Daylight saving is nearly upon us, so if like 1 in 3 Brits you find the darker days get you down, here are some great mood boosting foods you can add to your porridge.
Berries
Packed with B9 and folic acid, cherries and dark berries are great mood enhancers. The folic acid they contain assists with the production of serotonin and dopamine in the brain which helps to regulate our sleep cycle. As berries aren't in season in the winter, you can use frozen or freeze dried berries which have the goodness locked in, so make a quick compote or add a handful to your bowl if you’re feeling low.
Dark Chocolate
We always knew chocolate = happiness, but there’s some science to back it up too.
Dark chocolate helps to stimulate serotonin and endorphin production which can lift our mood and inhibit feelings of stress. The darker the choc the better, so grab a few squares of your favourite dark chocolate and stir it through your oats.
Bananas
Go bananas with these on your porridge because they contain the amino acid tryptophan as well as vitamins A, B6 and C. The presence of vitamin B6 helps to convert the tryptophan into serotonin in your brain which increases feelings of happiness.
Vitamin D
The ‘happy-hormone’ vitamin D can play a vital role in our health, happiness and well-being. The main source of vitamin D is that absorbed from the sun through our skin, so when we have less sunlight and spend more time indoors, we can struggle to get enough of this mood boosting vitamin. You can find vitamin D in mushrooms and oily fish, but we can’t say we’ll be adding these to our oats anytime soon. Instead you could try making your porridge with our MOMA Oat Drinks which are fortified with Vitamin D. The NHS is now recommending taking supplements through winter too to make sure you aren’t deficient.
Nuts
A lack of magnesium can lead to lethargy and insomnia so add magnesium rich Brazil nuts to your oats to fight fatigue. Adding nut butters to porridge is ALWAYS a good idea, and the mood enhancing amino acid tryptophan is found in almonds, pecans and walnuts so adding a good dollop of these to your bowl could also boost your mood…in case you weren’t already a nut butter nutter.