10 Fall Foods to Boost Your Mood

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8-Fall-Foods-I-Eat-to-Boost-My-Mood-722x406For many people, the beginning of autumn triggers anxiety with its shorter days, reduced sunlight, changes in schedules, and allergies.

Fortunately, many foods and spices that are easy to find during this season can help us stay emotionally resilient and boost our mood. So as the leaves begin to fall and the temperature cools, enjoy the following foods; they all contain the right mix of nutrients to help keep you calm.

1. Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are one of Mother Nature’s most potent mood boosters. They’re chock-full of zinc (containing 23 percent of the daily recommended value in just one ounce), which Emily Deans, MD, a psychiatrist in Massachusetts, calls an “essential mineral for resiliency” in her Psychology Today blog “Zinc: An Antidepressant.” The mineral also increases our ability to fight off inflammation, which can cause depression and anxiety.

In addition, it’s rich in magnesium, a calming nutrient: According to a mouse study published in January 2012 in the journal Neuropharmacology, magnesium deficiencies induce anxiety, which is why the mineral is known as the original chill pill.

Authors of an earlier review of studies on magnesium and other alternative treatments, published in Nutrition in 2010, concluded that, “Although the exact mechanism has yet to be determined, it appears that magnesium supplementation is effective at treating anxiety and anxiety-related disorders when used in combination with other vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts.”

2. Squash

Squash was already one of my favorite fall foods before I knew it was packed full of mood-boosting ingredients. Just 1 cup of butternut squash contains 15 percent of the daily recommended value of magnesium, 17 percent of potassium, and 18 percent of manganese — all critical minerals to help keep you sane. One cup also contains a whopping 52 percent of vitamin C, which gives a helping hand to the immune system and to the entire central nervous system.

3. Cinnamon

Cinnamon was used as early as 2000 B.C. in ancient Egypt to treat a host of different health conditions. A study conducted at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia, published in April 2005 in the North American Journal of Psychology, showed that even smelling cinnamon enhanced cognitive performance.

The spice is especially good for anxiety and depression because it can also help regulate blood sugar. And 1 teaspoon provides 22 percent of the daily recommended value of manganese, a critical trace mineral that helps with nerve and connective tissue function, aiding the central nervous system in general. In addition, it plays a role in neutralizing free radicals that can damage cell membranes and DNA.

4. Turkey

If you’re fretting about all the family drama that happens at Thanksgiving, rest assured that the turkey will be helping you stay sane. It’s a good source of the amino acid tryptophan, which helps your body produce the feel-good chemical serotonin.

5. Turmeric

I throw the spice turmeric into the fall foods category because I start experimenting with it once the weather turns cool. This yellow spice that we eat in different kinds of curry contains a natural anti-inflammatory agent, curcumin, that helps mitigate depression and anxiety.

The conclusion of researchers who conducted a small study published in 2014 in the Journal of Affective Disorders was that “Partial support is provided for the antidepressant effects of curcumin in people with major depressive disorder, evidenced by benefits occurring 4 to 8 weeks after treatment.”

Researchers who reviewed studies on turmeric and depression and published their results in February 2016 in Phytotherapy Research also found benefits: “We conclude that there is supporting evidence that curcumin administration reduces depressivesymptoms in patients with major depression,” they wrote.

6. Apples

As I mentioned in my post “10 Foods I Eat Every Day to Beat Depression,” apples are high in antioxidants, which can help to prevent and repair oxidative damage and inflammation on the cellular level. They’re also full of soluble fiber, which balances blood sugar swings. One of my favorite fall snacks is some almond butter on apple slices, so I get my omega-3 fatty acids along with some fiber.

7. Eggplant

In addition to being a good source of fiber, copper, vitamin B1, and manganese, eggplant also contains important phytonutrients, including phenolic compounds and flavonoids, that are potent antioxidants. One study found that phytonutrients in the skin of eggplants, called nasunin, protects brain cell membranes from damage by zapping free radicals and guarding the lipids (fats) in brain cell membranes.

8. Sweet Potatoes

Just one baked sweet potato provides 214 percent of our daily recommended value of vitamin A (an antioxidant superpower), 52 percent of our vitamin C, and 50 percent of our manganese. This healthy starch is also full of copper, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, biotin, and potassium — all very helpful in fighting depression and anxiety.

Sweet potatoes contain anthocyanin pigments and other flavonoids that have been shown in studies to have strong anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. According to a study published in December 2004 in the Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology:

Because of their diverse physiological activities, the consumption of anthocyanins may play a significant role in preventing lifestyle-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular and neurological diseases.

9. Chamomile Tea

Chamomile is one of the most ancient medicinal herbs and has been used to treat a variety of conditions, including panic and insomnia. Its sedative effects may be due to the flavonoid apigenin that binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain. In one study, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology in August 2009, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia reported that patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) who took chamomile supplements for eight weeks had a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms compared to patients taking placebos.

10. Bananas

Bananas are rich in potassium, which aids mood. A study published in November 2008 in the British Journal of Nutrition found that a high-potassium diet helped relieve symptoms of depression and tension in participants. It’s an important electrolyte that regulates blood pressure and PH balance.

Bananas also contain tryptophan, which increases brain serotonin and, according to some studies, can be an antidepressant for mild-to-moderate depression. The vitamin B6 in bananas helps convert the tryptophan into serotonin while soothing your nervous system. Bananas also have melatonin, which aids sleep and regulates our body’s natural rhythms, as well as iron, which can help fight fatigue.

Join Project Hope & Beyond, an online depression community.

Photo credits: Jeff Wasserman/Stocksy; iStock.com; Mark Fleming/Stocksy

Originally published on Sanity Break.

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Therese Borchard
I am a writer and chaplain trying to live a simple life in Annapolis, Maryland.

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