For some time now, the third Monday in January has been popularly called Blue Monday. It is called that because it is, supposedly, the saddest day of the year, a black Monday in which various negative aspects come together destined to make our lives miserable. Although this statement lacks scientific basis, the company Sky Travel, which coined the term in 2005, claims to have quantified the date through an equation. According to this company, it is difficult to face a cold Monday in January with bare pockets after the Christmas splurge, the Easter and summer holidays still far away and with the prospect of a working week ahead. If we add to this that everyone has lost their fit status after the holidays, neglected their diet and exercised less, we already have a perfect Molotov cocktail to turn any given winter Monday into the dreaded Blue Monday. ").
While it is true that not everyone experiences it this way and that it is, perhaps, exaggerated to condense everything bad into a single date, the truth is that the January slope is difficult to climb for many. Although in general terms these symptoms of sadness and despondency are usually temporary, it is advisable to try to drive them away by following a series of steps that should include the practice of physical exercise, an adequate diet and correct sleep hygiene, much more important than we believe. time to have a good mood.
The doctor and nutritionist Núria Monfulleda, from the Loveyourself center in Barcelona, points out that it is common to arrive stuffed in January, since everyone has altered their routines during the holidays. "Even those who feel that they have not committed excesses end up realizing that they have eaten too much at Christmas. To begin with, because we usually consume foods that we do not eat during the rest of the year, from cannelloni to suckling pig and sweets, so If we listen to the body at this time, it will undoubtedly ask us to eat lightly, without too many sauces or dressings. To feel good again, it is also important to recover the routine before the holidays. That is, if before we had breakfast at nine and for whatever reason we have modified these schedules, it is necessary to force ourselves to resume them if we want to feel better.
Monfulleda also remembers that to stand up to Blue Monday it is essential to throw away the sweets and alcohol left over from the parties. "If we continue consuming them until they run out, it will be difficult to return to a healthy diet. The best thing is to throw everything away and start from scratch to eat well." To do this, there is nothing better than incorporating all these food groups into your diet on a regular basis.
To make Blue Monday and the days that follow light, there is no better weapon than seasonal fruits and vegetables. We should not pay too much attention to which or how many we eat, since it is best to eat a variety to take advantage of all the nutrients. Nutritionist Pilar Esquer, from Nutrihabits, insists on the importance of consuming seasonal vegetables. "If we don't know what they are, there are very complete websites that indicate exactly the timing, in addition to the fact that the price is usually an important indicator," he explains. He also urges us to forget about calories and give in to the pleasure of eating and combining vegetables and fruits, whether they are "Even the most fattening vegetables are low in calories if we compare them with other foods, so the most likely thing is that, if we start including at least half of the vegetables on the plate without looking at the calories, they will end up displacing the consumption of other foods that can cause extra kilos,” explains Esquer.
In fact, according to a study by the University of Otago, in New Zealand, based on a sample of 171 students between 18 and 25 years old, those who increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables showed greater vitality, more motivation and an improvement in mood compared to those who maintained their usual intake.
For her part, nutritionist Susana León remembers, as does the study, that for optimal results, fruits and vegetables must be consumed unprocessed. "It is not true that fruit smoothies are healthy, since the sugars naturally present in fruit are transformed into free sugars that cause insulin spikes in the body. This leads to drastic changes in energy and mood over time. throughout the day," he says.
Whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables are foods rich in fiber, a fundamental nutrient for the proper functioning of the body as it helps improve intestinal transit. A research published in the journal Menopause. The Journal of the Menopause Society assures that there is a link between a low-fiber diet and the risk of depression in premenopausal women. The study, carried out with 6,000 women, points out that the relationship between fiber intake and depression is explained because there is an interaction between the intestine and the brain, and fiber consumption improves and enriches the intestinal microbiota.
A study by scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health, carried out with a sample of more than 50,700 women, concluded that those who consumed caffeine daily had a greater risk of depression than those who did not drink coffee or drank it decaffeinated. The research, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, indicates that consuming two or three cups of coffee a day represents a 15% lower risk of suffering from depression. As for the safe amount of coffee, it is 3-4 cups a day. “Although coffee intake has always been controversial, scientific evidence tells us that consumption of around two or three cups a day can be healthy,” explains nutritionist Marta Moreno. The expert also warns that those people who become upset with coffee intake "should moderate their consumption, as it can affect their quality of life." Finally, Ella Moreno recommends "drinking naturally roasted coffee, since roasting or blending requires caramelization in its production, which means an extra contribution of sugar."
Chocolate is always helpful when it comes to lifting the mood. The good news is that it can be consumed daily if done in moderation. "An ounce of dark chocolate after a meal, as long as it does not contain added sugar, can have a place in a healthy diet without any problem," explains nutritionist Susana León. A study carried out by scientists at the University College of London (UCL) revealed that people who consume dark chocolate daily are less likely to suffer from depression and tend to have a better mood. Other research, in this case carried out by the Bringham and Women's Hospital in Boston, ensures that eating 28 grams of chocolate a day stimulates brain functions and contributes to good memory functioning.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that acts as a precursor to serotonin and is present in numerous common foods in our daily diet, from bananas to eggs, oily fish or chicken and turkey meat. In principle, it is not necessary to worry about ensuring correct consumption of tryptophan, since it is present in many commonly consumed foods, but it is advisable to be especially careful to include it in the diet at times when we feel especially tired and depressed. Given the link between tryptophan and serotonin, many people supplement it with the aim of improving mood. The dietician-nutritionist and food technologist, Beatriz Robles, points out that it is not a good idea: "Just because tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin does not mean that having extra will make us have more serotonin and, consequently, a better state of mind." Cheer up. There is no scientific evidence to support this statement," he explains.
This type of unsaturated fatty acids present in foods such as avocado, olive oil, fatty fish and nuts can help combat anxiety and depression. This is according to research carried out by scientists at the Maudsley Biomedical Research Center of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), which indicates that treatment with omega-3 fatty acids has proven anti-inflammatory effects and, therefore, improves the symptoms of depression. . According to nutritionist Susana León, "this type of healthy fat has been demonized over the years and it is advisable to eradicate the idea that we must give up its consumption because it makes us fat. It is true that they have calories, but they are also highly satiating and very nutritious, so that their consumption ends up displacing that of other unhealthy and higher-calorie foods.
Zinc deficiency can cause symptoms such as tiredness and chronic fatigue, so it is important to include it in a healthy and balanced diet, boosting its consumption at especially delicate times such as Blue Monday. Oysters, pine nuts, eggs, sesame seeds, cashews or lamb are some foods rich in this mineral.
Although vitamin D is synthesized mainly through sunlight, there are some foods that contain it and that should be included in the diet. Eggs, mushrooms and sesame are some of the foods that contain a vitamin that is essential for the proper functioning of the body, a deficiency in which can lead to fatigue and tiredness. "Approximately 20% of this vitamin is obtained through food, while the remaining 80% comes from the sun's rays," says nutritionist Fátima Branco.
