Mood swings are an integral part of everyone’s life. We never really know when our mood may switch from being ecstatically happy to a feeling of regret and remorse right in a jiffy. True that mood swings are common in teenagers, menstruating women, stressed individuals, and temperamental persons, nevertheless, anybody can fall prey to it.
So, what do you do when you face such a mood swing? Studies have shown that the best way to address this issue is to consume foods that help you combat mood swings. Therefore, we have compiled a list of 7 such foods that will bring you out of any such dilemma if you ever face it.
Chocolate:
Dark chocolate, to be precise. Chocolate, upon consumption, releases a happy hormone called serotonin in your system that leaves you feeling good and light. It is a scientific fact that the feeling of falling in love is the same as that of eating chocolate. So, now you know what’s the first snack to turn to if you ever feel low.
Chocolate milkshakes work wonderfully well as food for better mental health when you are trying to beat your blues. You can load up on chocolate cookies, cakes, biscuits, or even just plain chocolate bars to address your mood swings and bring forth your cheerful side.
Yoghurt:
Yoghurt is an excellent source of probiotic bacteria, which helps clear your gut, aid in healthy digestion, and fight depression. Also, yoghurt is loved by most people due to its exciting flavour and a variety of mix-and-match recipes. Helping yourself to yoghurt when you are not feeling your optimum best will surely improve your mood and your productivity levels drastically.
You can make a yoghurt smoothie with your preferred flavours like strawberry, rose, or raspberry. You can even eat it with fresh fruit. No matter how you consume it, yoghurt is bound to work its magic and uplift your mood almost immediately.
Citrus fruits:
Citrus fruits are rich in antioxidants like vitamin C, which are responsible for improving immunity in an individual, and are the best choice of foods that help you combat mood swings. When you consume a citrus fruit, you are fighting off all the negativity inside you, leaving behind only the good. Citrus fruits like sweet lime, orange, pomegranate, and grapefruit are the best options to resort to if you are feeling down.
You can cut these fruits up and have them individually or mix them up in a fruit salad with yoghurt. On second thought, fruit juices also have the same effect on your mind and body with boosting your mood, but only if immediately consumed. The tangy and sweet taste of these fruits will do an excellent job of uplifting your mood on the go!
White meat:
Be it fish or chicken, white meat always works best as food for better mental health when it comes to improving your mood. There are a variety of ways by which you can consume chicken as you like. Fried, roasted, baked, or grilled, white meat in any form is enough to induce a happy feeling in your senses almost immediately.
White meat is, perhaps, the best choice of all foods that help you combat mood swings. This is because it is full of protein to help you put on lean muscle mass and leave you feeling satiated for long. In such a scenario, you will remain full for longer thereby combating your mood swings occurring due to hunger.
Seafood:
Seafood like crabs, oysters, fish, and, particularly, salmon. Salmon is an oily fish that contains an abundance of omega-3 fatty acid essential for survival since our bodies cannot produce it on their own. Omega-3 is known to fight depression by inducing the production of serotonin and dopamine in our brain. This makes us feel happy and content more often.
This is one of the multiple benefits of omega-3 fish oil, one of the best foods that help you combat mood swings. This is also one reason why people take omega-3 supplements to help lower their anxiety and fight off mental issues. In a recent study, it was confirmed that stress levels are 20% lower in students who consume omega-3 supplements regularly than the ones who don’t.
Honey:
Tryptophan, an amino acid, helps with inducing sleep, relaxation, and fighting off anxiety in your brain. Honey is one of the few known food items that directly help in the absorption of tryptophan in the brain, thereby improving your mood drastically and quickly.
The best part about honey is that it, unlike other foods that help you combat mood swings, it doesn’t rot, no matter for how long you leave it outside. There are several delicacies you can prepare with honey. You can add it to your favourite smoothie, drink it in milk, or spread it on bread with butter. Honey will combat your mood swings better than any food item irrespective of the manner it is consumed in.
Cheese:
We all know that eating mac and cheese, pizza, cheesecakes, cheeseburgers, and lasagne always helps when we are feeling low. Cheese is derived from milk, and milk has a positive effect on our system leading to a feeling of satisfaction and contentment whenever we consume it.
Moreover, the different flavours of cheese raise it up in the ranks of all foods that help you combat mood swings. This just makes it easier for us to love it and include it in every dish thereby shooting our levels of happiness high above! So, help yourself to a generous serving of a cheesy dish every time you are feeling stressed or having mood swings, and call it your cheat meal of the week!
Conclusion:
True that the above-mentioned foods that help you combat mood swings do work fine, these are only general suggestions. The fact of the matter is that you need to eat those foods that you make you feel good on a personal level instead of relying upon what the rest of the world believes. So, if you are not feeling your best and hogging up on a few chips and a burger does help in boosting your mood, then go for it. However, don’t overdo it at the cost of your health.