5 Ways to Help Beet the Blues

By Danielle Cockerill, CHN

Whenever I am having a low day, I think back to a meme I once saw: “Whenever I get sad, I try to imagine a T-rex picking up a basketball.” But let’s be honest – I smile, maybe even chuckle a little, but it doesn’t lift me up for good. And for some of us, low days can turn into low weeks, and sometimes even low months. When you start to feel like you just can’t break those blue days, try out these 5 tips to encourage your body and brain into a happier state.

1.     Amp up the B’s

There are so many reasons to get more B vitamins into your diet. There are eight B vitamins (plus two cheeky extras that are often grouped into the B’s) that are collectively called B-Complex. They are needed to metabolize your fats, proteins and carbohydrates helping to increase your energy. Several of the B vitamins are needed for the synthesis of neurotransmitters (the chemical messengers in our bodies), including the important mood balancing chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. They are essential for every aspect of brain function, support relaxation, greater cognition and are ideal to help lift your mood (1).

B vitamins are in many foods, so I suggest that my clients get in a variety of different whole foods to ensure they are getting the full spectrum of B’s. From dark leafy greens, fruit and other vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, as well as eggs, poultry, fish, and red meat (in moderation)!

B vitamins are essential for every aspect of brain function, support relaxation, greater cognition and are ideal to help lift your mood.

2.     Probiotics to Nourish Thy Gut

Your gut, which is connected to your brain via the vagus nerve, and is known as the “second brain”, is home to trillions of microbes that play an important role in keeping us healthy. Not only are they needed for proper digestion, they help ward off bad microbes, produce certain vitamins (including a few of the important B’s mentioned above), and also produce neurotransmitters like melatonin and serotonin.

Studies have shown that depressed patient have a lower diversity of gut microbes than healthy control patients (2). You can help increase the good microbes in your own gut by eating a few probiotic rich foods daily. Try some yogurt and berries for your morning snack, kombucha instead of your afternoon tea and have a side of fermented kraut with your dinner.

Studies have shown that depressed patients have a lower diversity of gut microbes than healthy control patients.

 3.     Be Zealous about Zinc 

Your body uses this mineral for many important functions like new cell production, immune support and of course, my forever favourite, brain health. This anti-inflammatory antioxidant helps maintain brain health by reducing neuro-inflammation and is critical in the regulation of neurotransmitter pathways. A deficiency in zinc has been linked to depressive symptoms, confusion, a lack of motivation and loss of appetite. A meta-analysis of 17 studies associated a more severe zinc deficiency to more severe depressive symptoms (3), while other studies have shown that supplementing with zinc can improve the efficacy of antidepressant medications (4). Before you go out and purchase your next bottle of zinc supplements, be sure to chat with your pharmacist, nutrition consultant or other health care practitioner to see if supplementation is right for you!

Not into supplements? No worries, I LOVE the food first philosophy here at The Nourished Brain and only supplement when necessary. You can easily incorporate dietary sources of zinc by adding in lean meat such as beef, chicken, lamb or seafood such as oysters, salmon, and tuna. Zinc is also in many plant-based foods like pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, tahini, nuts, mushrooms, and green veggies.

Zinc is an anti-inflammatory antioxidant that helps maintain brain health by reducing neuro-inflammation and is critical in the regulation of neurotransmitter pathways.

 4.     Vitamin C for the Win

Not just for immune health, this vitamin is another antioxidant that helps protect your brain and body against oxidative stress, regulates neurotransmitter synthesis, and aids in the absorption of iron. It is depleted in times of physical or emotional stress and its antioxidant effects may help combat stress-related disorders like depression. Research has linked an inverse connection between vitamin C and depression. This means that low levels of vitamin C may increase your risk of depression while high levels of vitamin C has been linked with elevated moods (5).

Some food sources of vitamin C include sweet and hot peppers, kale, parsley, thyme, kiwi, pineapple, strawberries and of course, oranges. Add any of these foods to your next salad, smoothie, or dinner side dish to get your daily dose of this healthy mood vitamin.

 Vitamin C is depleted in times of physical or emotional stress and may help combat stress-related disorders like depression

5.     Take a Walk in Nature

I used to have a colleague that would tell others to “take a walk” whenever their moods were plummeting, or stress was skyrocketing. Although sometimes the timing of this saying wasn’t always the best (like when someone tells you to “stop stressing” when you are SUPER irritated and stressed), there is evidence supporting that this may actually help. One recent study concluded that even a single 30-minute light-to-moderate-intensity walk (they described this as a brisk walk to catch a bus) has positive short-term effects on people with depression(6). Imagine if you did this even 3 times a week!

There has also been some growing research on the impact nature can have on mood. One study reported that participants who took a walk in an urban green space (as compared to participants who took a walk in an urban setting) reported less rumination, often studied in the context of depression, and showed less neural activity in the area of the brain linked to a risk of mental illness (7). So if you’re convinced to take a walk when you’re feeling down, why not take it in your city’s nearest green space?

 even a single 30-minute light-to-moderate-intensity walk has positive short-term effects on people with depression

The next time you’re feeling a bout of the blues, try and put that phone away and stop looking at memes. Make yourself at least one healthy meal with any of the above nutrients and schedule in a walk in some green space.