Good Mood Foods

The winter holiday season can be tough for many reasons. Shorter days can translate into sour moods (Seasonal Affective Disorder is real!), and holidays mean lots of eating and drinking, indulging more in sugary foods and booze. We all know the impact that diet can have on health (both positively and negatively), but diet also has a profound effect on mood! So before you continue sulking or reach for the Prozac, add these good mood foods to your diet! Make sure you check out the bad mood foods at the end of this post, too.

First up on the list: Good fats! Fat is essential, so if you’re still fat phobic, now is the time to educate yourself. Your brain is 70 percent (or more) saturated fat, and your cell membranes need fats to remain flexible so that nutrients can get in and out. Good fats include olive oil, coconut oil, flax oil, and most importantly for mood, the omega 3 essential fatty acids. They’re called “essential” because you must get them from diet–the body doesn’t make them. Omega 3s are often deficient in our diets because we’re accustomed to using refined, poor quality vegetable oils that are higher in the omega 6 fatty acids. Too much omega 6 can lead to inflammation while the omega 3s prevent inflammation, improve mood & cardio function, and even reduce pain. So eat up! Best sources include wild salmon, grass fed beef, organic eggs, walnuts, and leafy greens like spinach.

Next up: dark chocolate and cacao nibs! Milk chocolate doesn’t have the same effect, folks. Dark all the way, 70 percent or higher. Chocolate contains feel good chemicals that can boost feelings of well being, and it contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid that triggers the release of serotonin, a feel good neurotransmitter. Chocolate also contains antioxidants and is generally good for your cardiovascular system, so eat up! Products to try: Green & Black’s 85 percent dark and Artisana brand Cacao Bliss. This stuff is heavenly. Spread on fruit or toasted rice bread, or use in smoothies.

Speaking of tryptophan to enhance serotonin, here are a few other foods that are good sources: turkey, sunflower seeds, yogurt/cottage cheese, bananas, brown rice, and avocado.
Carb-rich food enhance the release of serotonin, which explains why you may crave sweets when you’re feeling down. Instead of reaching for the ice cream and foods high in refined carbs (like sugar), choose healthy carb-rich foods like oatmeal, sweet potatoes or other root veggies.

Also, I’m including oysters in this list because they are so high in zinc, a mineral in which we are chronically deficient. Great source of vitamin B12 too, which helps to regulate our stress levels and nervous system. There’s not a ton of scientific proof that oysters are an aphrodisiac, but extra B and zinc will make you feel good!

Bad Mood Foods
Avoid refined sugar, which will jack your blood sugar and lead to a later crash, leaving you cranky or tired. I also recommend that you avoid white flour, wheat, and gluten-containing foods, which cause inflammation and also break down into sugar in the body. Avoid pasteurized dairy products, which have been heated during the pasteurization process, killing all the beneficial enzymes & nutrients. Choose raw dairy if you are not sensitive!

Read Julia Ross’s The Mood Cure for more on good mood foods.

Here is a good mood recipe to try! Perfect for wintertime and also uses my fave invention: the quick & easy crockpot. Slow Cooking preserves nutrients. Halve this recipe if you’re cooking for one or two.

Turkey Stew
1 teaspoon ground allspice
Sea salt
4 skinless, bone-in turkey thighs (about 4 pounds)
1/2 medium butternut squash, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with juices, broken up
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup golden raisins
8 medium carrots, cut into 11/2-inch pieces
3 medium red onions, halved and cut into wedges
2 whole dried red chiles
1/2 lemon
2 cups fresh cilantro, including leaves and some stems
1 cup fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
Combine the allspice and 3 teaspoons salt in a small bowl. Season the turkey thighs with half the salt mixture in a 5-quart slow cooker. Toss the squash, chickpeas, tomatoes, apricots, raisins, carrots, onions and chiles with the remaining spiced salt. Pour the vegetables over the turkey (the cooker will be full; arrange the mixture so the lid fits). Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours. Spoon the vegetables and broth into bowls. Remove and discard the turkey bones and place the meat on top of the vegetables. Juice the lemon; pulse with the cilantro, parsley, garlic, cumin and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Add the oil and process until smooth. Serve the stew in bowls; drizzle with the cilantro sauce.