Depression Could be Seasonal: Here are Some Winter Foods to Keep you in Good Spirits

Depression can be debilitating, not only to your health, but to the quality of your life. And recognizing and combating depression is not a simple thing to do. There are many external and internal factors that can bring on depressive episodes. One that has been getting more notice over the last few years is the change in seasons. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a condition where your mood swings with the season. You can combat some of SAD’s symptoms by managing your diet. Below are some foods that help to alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Red Wine

We know you needed another reason to drink your favorite Syrah or merlot, so here it is. Recent research has suggested that people who maintain a balanced diet can mentally benefit from drinking red wine. The key is to not drink excessively, you only need one or two glasses a day in combination with meals.

Fat Is Good

Fat healthy diets have the potential to lower anxiety and reduce depression. Some great fat healthy foods include egg yolks, steak, olive oil, and avocadoes.

Bacon

Bacon is one of the things that is up there with fat. People think bacon isn’t good for you, much in the same way that they think fat isn’t good for you. But bacon has a significant amount of amino acids that are connected to the reduction in anxiety and depression. These amino acids convert to neurotransmitters inside the brain that actually change the signals of depression. Just make sure to eat your bacon in moderation; too much bacon is indeed bad for you.

Sweet potatoes

Gluten has been heavily associated with mental health. In theory, gluten causes damage to your digestive system which enables certain harmful substances to leak out of your stomach and migrate to your brain. This results in feeling depressed. Maintaining a strict gluten-free diet is a great way to reduce the symptoms of depression. This is especially true if you have a gluten intolerance like Celiac disease.