Bend and Blend: January
Brought to you by Carole Baker, The Self Centre
This month we look at Good Mood Food and what and how we eat and its importance!
January is often the low mood month of dark mornings and evenings and the credit card bills and realisation that the Xmas pounds did pile on! Many people find their energy levels fall and they feel less happy – current research has told us that food can definitely affect our mood as well as our energy levels so let’s look at some simple things you can do to prevent that S.A.D feeling! What we eat and how we eat it, plays an important role in how we feel deficiencies in some essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients can lead to symptoms associated with stress, depression, behavioural problems and physical disease as well!
In conjunction with that, when you are faced with a stressful situation, your body eagerly consumes these nutrients, leaving you in short supply. Unless you replenish the stock, your stress symptoms, initially caused by a situation or event, will continue longer than normal because your body has been depleted of the essential nutrients that it needs for optimum brain function.
Brain Function
Deficiencies in the following list of nutrients have all been linked to issues with our mental capacities:
1. B1 – Poor concentration
2. B3 – depression, stress
3. B5 – poor memory
4. B6 – depression, poor memory, irritability, stress
5. B12 – poor memory, confusion
6. Folic acid – anxiety, depression
7. Magnesium – anxiety, depression, irritability, stress, insomnia
8. Vitamin C – depression, stress
9. Selenium – depression, irritability
10. Zinc – depression, confusion, blank mind, loss of appetite, lack of motivation
11. Omega 3 – depression, poor memory
12. Tryptophan – depression
13. Vitamin E – stress and heart disease (source: Mental Health Foundation)
Here is a Shopping List of Ingredients to Improve Your Mental power
• Brown rice (B1, B3, B5, B6, Selenium)
• Porridge Oats (B1, B3, B5, B6, Selenium)
• Walnuts (magnesium, Omega 3, tryptophan, zinc)
• Brazil nuts (selenium)
• Pumpkin Seeds (magnesium, Omega 3, zinc)
• Sunflower seeds (magnesium, omega 3, zinc and selenium)
• Garlic (selenium)
• Wholegrain Bread (B vitamins)
• Olive Oil (omega 3)
• Hemp Oil (omega 3, 6 & 9)
• Beans and pulses
• Peppers (B1, B3, B5, B6, VC, Magnesium)
• Broccoli (B1, B3, B5, B6, Magnesium)
• Spinach (Folic Acid)
• Bananas (B6, tryptophan)
• Oranges (Vitamin C)
• Strawberries (Vitamin C)
• Chicken (B12, tryptophan)
• Salmon (B12, Omega 3, Selenium, zinc)
• Tuna (B12, Omega 3, selenium, zinc)
• Liver, Beef & Lamb
• Natural Yoghurts (B12)
• Eggs (B12)
Foods specifically for stress reduction:
Almonds -Are you ever looking for something you can really dig your teeth into when you’re stressed? Try crunching on almonds to get some aggression out. A good source of Vitamin B2 and E, as well as magnesium and zinc, almonds are high in fat, but most of the fat is unsaturated. Like vitamin C, vitamin E has been shown to fight the free radicals associated with stress, and in particular, those free radicals that cause heart disease.
Oranges – A German study found that vitamin C helps reduce stress and return blood pressure and cortisol to normal levels after a stressful situation. Vitamin C is also well-known for boosting your immune system.
Sweet Potatoes – Sweet potatoes can be particularly stress-reducing because they can satisfy the urge you get for carbohydrates and sweets when you are under a great deal of stress. They are packed full of beta-carotene and other vitamins, and the fibre helps your body to process the carbohydrates in a slow and steady manner.
DARK CHOCOLATE (Hurray!!) A study published in the Journal of Proteome Research found that consuming 40 grams (about 1.4 ounces) of dark chocolate daily for a period of two weeks reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol and our fight-or-flight hormones. The authors also concluded that their study “provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40 g of dark chocolate during a period of 2 weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of … healthy human subjects.” Other studies had already suggested that chocolate relieved stress but this study provided evidence of the biochemical mechanism at work in relieving stress.
Vitamin D
Previously thought to just cause SAD as lack of sunlight in the winter months means the body cant manufacture it effectively but it is now estimated that the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency affects one billion people. No one is exactly sure why this is happening apart from the fact that we spend too much time indoors and when we go out into the sun, we lather sunscreen on ourselves.
How much vitamin D do I need?
How much vitamin D you need varies with age, body weight, % of body fat, latitude, skin coloration, season of the year, use of sun block, individual variation in sun exposure, and – probably – how ill you are.
As a general rule, old people need more than young people, big people need more that little people, fat people need more than skinny people, northern people need more than southern people, dark-skinned people need more than fair skinned people, winter people need more than summer people, sun block lovers need more than sun block haters, sun-phobes need more than sun worshipers, and ill people may need more than well people.
Deficiencies in Vitamin D can cause:
• Fatigue
• General muscle pain and weakness
• Muscle cramps
• Joint pain
• Chronic pain
• Weight gain
• High blood pressure
• Restless sleep
• Poor concentration
• Headaches
• Bladder problems
• Constipation or diarrhoea
Plus it has been linked to
• Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
• 17 varieties of Cancer (including breast, prostate and colon)
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes
• Autoimmune diseases
• Multiple sclerosis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Bursitis
• Gout
• Infertility and PMS
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic Pain
• Periodontal disease
• Psoriasis
How to increase your uptake of Vitamin D
• Wild Salmon, Fresh Mackerel or Sardines
• Tinned tuna in oil
• Pork ribs
• Free range eggs
• Shitake mushrooms
• Organic beef liver
Alternatively please see a qualified therapist for a supplement and further advice.
You can contact Debbie Greenslade at info@buryhomeopaths.co.uk or visit her page on our website
With thanks to www.themindsanctuary.com a fabulous resource and Dr Frank Lipton
For more free downloads of health advice please visit www.the-self-centre.co.uk
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The remedies and advice suggested in this article are the personal opinion of the author. Please also inform your GP if you are planning to take any natural remedies and you are already on long term prescribed drugs. Always consult a qualified Complementary Practitioner, never self medicate.
