You might see ‘comfort food’ as a giant chocolate bar or even a massive ice-cream binge session at the end of a bad day. Everyone has probably reverted to this kind of comfort eating at some point in their lives, but obviously this isn’t good for you. Comfort-eating junk as a coping strategy not only harms your physical wellbeing, but can sink you further into your depression and your physical and mental wellness would be much better off with a diet focussed on healthy foods, like a few of the ones suggested below.
Bulk buy bananas – You may already know that bananas contain a lot of beneficial potassium, but did you know that these tropical imports are also packed full of vitamin B6? This means your mood will improve with just one medium sized banana as your body will gain 22% of its recommended daily value of B6, which your brain converts into two mood-brightening chemicals: serotonin and dopamine.
Crack out the chocolate – Yes, chocolate is on a list of healthy foods, don’t worry – your eyes are working perfectly well. In limited amounts, dark chocolate is actually good for you and boosts your mood with a chemical called phenylethylamine. Aside from that, it smells amazing. Limit your consumption of dark chocolate to 3oz a day – melt some over a banana and you’re laughing.
Bring out the Brazil nuts – Brazil nuts are harvested in Columbia, Venezuela and Peru as well as Brazil and contain huge amounts of dietary fibre, magnesium and phosphorus. You should limit your intake of Brazil nuts, as they’re high in saturated fat, but they potentially ward off feelings of depression due to their high levels of a mineral called selenium.
Snap up the salmon – The omega 3 fatty acids found in salmon can beat the blues by raising your serotonin levels, and, if you’re just not a fan of salmon, there are other kinds of fish you can try such as sardines and tuna.
Pick up a pepper – Vegetables in general are a great source of the vitamin B6 you find in bananas, but a green pepper contains 17% DV of this nutrient, and a red one has 22% DV of vitamin B6. You could also look for your daily vitamin B6 need in carrots, peas and spinach, or non-veggie sources like milk, cheese, potatoes, cereal grains and legumes.
Bother about black beans – A cup of black beans has 64% DV of folic acid, which is a nutrient that helps your nerves, and more importantly your brain run smoothly. However, if you’ve bean there, done that (sorry) you can also find folic acid in spinach, kale, melons and mushrooms, to name but a few.
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