Blue Monday? Not with these Top 5 Mood Boosting Foods!

Officially Monday 15th January 2018 is Blue Monday, the day in the year when we are most likely to feel depressed by a combination of post-Christmas nostalgia, lousy weather and mounting debt. Notoriously January is a long drawn out month, with the dark mornings and dark evenings having a significant negative affect on our mood, leaving many of us feeling like our get up and go has got up and left!

Nowadays there is plenty of research on the mind-altering effects of alcohol and caffeine. And as much as fresh air and meditation can certainly help a foul mood, sometimes we just want to eat our way to happiness. Here are our top 5 picks for healthy mood boosting foods:

High Carb Snack If you're feeling down in the dumps and only the thought of a chocolate hit will do, try this tip from Prevention.com, "When high-carbohydrate food isn't bogged down by the presence of protein or fat, they allow an amino acid called tryptophan to flood your brain, where it morphs into serotonin, a neurotransmitter that boosts mood and curbs food cravings. So if you really need chocolate, avoid the creamy, fatty kind." Your best bet is to opt for a good quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa.

Salmon Eating oily, fatty fish will give you omega-3 fatty acids, a great source of energy boosting goodness, perfect for energy production, circulation and brain activity.

Coconut Whether you are cooking with it or eating it raw, oils found in coconut provide a super nutritious source of energy, as well as being a type of fat that is turned into energy efficiently and quickly. It is therefore used by the body as an energy source rather that storing it as fat. We love the Lucy Bee Coconut Oil range.

Eggs Full of mood boosting omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, B vitamins and iodine, the humble egg is also packed full of protein and will keep you full and energised for longer.

Ginger Tea A firm favourite in our household, ginger tea is filled with antioxidants and nutrients that help give an afternoon mood boost without the negative effects of a normal caffeine boost. Caffeine can contribute to nervousness, increased heart rate and restlessness - not what we want! The Higher Living Ginger & Lemon is particularly tasty.