Let’s imagine we’ve fast forwarded into the first months of the fall season.
In Austin that might mean the fall temperatures are hovering around 105F instead of 110F degrees.
But this is make-believe, so those temperatures are not our reality. They simply have nothing to do with the crisp morning air we are now breathing.
It’s perfect walking weather so we decide to take an early morning cardio walk through the neighborhood. We’re high energy and out the door in our cozy full-length leggings, tee shirt and zip up hoodie. We take a minute to turn on a podcast, pop in our ear buds and we’re off, surrounded by gentle breezes, pale blue skies, sweet, little acorns covering the ground along with swirling colorful leaves.
After our invigorating walk, we come back into the house craving a cup of hot coffee. While brewing the coffee we make certain to rehydrate with a tall glass of water.
While sipping the coffee we realize we’ve worked up quite the appetite. We prepare a warm bowl of oatmeal, sprinkle it with pumpkin seeds, dusted with cinnamon and add a splash of warmed cream.
After enjoying our delicious breakfast it’s time to get to work.
Today it’s all about writing a blog post, meeting with our sister/partner to discuss our mental blocks with social media and watching our favorite YouTuber discuss what success could look like in the digital space.
Lunch time! How about a big turkey sandwich on seeded bread with crisp lettuce and garden tomatoes? There are a few sweet, crisp apples in the fridge, left over from our apple-picking Saturday. One will make the perfect companion to our over-sized sandwich.
Suddenly we also feel like a warming mug of Turmeric Golden Milk. This latte-like creamy drink will stay with us until dinner.
After a little more work, we close our laptop and it’s into the kitchen to prepare the evening meal.
It’s a dinner full of warm vegetables. Large chunks of colorful winter squash, slices of creamy eggplant, sweet potatoes, and whole brussels sprouts. All the veggies are tossed in olive oil and roasted in a hot oven to caramelize their released sugar. Absolutely yummy over a bed of jasmine rice and a piece of pan-seared salmon.
As we kick off our shoes, after dinner, and tuck in for an evening with our newest page-turner, we realize, much to our delight, that we feel fabulous. We're calm and emotionally stable.
We wonder for only a minute why we feel so amazing. But just as quickly, the thought leaves our mind as we finish our evening, comfy under a lap blanket, reading chapters of our favorite book.
Why do we feel so fabulous?? It’s because we've just had a day filled with delicious mood-boosting foods!
Let’s break it down:
Breakfast:
Pumpkin Seeds – Rich in magnesium, which has been shown to improve mood and alleviate anxiety
Cinnamon – Can help to regulate blood sugar levels, which can stabilize mood and energy levels.
Lunch:
Turkey - Contains tryptophan, an amino acid that helps the body produce serotonin
Apples - Rich in quercetin, an antioxidant that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and mood-boosting effects
Golden Milk (Turmeric) – Contains curcumin, a compound that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and mood-boosting effects
Dinner
Winter Squash – Contains vitamin B6, which helps the body produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood. Also contains vitamin A, which is important for brain function. Further squash contains complex carbs that can help regulate blood sugar levels and stabilize mood.
Eggplant – Contains nasunin, an antioxidant that has been shown to protect brain cells and improve cognitive function.
Sweet Potatoes – Rich in vitamin B6, which helps the body produce serotonin, and also contain complex carbohydrates that can help regulate blood sugar levels and stabilize mood
Brussels sprouts: Rich in folate, a B vitamin that helps with mood regulation in the brain
Simply incorporating these simple, yet delicious whole foods into our daily diet can have a wonderful mood-boosting benefit and contribute to our overall mental well-being.
And just to note, we’re talking about fall fruits and veggies in this post, but in truth EVERY season is loaded with mood-boosting produce. Just look at summer!
I’m aware some people are truly affected with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). I don’t know if a few fruits and veggies added to your diet on a regular rotation will prove to make an impact, but it seems to me that it’s worth a shot. What harm can it do?
Whole foods are such a great source of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients and at the same time provide support for the body with fast, yet stable energy to keep our metabolism stable.
I’m so inspired I’m going to add a few links to additional research I discovered while preparing this blog.
Cheers to you and to your continued good health!
Glad to know sweet potatoes are more than just delish! Fun article. I learned a bit here. Thanks.