Feeling blue? Try these foods and heed these nutrition tips from WebMD.
6 Tips for Foods and Beverages That Help You Feel Good
1. Seek out foods rich in vitamin B12 and folic acid (folate).
What’s
special about chili made with kidney beans and lean beef? Or a light
chicken Caesar salad made with skinless chicken breast and romaine
lettuce? Or grilled salmon with a side of broccoli?
All
these dishes feature one food that is rich in folic acid (folate) and
another that is rich in vitamin B12. These two vitamins appear to help
prevent disorders of the central nervous system, mood disorders, and
dementias, says Edward Reynolds, MD, at the Institute of Epileptology,
King’s College, London.
The link between higher food
intakes of folate and a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms crosses
cultures, too. A recent study confirmed this association in Japanese
men.
Folic acid is usually found in beans and greens. Vitamin B12 is found in meats, fish, poultry, and dairy.
Other dishes that feature B-12 and folic acid-rich foods include:
- A burrito or enchilada made with black beans plus beef, chicken, or pork
- A spinach salad topped with crab or salmon
- An egg white or egg substitute omelet filled with sauteed spinach and reduced-fat cheese
2. Enjoy fruits and vegetables in a big way.
Fruits
and vegetables are packed with key nutrients and antioxidant
phytochemicals, which directly contribute to your health and
health-related quality of life.
In
a one study, eating two more servings of fruits and vegetables a day
was associated with an 11% higher likelihood of good functional health.
People who ate the highest amount of fruits and vegetables felt better
about their health.
3. Eat selenium-rich foods every day.
Selenium
is a mineral that acts like an antioxidant in the body. What do
antioxidants have to do with feeling better and minimizing bad moods?
Research suggests that the presence of oxidative stress in the brain is
associated with some cases of mild to moderate depression in the
elderly population.
One study evaluated the depression
scores of elderly people whose daily diet was either supplemented with
200 micrograms of selenium a day or a placebo. Although more research
is needed to confirm the findings, the group taking selenium had higher
amounts of selenium circulating in their blood and significant
decreases in their depression symptoms.
Try to get at least the recommended daily allowance for selenium: 55 micrograms a day for men and women.
Whole
grains are an excellent source of selenium. By eating several servings
a day of whole grains such as oatmeal, whole-grain bread, and brown
rice, you can easily get 70 micrograms of selenium. Other foods rich in
selenium include:
- Beans and legumes
- Lean meat (lean pork or beef, skinless chicken or turkey)
- Low-fat dairy foods
- Nuts and seeds (especially Brazil nuts)
- Seafood (oysters, clams, crab, sardines, and fish)
4. Eat fish several times a week.
Several
recent studies have suggested that men and women have a lower risk of
having symptoms of depression if they eat a lot of fish, particularly
fatty fish like salmon, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3s
from fish seem to have positive effects on clinically defined mood
swings such as postpartum depression, says Jay Whelan, PhD, head of the
department of nutrition at the University of Tennessee.
Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include:
- Herring
- Rainbow trout
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Tuna
+9
But our primary source of dietary vitamin D is fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals, breads, juices, and milk.
6. Treat Yourself to 1 oz of Chocolate
“Small
amounts of dark chocolate can be a physical upper,” says Becker at
Johns Hopkins. “Dark chocolate has an effect on the levels of brain
endorphins,” those feel-good chemicals that our bodies produce. Not
only that, but dark chocolate also seems to have a heart-healthy
anti-clogging effect in our blood vessels.
In one study
from the Netherlands, Dutch men who ate 1/3 of a chocolate bar each day
had lower levels of blood pressure and lower rates of heart disease.
The chocolate also boosted their general sense of well-being.
