chemical that creates a feeling of happiness and comfort.
On the other hand, protein-rich food has dopamine and norepinephrine. These have a significant role in your concentration and motivation. Moreover, protein contains amino acids, which helps to regulate your thoughts and feelings.
#2 More Fruits & Veggies
These foods are high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These nutrients nourish your body and help boost happiness. Consuming more of these nutrients helps in resolving nutritional deficiencies.
Vegetables and fruits contain a lot of the minerals, vitamins and fibre we need. These keep us physically and mentally healthy, which is important to sustain a healthy mood.
#3 Try the Mediterranean Diet
This diet has gained significant attention as it helps decrease symptoms of depression. There are important components that need higher intake such as omega-3-rich fish dishes, nuts, legumes as well as olive oil. This diet with balanced nutrition certainly helps in improving mood and anxiety.
Studies have shown how the Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of depression by 25% to 35%. This is because traditional diets tend to be high in vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, fish and seafood. This diet contains only a small amount of lean meats and dairy.
#4 Get to Eat More Fatty Acids
No need to avoid fats, just eat the right ones like omega-3 and -6. Healthy fats are abundant in nuts, oily fish, poultry, olive and sunflower oils, seeds such as sunflower, avocados, milk, yoghurt, and eggs. A diet based on unrefined foods containing enough of these fatty acids specifically omega-3 helps to keep your blood sugar stable.
Be surprised how major studies have shown how omega-3 fatty acids are emerging as an effective therapy for mood disorders.
In Conclusion
There is a significant relationship between the role of diet and nutrition on mental health. Evidence shows how good nutrition is an important component of your emotional well-being. Healthy eating can keep you feeling your best. Eating high-quality foods with lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protect it from free radicals.
Explore the relationship between what you eat & how it makes you feel. Incorporate healthy eating into your life by knowing what foods you should and shouldn’t be eating. Never skip meals and mind your diet!
It can be really confusing especially these days that there are restrictions all over us. Lemoni knows well that you deserve freshly-cooked meals from the freshest ingredients. So no need to worry, there is always a delicious takeaway for you at Lemoni! Let our tasty, healthy meals improve your mood and the way you feel!