Do you have September regrets? What you have to do to win it

This change in mood is not as severe as “seasonal affective disorder” (SAD), which is thought to affect one in 15 people in Britain between now and April, but it is still unpleasant to experience and I was a precursor to SAD. According to the NHS, SAD is a form of persistent depression thought to be caused by low light levels and short days leading to reduced levels of the happy hormone serotonin. “All of us will have slight changes in the level of serotonin produced from September onwards but in those with full-blown SAD these changes are much greater than in the average person,” Workman says. .

If the September discomfort is not lifted, or the symptoms are more noticeable, the NHS advises to talk to your doctor. However, for many people, there’s a lot we can do to beat the September blues and head into winter happier and more active. Here are the top tips from experts:

The best fruit for a spring boost: kiwi

Adults aged 19 to 64 need 40mg of vitamin C a day, according to the NHS. This is easily achieved if you get close to your five a day but according to a 2021 study by researchers at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, getting too little vitamin C “is more serious than it seems.” believed”. Eating less food can make you feel tired, weak and irritable. Good sources of vitamin C include yellow or green peppers, blackcurrants, cantaloupe melon, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. For a quick energy boost try eating two kiwi fruits a day. Not only will they meet your needs, researchers reporting in the British Journal of Nutrition last year suggest they can improve energy and mood within a week.

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Eat lots of chia seeds and sardines for a dopamine hit

Healthy omega-3 fatty acids are found in abundance in seeds and oily fish, including canned mackerel and sardines. “There’s a lot of evidence that people who have higher omega-3 in their diet are less likely to have depression and seasonal affective disorder,” Workman says. In Iceland, the level of SAD is relatively low and some experts think that this is due to the large amount of oily fish they eat.”

Eli Brecher, a registered dietitian, says the reason is that omega-3 fatty acids are involved in the production of feel-good hormones such as dopamine and serotonin. He says: “The best sources are oily fish but chia seeds and flaxseeds are great if you don’t eat animal products.” Add one tablespoon of seeds to your porridge or salad. According to Brecher, two or three servings per week is enough to get the right amount of healthy fats.

Limit your intake of starchy carbs

You may feel that unstable carbohydrates, especially sweet foods, can improve your mood because they release sugar, which gives us an instant lift if we are cold or tired. But resist as much as you can because any effect is very short-lived, “Workman says. “Over time, these types of food can have a negative effect on mood and health.” Studies. conducted at the University of Reading, Roehampton University and King’s College London, published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience, showed that a diet high in animal fat and sugar can alter brain chemistry and leave the brain of Brain scans by the team showed changes in neurotransmitters and volume of gray matter in the frontal lobes of the brain, both of which are involved in depression and anxiety, in those who don’t eat this diet. be well.

Add leafy greens supporting your brain and emotions

Jenna Macchiochi, an epidemiologist at the University of Sussex and author of Immunity: The science of staying healthysays eating leafy greens high in magnesium should be a priority this time of year – one of your five a day – as the mineral is vital for immunity. “Magnesium deficiency is common in the UK, and we need to focus on eating more of it,” he says. It can also elevate our mood. “Magnesium also supports neurotransmitters and promotes relaxation,” says Macchiochi.

Fill out your notebook

It’s tempting to make less plans as the days start to get shorter but even the act of scheduling events to fill your diary can be enough to lift your mood, according to psychologists. The results of an analysis in the journal PsyEcology by psychologists at Cornell University show that the anticipation of a pleasant experience has a stronger effect on strengthening our spirits than the event itself. Jennifer Wild, a psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Oxford, says: “Get some happiness in your life after a few days.”

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Go outside, at least five minutes twice a day

Perhaps the single most important thing you can do to boost your mood this time of year is to get out first thing in the morning and again in the evening, Wild says. The amount of light that enters our eyes has a direct impact on the parts of the brain that produce serotonin. A powerful 2022 study of 85,000 people, published in Nature, revealed surprising improvements in mood and depression levels when participants had regular exposure to sunlight. Five minutes outside is enough if there is a blue sky above. “If it’s cloudy, a 10- to 15-minute walk will still help,” Wild says. come straight to our eyes and it will not have the same effect.”

Start taking vitamin D now

There are many reasons to follow government advice and introduce a supplement of 10mcg of vitamin D from October to March when sunlight – the main source of nutrients – decreases. If you’re already feeling low, it can provide a pep-up. Psychiatrists from Taiwan who reviewed 25 published papers for a study in the journal Depression and Anxiety concluded that “vitamin D supplementation can reduce negative emotions”, especially in people with the condition low to begin with. In 2020 researchers from the University of Reading and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that a high dose of 25mcg vitamin D supplements had a positive effect on adults with winter depression.

Just a few sweets mixed in can boost the mood

“There’s no better time than now to start adding nuts to your diet,” says Brecher. 20 or 15 cashews, was associated with a 17 percent reduction in the risk of depression in a Spanish study of more than 13,500 adults published in the journal Clinical Nutrition we say: “Eating a variety of nuts is the best way as each one has certain benefits.” Walnuts are high in omega-3 fats, which are linked to improved mood, while almonds contain phenolic acids, compounds that were linked to lower rates of depression in a study in the journal Nutrients.