Beat the winter blues with five Good Foods that’ll boost your Mood
By Anne-Marie De Beer, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Manager, Nestlé East and Southern Africa
Winter has fully set in, which brings with it not only colds and flu, but less reason to be outdoors and an added need to keep extra warm and move less. Much of what we do during this hibernative time is that we eat for comfort, mostly foods that are filling. The premise behind it is that food will, along with our heaters and fireplaces, help with the feeling of warmth. What we don’t realise is that we also need to boost our immunity during this time. But typical, hearty winter food generally leaves us full, and renders us couch potatoes. And before we know it, winter is over, we have piled on kilos and we are feeling the post-winter weight gloom, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
Here are some nutritious foods that can help boost not only the immunity of yourself and your family but your mood too:
1. Go bananas!
The winter drives us all crazy – but did you know bananas have a lot of vitamin B and magnesium, which are important for your thyroid and adrenal glands to function properly. These glands help regulate body temperature. Bananas can also boost your mood and preserve your memory, among other health benefits.
2. The greener, the meaner
Green veggies such as spinach and asparagus are high in folate, a vitamin that may help reduce symptoms of depression. Folate is needed in the brain for the synthesis of mood chemicals like norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.
3. A glass of warmth
Our bodies require amino acids, vitamins, and minerals to keep strong. The intake of all necessary minerals and vitamins can require a lengthy shopping list but one glass of a fortified milk-based drink such as NESTLÉ EVERYDAY, will boost your family’s immunity, and ensure added vitamins for a refreshed mood.
4. Bottoms up
A simple way to help your body stay warm this winter is to drink water. Water keeps your body functioning at its best and helps regulate your internal temperature. People are less likely to drink water when it’s cold outside because they don’t feel as thirsty but carrying a water bottle with you will serve as a reminder.
5. Warming winter mornings
Start your day with a hot breakfast. Research has shown that this can improve your cholesterol and provide important vitamins and minerals while releasing the right endorphins to get your brain fuelled.
Food is as much about our nutrition, as it is about our state of mind and during the colder seasons, this is even more so. We want warmth and comfort to help deal with the biting winter, but we should not compromise on nutrition and mood upliftment. After all, nutrition is about balancing your diet to support all your unique needs, but it doesn’t have to be boring.
ENDS.
For more information visit www.nestle-esar.com
Contact:
Nestlé East and Southern African Region (ESAR)
Rosalie Ambrose
Tel: 079 526 8518
Email: Rosalie.ambrose@za.nestle.com
Issued by Weber Shandwick on behalf of Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region
Name Tankiso Motsoeneng
Tel: +27 61 374 7539
Email: tmotsoeneng@webershandwick.com
About Nestlé
Nestlé is the world’s largest food and beverage company. It is present in 187 countries around the world, and its 291,000 employees are committed to Nestlé’s purpose of unlocking the power of food to enhance quality for everyone, today and for generations to come. Nestlé offers a wide portfolio of products and services for people and their pets throughout their lives. Its more than 2,000 brands range from global icons like Nescafé or Nespresso to local favourites like Ricoffy. Company performance is driven by its Nutrition, Health, and Wellness strategy. Nestlé is based in the Swiss town of Vevey where it was founded more than 150 years ago.