Nutrition to prevent the blues

Feeling Blue

It is natural to feel blue from time to time, everyone does. This may be due to holiday blues or personal situations, and soon when autumn sets in you won’t produce as much of your happy hormones as it tends to be heavily manufactured by the sun.  However, there are so many positive natural changes that you can make to put the spring back in your step.

The sunshine hormone Have you noticed how happy people are when they are spending time in the sunshine? The reason for this is that in the sun we make a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is a powerful mood hormone that makes you feel happy.Naturally we produce about 70% of this hormone in the gut. Hence why your gut is called your second brain ,you have a whole network of brain chemical responses here.  Antidepressants During the winter some people suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) which is often treated with antidepressants that work on your serotonin and sometimes noradrenaline (motivation) levels.  The only concern is that these are powerful medications that have many side effects aswell as being highly addictive they may make people behave in an impulsive way. Natural antidepressants There are natural solutions that have been shown to be equally as effective to antidepressants for the blues. 5-HTP is and tryptophan are the building blocks of serotonin but they need catalysts  B vitamins, zinc and TMG to turn them into their neurotransmitters.  In addition essential fatty acids (omega 3 and 6) have been shown to work as natural antidepressants as they support the transmission of neurotransmitters and aid their synthesis. Tryptophan Tryptophan is naturally found in protein rich foods such as eggs, meat and fish.  Research has shown that when you starve someone of these foods, in a matter of hours there serotonin levels drop as do there moods. Therefore it is important to include protein rich foods with every meal and snack that you have.  5-HTP is slightly difficult to achieve through the diet.  5-HTP The richest form of 5-HTP comes from an African seed called Griffonia simplicifolia.  However you can use supplementation. Ideally it is recommended that you build your levels up gradually by starting at 50mg/day and then build this up to a maximum of 300mg/day.  If you have trouble sleeping aim to take 5HTP before bed as serotonin converts to your sleeping hormone melotonin in the dark. B Vitamins These are also synthesied in your gut and are in an array of foods such as your protein rich foods but are also destroyed very easily. B Vitamins are needed by the body to help manufacture serotonin and to nourish your adrenal gland (also known as the energy gland) which helps keep you upbeat and motivated . Essential Fatty Acids  found in fish, nuts, seeds and avocado. Fish oil is especially important as it contains EPA and DHA which is a component of the brain. Studies have shown that an intake of   at least 2-3 portions of oily fish per week over a period of 6 weeks has been connected with a variation in mood and personality Carbohydrate loading the temporary fix Often when people feel low they go on a carbohydrate load of bakery goods as it stimulates the release of our serotonin. However, this also releases too much glucose into the blood to give a temporary boost to your mood, but, as the saying goes, what goes up must come down,  after a couple of hours you can be left feeling lethargic, depressed  and moody.  That does not mean that you cut all carbohydrates as vegetables and fibre can be nutritionally dense providing us with energy, just pick wisely and try not to eat refined carbohydrates and combine them with protein or fats to have a happy healthy stabilised mood.    Other natural treatments to consider Massage A massage supports the release of many hormones such as oxytocin which encourages trust, devotion and a bond with the person you have physical contact with.  In addition it encourages the release of dopamine, your reward hormone making you feel content and relaxed. CBT (Cognitive behavioural therapy)   This is a type of counselling that doesn’t focus on your history but encourages you to think about situations in a more positive way. Take a walk with nature Getting outside and feeling the fresh breeze on your skin makes everyone feel lighter. Go for walks in the park or countryside rather than the city as nature has a positive effect on your aura and energy field.

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