There’s a growing number of individuals during certain times of the year, as well as during certain points in their lives when they begin feeling the blahs, and are looking for effective healthy ways to beat these blues.
Feeling not as perky as usual, becoming a bit moody and down on oneself is clinically defined as a condition which interferes with mental acuity, which results in a lack of energy, difficulty in maintaining focus, and losing general interest in their once cherished or most valued activities.
The majority of us at one time or another will suffer from various degrees of this disorder, for others, it becomes a chronic issue which becomes dark, and requires constant coping with on a daily basis.
Fortunately, there are a few easy steps that one can immediately take to help in uplifting your spirits during these times of turmoil, helping you to become more unconditionally happy in your life.
Although you may not realize it, but you can blame this feeling on the immediate foods that you eat on a daily basis, which may be affecting your current state of mind. What’s been identified are select natural foods that you can eat right now, to make yourself feel better.
The Foods Which Contain Antioxidants
There’s a large cross section of recommended foods which falls under the antioxidant category. What antioxidants have is the power to be able to eliminate damaging molecules which are residing in our bodies.
These damaging molecules are known as free radicals, which will often target the brain. Although it’s though there’s no way of stopping these free radicals from attacking, its shown that antioxidant rich foods are an excellent way of reducing the likeliness of removing these rads.
So what you need to do is increase your antioxidant levels with foods such as apricots, broccoli, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, kiwi, oranges, seeds, peppers, and other varieties of colorful fruits and vegetables.
Packing In More Protein
Foods which are rich in protein contain a certain amino acid that’s known as tyrosine. What tyrosine does is it boosts the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine, which are the brain chemicals which helps you in feeling more alert and energetic.
To reap the benefits of the most potent proteins, feed yourself more on fresh peas, beans, lean beef, poultry, fish, yogurt, and milk into your diet.
Cashing In On Carbohydrates
Not all of the foods which are in the carbohydrates group are known to promote positive results when feeling down, but, health experts recommend eating more of what’s known as “smart carbs,” which are known to give you a boost.
These carbohydrates are linked to strong levels of serotonin, which helps in elevating mood. So limit your intake of all empty sugary foods while increasing your consumption of eating the smart carbs such as most fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
Eating More Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are continuously proving to provide endless health benefits especially for the mind. When it comes to moodiness, experts claim that it’s because of the lower levels of Omega-3 that’s associated with feeling in the dumps.
It’s found eating just small amounts of these beneficial fats will have a positive effect, so to increase your Omega-3 Fatty Acid intake, eat more fresh fatty fish, walnuts and other nuts, flaxseeds, canola oil, and dark green leafy vegetables.
The Wholesomeness Of Whole Grains
Whole grains are mostly made up of healthy nutrients. They’re high in fiber, amino acids and vitamins which have been proven to elevate one’s mood, even making you a bit giddy.
If you’re looking to properly increase your whole grain intake, consider incorporating whole grain cereals, whole grain breads, whole wheat pasta, and more brown rice into your diet.
Foods Which Contain Vitamin C
Vitamin C isn’t just for fighting off the latest sniffles, as it’s also found effective for elevating mood. Vitamin C, similar to smart carbs, plays a key role when it comes to the production of serotonin.
So if you’re looking to naturally increase the intake of Vitamin C, consider consuming natural foods such as oranges, grapefruit, spinach, and peas.
Foods Which Contain Vitamin D
According to the latest studies, it’s revealed that anyone who’s suffering from mild depression has a deficiency in Vitamin D. Other studies prove that once increasing the intake of Vitamin D to adequate levels, it will elevate one’s outlook on life.
So if you’re wanting to increase your vitamin D intake, consider adding more eggs, fortified cereals, mushrooms, raw fish, and diary products into your diet. And oh, don’t forget natural sunshine on your skin.
Foods Which Contain Vitamin E
Low levels of Vitamin E has been closely linked to anxiety, elevated stress and feeling the blues. This particular vitamin is an antioxidant that’s known to have excellent health benefits.
If you’re looking to particularly improve your mood through more natural vitamin E intake, try eating more egg yolks, oats, chickpeas, seeds, and nuts. When cooking, try using canola or olive oil, or any other type of healthy oil for added vitamin E.
Just Drink More Water
At times, it just comes down to drinking more water, combined with physical activity, which has been proven to uplift spirits while reducing symptoms of moodiness. Water is found to be the one most important element when it comes to pumping you up.
This because once your body becomes dehydrated, it begins to suffer in a variety of ways which signals the brain. So in order to alleviate this, it’s found that it can be as simple as just drinking more pure clean water.
If you attempt to substitute this water with any other beverage such as coffee, tea, soda, or juice, it won’t produce the same effects that water will, the reason being that these liquids contain detrimental substances.