Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s believed to be caused by the changing seasons. Altering your diet may help to improve seasonal mood shifts.
Symptoms of SAD are similar to other forms of depression, including feelings of hopelessness, lack of concentration, social withdrawal, and fatigue. Typically, symptoms begin to worsen around fall and peak during the winter months.
Treatments for SAD include medication, talk therapy, exercise, and eating a balanced diet. Use our mood-boosting recipes and meal ideas to help you fight off SAD with your fork.
Salmon is a great source of omega-3s and lean protein.
While some may find a richly marbled rib-eye steak delicious, the high saturated fat content may not be good for your mood or your body. Lean proteins, however, carry plenty of amino acids, which may positively affect your mood.
Lean proteins like salmon are also a great source of energy, which is something you’ll need to help beat fatigue.
Omega-3 fatty acids have been praised for their health benefits, including possibly influencing your mood. A 2023 study found that, along with taking an antidepressant, omega-3s helped reduce symptoms of depression.
Sources that contain the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids include flaxseed, walnuts, and salmon.
Stress aggravates depression symptoms and exhausts your body. Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries may help prevent the release of cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal gland.
During stressful situations, cortisol heads toward your hippocampus, a major portion of the brain that stores memories, provides emotional responses, and helps with navigation. Keep berries on hand as a snack to combat stress when it hits.
If you start looking at the ingredients on food labels, you’ll notice various forms of sugar. They’ll appear as syrups or words that end in “-ose.”
Sugar may give you a little happy boost at first, but too much sugar and too few omega-3 fatty acids can functionally change your brain and slow it down.
Research on how the brain works is ongoing, but it’s a safe bet to decrease sugar intake, especially if you’re feeling depressed. The crash after a sugar high can easily make you feel worse than before.
Some research on folic acid’s effect on the brain has given insight into how it can boost your mood. The body uses it in the process of creating serotonin — a neurotransmitter that affects mood — but there’s no conclusive evidence as to how it works. Including it in your diet is a good idea regardless.
Leafy greens, oatmeal, sunflower seeds, oranges, fortified cereals, lentils, black-eyed peas, and soybeans contain high amounts of folic acid.
Like folic acid, low levels of vitamin B12 in the blood are associated with depression, but researchers can’t find definitive evidence as to why.
There are lots of tasty ways to incorporate vitamin B12 into your diet. Food sources include lean beef, clams, oysters, crab, wild salmon, eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, and fortified cereals.
Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because your body can make it by using cholesterol and absorbing natural sunshine. Your mood may improve with as little as
Your body can also absorb vitamin D through food. Food sources of vitamin D include milk, egg yolks, mushrooms, and fish that have bones. You can also get vitamin D in supplement form.
Chocolate has always been a tasty and good way to ease difficult times. But a candy bar or pint of chocolate ice cream isn’t the best way to do it.
In an older 2013 study, participants were given a dark chocolate mixed drink every day for 1 month. Results showed significantly improved mood, which researchers linked with a high polyphenol content. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant.
When you’re feeling down, pick up a bar with the highest cacao content you can find.
Turkey contains the amino acid tryptophan and melatonin, which are the calming and relaxing chemicals that make you tired after Thanksgiving dinner.
Tapping into turkey’s calming powers is a great, natural way to help your body cut through stressful situations.
Like turkey, bananas contain tryptophan. Besides that, the carbohydrates from natural sugars and potassium in bananas help fuel your brain. Magnesium, also found in bananas, may improve sleep and reduce anxiety, two symptoms of seasonal depression.
Dietary changes should never replace medication or therapy, but they can help supplement your current treatments. Discuss these or any other therapies with your doctor and see which are best for you.