Women Campus | Hello beautiful!: 5 Foods To Boost Your Mood This Winter

When the cold, grey, winter days hit, it’s hard to feel anything but sluggish. To get your peppy mood back, you can always hit the gym or watch your favorite chick flick. Another solution for the winter blues? You could eat. Really.

HC spoke with Susan Kleiner, author of The Good Mood Diet, Power Eating, and Powerfood Nutrition Plan about five foods that can boost your mood this winter, or anytime.

One thing to keep in mind: these foods don't have the potency of a drug: “The effects are subtle, and accumulate over time,” Kleiner says. Start by eating a few of these foods in the morning, and occasionally munching on them throughout the day in order to gradually begin to feel your best.

1. Milk:

Milk is high in carbohydrates and tryptophan, the building block of serotonin, also known as the happiness hormone. Milk is “a natural source of carbohydrates which helps to usher tryptophan into the brain,” Kleiner says. "It contains the carbohydrates to raise serotonin which raises your mood." Your body needs the vitamin D in milk to make serotonin, which is why drinking milk can contribute to feelings of happiness. Kleiner says milk also contains the ideal muscle recovery combo: whey protein and carbohydrate. Any percent fat (2%, 1%, skim, etc) will do, so just choose your favorite.

Boost your mood with milk with:

A bowl of cereal in the morning to start the day off feeling upbeat.
A cold glass of milk in the afternoon to keep your body ready for the next snowball fight.
Topping off your hot chocolate, coffee, or tea with a dash of milk.

2. Fish:

Fatty fish contain essential fats like DHA and EPA. These can “enhance mental focus and elevate your mood,” says Kleiner. Not to mention the fact that DHA and EPA help promote healthy brain cells. For fish high in these fats, Kleiner recommends choosing salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, herring, or shellfish as your next fishy meal. “Eat fish 3-5 times a week, or take a fish oil supplement,” Kleiner says. Fish oil supplements or pills are an easy substitute if you’re not a seafood fan, or don’t always have the time to grill a salmon steak. Make sure that the supplement contains DHA or EPA; DHA is most important for mood. “You should have about 1000 mg/day, total, with at least 40% DHA,” Kleiner says.

Try these fishy mood-boosters:

Pop a fish oil supplement in the morning.
Whip up a tuna sandwich for lunch, or spread on crackers for a quick snack.
Make yourself a delicious seafood dinner.

3. Latte:

Well, this should be an easy one for us collegiettes™. Caffeine can give you just the kick you need to get up off that couch this winter. Kleiner recommends combining milk with a little caffeine. Do this at the beginning of your day or before exercise for a mood and energy boost. “Just don't overdo the caffeine,” Kleiner says, “and [make sure] it’s not too late in the day [so as not] to disturb sleep.” Try a latte or cup of coffee before your 11 a.m. class to keep you going through the rest of the day. Kleiner recommends keeping coffee off-limits after 5 p.m., and only going for that 2 pm. Caffeine fix when you need it. Generally, Kleiner says, do your best to steer clear of coffee after noon.

To get your caffeine boost:

Check out HC’s article on Starbucks’s Fall Drinks: Which to Pick and Which to Skip for your before-class cup of joe.
Add milk for the benefits of mood-boosting food #2!

4. Eggs:

Kleiner says the choline found in the egg yolk is “essential for the function of acetylcholine, required for every thought and every movement that we have.” The two phospholipids in egg yolk also keep brain cells healthy. “The yolk is a great source of a number of vitamins and minerals,” Kleiner says, “and both the white and yolk contain protein.”

To reap the benefits of eggs, add them to your routine with:

French toast
An omelet
Eggs cooked your favorite way: scrambled, over-easy, or sunny-side up.
Include eggs in your lunch or dinner as a frittata or quiche.
Top a salad with sliced hard-boiled eggs.
Scramble a few eggs and add to brown or white rice.
A quick scrambled egg is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

5. Cinnamon:

“Cinnamon opens up your blood vessels, getting oxygen to your muscles and your brain,” says Kleiner. This leads you to feel better and more energized all around.

Sprinkle cinnamon on top of your:

Morning coffee
French toast
Oatmeal
Curry
Soup
For a mid-day snack try cinnamon on apple slices, or toast.

Foods to Avoid:

There are also a few foods that will only leave you feeling more down and fatigued.
Kleiner recommends steering clear of high fat, fried, fast food, and packaged foods. “They linger in your stomach,” Kleiner says, “and the fats are unhealthy for your brain and arteries.”

Leave these out of your diet to keep that peppy mood up:

Baked goods (such as cookies, cake, and brownies)
Chips
Pre-Packaged snack foods
Fast food

While we all know—and possibly love—that sugar high, Kleiner encourages us to keep the sugared foods to a minimum. “A little sugar lifts your mood; a lot of sugar frequently gives you the sugar blues,” Kleiner says. “You need to eat more of it more frequently to maintain any elevated sense of mood, and more often you start to feel down and fatigued, craving sugar and feeling bad.”

Do your best to avoid foods with added sugars and refined starches, such as sodas and other fruit-flavored beverages, candy, frozen deserts and boxed commercial cereals. If you’re going to have a slice of cake or pie at the next holiday dinner, limit it to just one.

Here are some favorite (non-scientific) edible pick-me-ups from the Her Campus staff:

“Peanut butter with a drizzle of honey and a dash of cinnamon on whole wheat bread (may sound gross but it's soo yummy!)” – Lisl Magboo, Branch Manager, James Madison University
“Without a doubt, my go-to for a pick-me-up is Frosted Mini-Wheats, with or without milk. I am a huge cereal person.” – Nicole Robert, George Washington University Campus Correspondent
“Nutella on a banana!”- Chelsea McLeod, Rhodes College Campus Correspondent
“Can coffee count? Nothing works better for me!” - Jen Kach, Penn State Campus Correspondent
“Bruchetta. Drizzled lightly with EVOO and dusted with Italian seasonings, this great food won't weigh you down but will certainly pick up your mood and energy.” – Sarah Robertson, James Madison University Campus Correspondent
“I love eating celery with healthy dips (e.g., red pepper and goat cheese). The celery provides a satisfying crunch, while the dip is much more comfort-food like, without all of the calories.” – Nikki Fig, Editorial Intern, Emerson College
“Clementines! Especially in the winter.” – Hannah Orenstein, Editorial Intern, Needham High School
“Dark chocolate-covered espresso beans! Not only are they delicious, but the caffeine boost really picks you up and gives you that extra boost to make it through a long seminar or study session.” - Sarah Nadler, William and Mary Campus Correspondent
“Lasagna is the best for picking me up. It's delicious and filling; it definitely keeps me warm and happy during the cold months.” - Rebekah Meiser, Contributing Writer, University of Ohio

Sources

Dr. Susan Kleiner, author of The Good Mood Diet

Her Campus staff