It’s February and it feels like the cold and grey is never going to end! At this time of year, having struggled through much of winter, many of us may be in the depths of SAD…
Seasonal Affective Disorder, that is.
Low levels of light, little exercise and an over-indulgence of comfort foods lower our serotonin levels – having a knock-on affect on all areas of your life, from mood to self-esteem to sleep.
It’s no wonder, then, that it can be hard to feel motivated, happy and attractive when you’re battling the winter blues… but, fortunately, there are a few things you can do to combat this.
Reaching for cupcakes and hunkering down might sound nice – but that’s not going to help!
Here are 5 ways to beat the winter blues, healthy-vegan style!
Wellness warriors read on…
1) Consume a whole foods, plant based diet.
Put down the comfort food!
I know, it’s hard, but refined, processed foods depletes the body of essential, mood-boosting hormones and completely throws you off balance.
At this time of year, also, if you’re new to veganism, you may be tempted to reach for your favourite non-vegan comfort foods. But, before you do, hear me out! Animals products don’t support healthy neurotransmitter levels (which equals low levels of serotonin, hence SAD); a 2012 study demonstrated that cutting out animal products improved mood by half in just two weeks!
Simply being vegan doesn’t equate to being healthy; but, consume whole plant foods and you’ll be (pun intended) laughing! By eating an abundant whole foods, plant-based diet, packed full of fruits and vegetables, you’ll keep your mood elevated. A recent review in the journal, Nutritional Neuroscience, suggests that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables “may present a noninvasive natural and inexpensive therapeutic means to support a healthy brain”.
But, if you want to be really specific about boosting your mood, eat an abundance of:
2) Tryptophan rich foods: while you can’t obtain serotonin (the happiness hormone) directly from food (despite the myths out there), you can consume healthy amounts of tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin. And luckily, there’s as an abundance of delicious, tryptophan-rich plant foods to keep you smiling. Fuel up on seaweed, mushrooms, spinach, legumes, winter squash, tomatoes (in fact, these seem to be the perfect ingredients for a hearty, whole foods, winter stew!) and cashew nuts.
Okay, so you’re eating a beautiful, tryptophan rich, plant-based diet, but don’t forget:
3) Get some vitamin D! I’m sure you’ve heard this one, but I can stress enough how important it is to supplement with vitamin D3 when it’s grey and dark outside and you’re bundled up from head to toe (and stuck in the office all day). If you can get some winter rays, they go for it! For the rest of us, supplementing with vitamin D3 is a proven way to elevate mood in winter. Think of it as your artificial sunshine until the clouds finally part for summer!
And, if there’s one immediate mood booster that no one should forgo, it’s:
4) Exercise. Put those trainers on! And get some aerobic exercise, to be specific. Not only will this warm you up when you’re feeling sluggish, but studies demonstrate the mood elevating affects of moderate to high impact exercise – and anyone who’s dragged themselves out for a run or battled through a HIIT workout when they don’t feel like it can attest to that incredible post-exercise high. If you’re dragging your heels at the thought, then commit to just 15 minutes, and see where you go from there. Bring a friend with you for a jog or to a yoga class, and you’ll get an extra bonus of socialising to boost your grouchy winter mood.
Even better, exercise increases tryptophan availability, so all those wonderful tryptophan abundant plant foods you’re eating will be even more effective. Yay!
And finally, don’t forget:
5) Relish in winter delights. It’s easy to appreciate spring, summer and autumn, but winter comes with it’s own pleasures – and they are, ultimately, limited, as spring propels itself forward.
As February approaches, enjoy the flavour nuances and bounty of the cold earth and make the most of seasonal, hearty winter plant foods, such as leeks, savoy cabbage, celeriac, caulliflower, kale, parsnips, winter apples and clementines. Not only are they abundant at this time of year, but they’re also affordable!
Don’t forget to get outside, in nature, and appreciate the winter landscape. Studies show that walking in nature is linking with significantly lower levels of stress and enhanced well-being. Wrap up, feel the cold on your skin, and breathe in the clean, sharp winter air and stark landscape! It may not be warm, but there’s a whole world going on out there!
Follow these steps and it’s a domino effect from there on out. Relish winter, and all of its delights and comforts –
And, don’t forget, only 38 official days of winter left!