Three easy ways to boost your mood through food

If you weren’t feeling a little low already, Monday is officially the most depressing day of the year. Yes folks, it’s almost Blue Monday, the winter equinox of bad moods. 

Admittedly, the concept was dreamt up by travel marketing professionals to sell more holidays, however there’s no denying that mid-January can feel interminably dark and dreary. Thankfully there’s plenty you can do, diet-wise, to boost your mood with food.  Here are three of the best.

1. Eat a protein-rich breakfast

Plummeting blood sugar can make you feel tired, irritable and depressed, according to the mental health charity Mind. All the more reason to keep our blood glucose steady. The best way to do this, and get your day off to a positive start, is to choose a breakfast with plenty of protein (contained in eggs, dairy, grains, nuts and seeds) and fibre to ensure a slow, sustained release of energy throughout the morning. 

This protein power smoothie should do the trick: Place 1 tbsp flaxseed in a blender and blend to grind up a bit. Then add 150g cottage cheese, 100g frozen cherries (or other berries), ½ peeled ripe banana, ¼ ripe avocado, 2 tsp honey, 200ml semi-skimmed milk (or non-dairy milk) and whizz until completely smooth. Drink immediately. 

2. Get those good fats in at lunchtime

Keep up the good work by including some healthy fats, such as omega-3, as part of your midday meal. Research by King’s College London showed that when omega-3 fatty acids are given to patients with depression they are metabolised into molecules called lipid mediators in the blood, which could help improve their symptoms. Oily fish is the best source of omega-3 so it’s a great thing to have for lunch. 

You can whizz up this hot smoked salmon toast topper in minutes: Place 150g hot smoked salmon (skin removed) in a bowl and mash up with a fork.  Add 2 finely sliced spring onions, 1 tbsp chopped dill (optional), 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt, a squeeze of lemon juice and a good grind of black pepper and mix well to combine. Pile on top of some wholegrain, seedy toast.

3. Milk before bed

Tryptophan is an amino acid contained in some foods that promotes the release of serotonin, the “happy hormone”.  Milk is an excellent source of tryptophan, as well as the hormone melatonin and the micronutrient magnesium, which are both known to aid good sleep. Have a glass of this milky sleep potion before bed, which also contains calming chamomile. If you are dairy-free you can substitute in almond milk for the same benefits.

Heat 100ml water in a small saucepan and when boiling, add a chamomile tea bag. Turn down the heat and steep for a minute, then remove the tea bag, add 300ml of milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp maple syrup, and mix well. Bring back up to a simmer and it’s ready to drink.