How eating well can lift your mood, make you feel sexy, happier and more energised with these diet tips
Food can play havoc with your physical health, but it can also affect how you feel — these good-mood foods will bring you through the dark, cold winter days
WHEN mornings get darker, it’s tempting to pull the duvet over your head and comfort eat your way through winter.
And while mainlining sticky toffee pudding will warm your cockles, your waistline won’t thank you for it – and neither will your mood.
The link between what we eat and how we feel is big news, particularly the effect our “gut flora” – the community of bacteria inside us – may have.
Niklas Eksted and Henrik Ennart are the authors of .
Niklas explains: “Your large intestine is like a tank reactor where the contents ferment. It produces hormones and signal substances that control your emotions. It’s why the gut is often called the second brain.”
In other words, what we eat has an impact on how we feel. So whether you want extra energy or a mood boost, these foods will get you through winter.
Eat yourself relaxed
As far as stressful times go, Christmas is up there.
The endless planning, shopping and family fallings-out can overwhelm even the calmest of us. And then there’s the strained finances and credit card bill at the end of it all.
Eat: “Certain nutrients and vitamins promote the calming action of the neurotransmitter GABA and have been shown to improve anxiety,” says Chris Newbold, head of clinical nutrition at supplement brand BioCare.
“These include magnesium, which is found in spinach, kale, nuts and seeds; vitamin B6, found in lean meats and eggs; and amino acids like taurine, found in beef, lamb and seafood.”
Swap: “Although alcohol is a go-to for many people to help them chill out, herbal teas like camomile and lemon balm will do a much better job at relaxing you, and they won’t disrupt your sleep like booze does,” Chris says.
Snack on: Surprisingly, chocolate could help.
“Muscle relaxation is dependent on magnesium,” says nutritionist Cassandra Barns. “Deficiency of the mineral is linked to insomnia, muscle twitching and anxiety. A chocolate bar that’s high in cacao, such as Ombar 90% Cacao Bar, £1.99, has 40% of your RDA.”
Take: Nature’s Plus KalmAssure Magnesium Powder, £24.50, is full of high-quality magnesium.
- Nature’s Plus KalmAssure Magnesium Powder, £24.50 from Revital —
Eat yourself happy
Fun (if slightly yucky) fact: your gut bacteria weigh 1.4kg and there’s around 40 trillion of them.
Scientists have started to discover that these gut residents directly affect our mental health.
“If we treat them well, they’ll help us become more stress-resistant, alert, happy and harmonious,” says Henrik.
Eat: “Leafy veg will help, but chard may be the best,” they suggest.
“It’s extremely rich in antioxidants including quercetin, which counteracts the substance secreted in our brains when we’re stressed and depressed.”
Oysters could also help. “Seven oysters contain well over our RDA of vitamin B12, zinc and selenium, which all contribute to balancing happy hormone serotonin.
"Beans, lentils and dark chocolate all have phenylethylamine – a substance made in the brain when we fall in love.”
Swap: Ditch regular butter for cashew. “Cashew nuts contain lots of resistant starch that nourish good gut flora,” says Niklas.
One study even found that eating a handful of nuts each day could extend your life by two years – the same effect as jogging for four hours a week.
Snack on: Pumpkin seeds are packed with tryptophan, which the body needs in order to produce serotonin.
Take: “Vitamin B12 keeps the brain happy and reduces the chances of anxiety, depression and brain fog,” says nutritionist Alix Woods. Dose up on supplements for a boost.
Eat yourself energised
If getting soaked on the school run again makes you want to curl up in a ball and everything seemed easier when it was light and warm – well, it was.
Our bodies produce vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight, and we can struggle to get enough of this “sunshine” vitamin int he winter months.
Research suggests vitamin D boosts energy levels and reduces fatigue. But if you can’t afford a beach break, there are other ways to get your fix.
Eat: “As the days shorten and the cold weather kicks in, we have a far lower intake of vitamin D,” says Chris.
“Eating foods such as eggs, mushrooms and oily fish – which are all good sources – is a good way to combat this.”
Swap: “If you start the day with sugary cereal or pastries, your energy will nosedive by 11am,” says Cassandra.
“Wholegrain oats are higher in fibre and break down slowly, providing sustained energy.”
Snack on: Bananas contain natural sugar and fibre for an energy boost – which is why you see top tennis players like Andy Murray munching on them.
Take: Make Sense For Busy Lives Superfood Supplement, £6.99 for seven servings, your go-to.
“The powder has beetroot, which is associated with boosting exercise performance, and guarana, for a natural caffeine hit,” explains Sense head nutritionist Dimitra Sentelidou.
- Make Sense For Busy Lives Superfood Supplement, £6.99 from Boots —
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
Eat yourself sexy
Or, should we say, turn a hot meal into a hot meal! These foods have been proven to increase libido.
Eat: Beetroot is packed with sexy stuff.
“It’s a natural source of nitrates,” says Chris. “These help produce nitric oxide in the body, which supports circulation. Enhancing blood flow supports libido in both sexes. Zinc-rich foods like oysters, red meat and poultry could also be beneficial if you’re experiencing low sex drive.”
Swap: Trade your Christmas clementine for a watermelon, which has a high level of citrulline, an amino acid related to vascular health.
In men this aids erections and in women it’s linked to an increased libido.
Sip on: Female sex drives perk up after a coffee hit: it stimulates the brain part that regulates arousal.
Maybe that’s why your barista always seems so cute…
Take: Vitamin B6 in BioCare FemForte Multi, £27.50 for 90 capsules, regulates hormonal activity, while zinc in BioCare MaleForte Multi, £13.96 for 60 capsules, maintains normal testosterone levels in men.
- Vitamin B6 in BioCare FemForte Multi, £27.50 from Biocare —
- BioCare MaleForte Multi, £13.96 from Biocare —
Sources: Harvard University, University of Hawaii, Southwestern University.
Stockists: Biocare (), Make Sense For Busy Lives (), Nature’s Plus (), Ombar ().