The top 5 products that kill the autumn blues have been compiled

Autumn bad weather is with us for a long time: the first snow has fallen in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the whole week will be rainy. Such a sudden change in weather does not have a positive effect on the psychological and physical state of people. There are plenty of ways to overcome the autumn blues, and food is not the least important part of this process. “MK” found out from nutritionists – specialists in proper nutrition – what foods can lift your spirits and give you vigor on a gloomy rainy day?

On Sunday, October 8, the atmospheric pressure in Moscow dropped to record levels – 723.5 mmHg. “This is a record low for October 8 in all 145 years of meteorological observations,” said Roman Vilfand, scientific director of the Russian Hydrometeorological Center.

Doctors warn: low atmospheric pressure can lead to an increase in cases of stroke, angina attacks, nausea, and dizziness. So it’s not just a matter of low mood from the gloomy rainy sky, but also a deterioration in well-being.

“On rainy autumn days, even the most optimistic person can begin to feel like a dove in the rain,” says nutritionist and clinical psychologist Elena Spiskova, with whom MK spoke. – But you shouldn’t give the blues a chance! There are foods and dishes that will lift your spirits on these gray rainy days. First, bananas. I would call these fruits “banantidepressants.” Rich in tryptophan, they will help your brain synthesize serotonin, the happiness hormone. Secondly, chocolate. This is a great way to lift your spirits. To get the most out of a small piece of chocolate, try this hack: slowly move the chocolate piece across the top of your tongue and let it dissolve there. This method helps you better experience the texture, taste and aroma of chocolate.

Elena Spiskova also recommended making soup this week – not only will it warm you up in slushy weather (and is associated with coziness and comfort), it’s also usually healthy, because… broths are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. A good addition to the diet is honey and nuts, which can be used to replace sweets. Honey contains antioxidants and flavonoids that help improve your mood. Nuts rich in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce stress levels and improve cognitive function. On such days it is good to drink tea with lemon. The tea is rich in antioxidants, and the lemon adds vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system and helps fight stress.

— Food in the company of good friends or loved ones is twice as tasty and healthy! During such feasts, you can share joy, support and laughter, which certainly helps to cope with the autumn blues,” added Spiskova.

Colleague, nutritionist Evgenia Kotelko, also agrees with her. According to him, in the fall it is very important to balance your diet. It is better to start the morning with a glass of warm water. This awakens the digestive system and speeds up metabolism. Breakfast is very important, not a cup of coffee, but a full meal. Eating breakfast in the first hour after waking up triggers the outflow of bile, which regulates metabolism and affects the state of the nervous system.

— A healthy breakfast would be porridge (oatmeal, rice or buckwheat), a soft-boiled egg, a baked omelette with vegetables or a cottage cheese casserole. For lunch I recommend stewed beef with pumpkin. Pumpkin contains fat-soluble vitamin A, which affects the beauty of our skin, as well as vitamin C, which is known to everyone as the health vitamin. For dinner we leave less fatty foods. This is, for example, fish (hake, pink salmon, haddock, pike perch, cod, pollock) or turkey with vegetables. By the way, turkey helps normalize carbohydrate metabolism due to the large amount of protein, the nutritionist shares his advice. — Rosehip infusion and herbal teas, which also help cope with the autumn blues, are good drinks. For dessert – baked apple with cottage cheese, seasoned with honey. It is worth adding vitamin D to your diet, which performs a protective function, helps fight infections, regulates the nervous system and is necessary for weight correction. Eggs, cheese, mushrooms, beef liver, sea fish are rich in it, and cod liver is especially rich in vitamin D. However, before you create a diet, you should get tested to understand which vitamin deficiency in the body is important to replenish.

The specialist also reminded that meals should be taken at the same time – there is no need to create unnecessary stress on the body due to a chaotic routine. In this case, it is better to keep the interval between meals no more than 3-4 hours, since frequent meals improve the functioning of the gallbladder, and this promotes the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. The main amount of water should be drunk before 18:00 – if you drink a lot of liquid in the evening, swelling may appear.