Colder weather brings - wanting to hide under the duvet, netflix, chilling and those favourite hearty winter warm dishes right?
Don't worry you are not alone!
With the temperature dropping, dark night’s drawing in and the clocks going back there is no denying that the seasons are changing and so do our moods and food cravings.
It is normal to feel these changes in eating habits, but why?
Our bodies are intelligent things and they work hard without us evening asking them to. They try to regulate and balance us as the world around us
change!
So, pay them some love!
As our bodies attempt to increase our internal
temperature we will find we are drawn to the more warm and comforting foods. They are working that little bit harder to keep us warm, to fight off the colds and stay as healthy as possible.
A few little ways we can give them an extra boost to help them out would be to look at including foods of supplements that are high in vitamin A, C and E, zinc, iron and magnesium. Also, it is worth considering cycling Vitamin D in the colder months as the sun and daylight gets less.
Looking after your gut health is something we talk a lot about, you can check out our blog for more details on this but probiotics in the winter is a good idea, as your gut health is vital for your immune system!
Training and fueling your body during the colder
months.
This should not be that different than the food we eat during the summer months, it might just be that you turn to roasted chicken and veg rather than the chicken salad you may of had in the summer.
Continue to make sure you have a good source of
protein as this helps aid recovery!
What foods will help boost mental health and our
moods during the colder darker days.
Shorter days, drop in temp and we can all feel our
moods drop too. Now more than ever it is important to keep our spirits up.
Food plays an important part in this - yes really it
does!
Here it comes....
Yes, you can eat chocolate – in fact dark chocolate has
mood boosting compounds to it, it is high in health promoting flavonoids - which have been shown to increase blood flow to your brain, reduce inflammation and boost brain health!
WIN!
But do try to pick dark chocolate as this is lower in
sugar and fats!
Oats are next and you will have heard me talk about oats before bed as well as in the morning before!
But in all seriousness, they are great, they are packed full of fibre and iron, fibre will help regulate blood sugar levels which in turn helps boost your mood and keep you full. Plus, the iron they contain helps with fatigue and feeling sluggish - again mood booster!
Berries - strangely enough there are studies that
show people eating more fruit and veg show less
signs of depression!
They are packed with a wide range of antioxidants
and phenolic compounds, which play a key role in combatting oxidative stress — an imbalance of harmful compounds in your body.
If you can't find them fresh grab them frozen as they still do the same job!
Combined these foods with staying active, good
sleep and staying in touch with family and friends will all help us get through the colder darker days to come.
If you would like to work with us more on nutrition
or fitness do get in touch - we would love to have
you on board!
And if you have found this interesting please leave us a comment below.