Boost Your Mood with Food this Christmas and New Year
In a nutshell the scientific facts are:
Food can’t cure low mood, but these nutrients help your brain make the messengers that keep it on an even keel:
- Tyrosine, an amino acid the brain uses to make dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline.
- Tryptophan, which the body uses to make serotonin (5-HT), a mood stabiliser.
- Iron, from meat, fish, eggs, legumes and leafy greens. Low iron can cause fatigue and low mood.
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine), needed for the brain to use energy.
- Vitamin B6, needed to make the neurotransmitters that regulate emotions, including serotonin, dopamine and GABA (which has a calming effect).
- Vitamin B12 and folate, which help make serotonin and other brain chemicals.
- Magnesium, which helps muscles relax; low levels are linked with anxiety and depression.
- Probiotics and prebiotics, which work together to improve gut health, which research links with better mood.
- Omega-3 fatty acids, which are built into brain cell membranes and may support mood. The research is promising, though more is needed.
Tips for a stress-free feast
For an epic time, reduce stress by prepping in advance, and ask guests about food intolerances and allergies up front.
Make the seaweed pesto, vegetable terrine, dressings, chocolate sauce, golden milk ice cream and meringues a few days ahead for a healthy, happy New Year’s Day feast of mood-boosting food.
The dishes are free of refined sugar, gluten and dairy. Serve the turkey, salmon and meringues on the side so vegetarian and vegan guests are catered for too. Covering all bases makes dietary requirements a breeze!
Serve banquet style so guests help themselves. That’s one less job for you, and your tribe can choose as little or as much as they like.
Easy banquet style mood boosting food menu
Main fare
- Free-range turkey
- Vegetable terrine of white bean purée, chia seeds, baby spinach and roast capsicum, with a miso and tahini dressing, avocado and microgreens
- Five-spice crispy-skin salmon with roe
- Seaweed pesto, wilted kale, nasturtium leaf salad, pomegranate seeds and coconut kefir (download my free e-book here for the seaweed pesto recipe)
Dessert
- Golden milk ice cream with dairy-free chocolate sauce and blueberries
- Refined-sugar-free almond meringues, delicious served with a banana, coconut and vanilla whip
Click the desserts above for the recipes.
Happy, healthy mood foods
Design your own dishes with what’s available in your local area.
Healthy carbohydrates
Quinoa. A popular choice for those avoiding gluten. Quinoa is a gluten-free seed that’s high in protein, so it’s a great carbohydrate choice.
Buckwheat. Despite its name, buckwheat isn’t wheat at all but a gluten-free seed. It contains tryptophan, which the body converts to serotonin.
Brown rice and oats. Rich in B vitamins, fibre, minerals and antioxidants, they’re excellent slow-release carbohydrates that keep blood sugar balanced. Carbohydrates also help tryptophan reach the brain to make serotonin.
Fruit and vegetables
An apple a day. Studies have found that people who eat more fruit and vegetables report better mood and wellbeing.
Bananas. Provide vitamin B6, which helps the body make serotonin, plus prebiotic fibre that feeds good gut bacteria.
Blueberries. Rich in anthocyanins; small studies have found blueberry drinks lifted mood within hours.
Coconut. A delicious source of energy. Enjoy it in moderation, as coconut fat is mostly saturated.
Prunes and raisins. Provide some plant-based iron. Low iron is linked with fatigue and low mood in women.
Orange and yellow fruit and vegetables. High in carotenoids (there are around 750 of these natural plant pigments). One study found people with higher blood carotenoid levels were more optimistic about the future.
Capsicum. Has more vitamin C than an orange. Some research suggests people with higher vitamin C levels recover from stress more quickly.
Mushrooms. Pop them in the sun, gills up, for an hour or so and they’ll make vitamin D, which is linked with mood. Amazing little fungi (fun guys, ha ha!).
Sea algae rock!
Algae are plant-like organisms that live and thrive in water.
Spirulina and chlorella are packed with nutrients. Research into their effects on mood is still under way, but they offer plenty of other benefits.
Sea vegetables such as kelp, dulse, nori, wakame, sea grapes and sea lettuce are among the most nutrient-dense foods, providing iodine, minerals and small amounts of omega-3s. Enjoy them in small amounts, as some (especially kelp) are very high in iodine. Avoid hijiki, which can contain high levels of inorganic arsenic.
Dark green veggies are your happy helpers too
Baby spinach. Rich in magnesium; low magnesium levels are linked with a higher risk of depression.
Broccoli. Provides vitamin B6, which the body needs to make serotonin, and folate, around a third of your daily needs in 100 grams. Low folate is linked with depression.
Kale. Packed with folate, vitamin C and antioxidants.
Avocado. Contains tryptophan, B vitamins, folate and healthy monounsaturated fats that support brain health.
Microgreens, especially sunflower sprouts, provide magnesium.
Beans and legumes such as peas, chickpeas, kidney, borlotti, cannellini and soy beans, and lentils, are plant proteins with fibre that help keep blood sugar steady, which can improve mood.
Animal proteins
Grass-fed lean beef, seafood and yoghurt are rich in vitamin B12.
Salmon, sardines, mackerel, clams and anchovies provide omega-3s and vitamin D. Research has linked low vitamin D and low omega-3 intake with depression.
Free-range turkey, chicken, pork, eggs and dairy provide tryptophan for serotonin. Some studies suggest regularly eating tryptophan-rich foods may be linked with a lower risk of depression, though more research is needed.
Chicken, turkey and fish also contain tyrosine, which the body uses to make dopamine.
Olives and olive oil
Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats and polyphenols. The Mediterranean diet and way of life, in which olives and olive oil are a major feature, has been linked in several studies with a lower risk of depression.
Nuts and seeds
Almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds for magnesium. Chia seeds are little legends too.
Fermented foods
Kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, water kefir, rejuvelac (fermented grain water), lacto-fermented vegetables, peaso and miso: the possibilities are endless, and they’re great for gut health and your microbiome.
Get adventurous in the kitchen with homemade ferments, using clean equipment and the right amount of salt, and toss out anything that smells off or grows fuzzy mould.
“Add some rosella for a splash of New Year cheer.”
Even a few days of changed eating habits can start to shift your gut microbiome.
If you start now
Many people notice a change in their mood within a week or two of improving their diet, though everyone’s timeline is different.
And yes, champagne and chocolate can give you a lift! Enjoy a square or two (around 20 to 40 grams) of dark chocolate, and if you drink, keep to the Australian guidelines of no more than 4 standard drinks on any day and 10 a week. Alcohol is a depressant, so too much will bring your mood down, not up.
If low mood or anxiety lasts more than a couple of weeks, please talk to your GP. You can also call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14, including over the holidays.
So here’s cheers to you. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Be the best you can be with Casstronomy.
This article is general information about food and wellbeing, not medical advice. Please talk to your GP or a qualified health professional about any health condition, medication or major change to your diet.
