WITH the warm, long days slowly becoming a distant memory, you might find that your upbeat summer mood has taken a slight turn for the worse.
In fact, with autumn here and winter not too far ahead, staying positive can be a challenge for many of us.
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But why the change in mood?
Well, there’s no longer summer holidays, breaks from education, music festivals, longer daytime hours and warm weather.
Dr Matthew Calcasola, registered GP and Chief Medical Officer at Get A Drip, vitamin IV therapy, said: “When this comes to an end, it can seem a bit of an anticlimax for some and can cause people’s moods to slip down.”
A decline in vitamin D, also known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, could lead to low mood and symptoms of depression, studies show.
Shona Wilkinson, lead nutritionist at Dr Vegan, said: “Alongside this, experiencing cold weather reduces our energy levels as our body begins to crave a period of meaningful rest.”
On a more serious note, the change in seasons can also trigger a condition called seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD.
Dr Calcasola said: “This (SAD) will often start to affect people a few months after the end of summer and can persist throughout winter.
“We don’t fully know the cause of this but suspect it is to do with the sunlight’s effect on the pineal gland in the middle of the brain.
“This helps regulate the body’s natural circadian rhythm (internal clock) via production of the hormone melatonin, which helps you fall asleep, and serotonin (a mood regulation hormone).”
If you think you may be suffering with SAD, book an appointment to speak to your GP.
Dr Calcasola added that reduced sunlight from shorter days can increase the production of melatonin, a hormone that encourages sleep, and decrease levels of the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin, thus causing fatigue and low mood.
Keen to shift your mood and feel good again? Give these tips a try…
1. Speak positively
Steph Claire Smith, co-founder of holistic health and wellness app, Kic, said: “When it comes to changing our mindsets for the better, something that isn’t spoken about enough is the power of positive self-talk and affirmations.”
You don’t need to go OTT on this; instead Steph said that rather than focusing on the negatives, tell yourself simple phrases to help provoke positivity.
“These short and sweet statements enable us to shift our mindset from negative to positive and help us overcome damaging thought patterns like self-doubt or lack of confidence,” Steph said.
“Try, ‘I choose to see change as an opportunity to learn and grow’ or ‘I look forward to what the next season in my life will bring’.”
Telling yourself these things out loud can feel strange, unnatural and a bit woo woo, but over time, it’ll come naturally.
2. Book a dinner date
There’s never been a better time to devote time to family and friends, as Dr Calcasola said that sociability has been shown to improve our mental and physical wellbeing.
The Covid pandemic really shone a light on the importance of human connection for staving off loneliness and the health impacts linked with it.
It’s easy to curl up in a ball and binge boxsets when the weather gets grey.
But book some time in to see friends and stick to plans.
If possible, get outside to reap the benefits of the great outdoors, too!
3. Get your heart rate up
Just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise outdoors every day can really help lighten your mood.
Steven Dick, Co-Founder and Director of The Fitness Group, said: “Exercise in the morning to help you absorb sunlight first thing, and preferably go for an exercise that elevates your heart-rate to get the blood flowing around your body.
“Keep up your existing summer exercise routine where possible.
“If you have been going out for a run first thing in the morning throughout the summer, keep this up even when it becomes a bit darker and a bit colder.
“The combined power of sunlight and exercise, even on a cloudy morning, will help boost your levels of the feel-good chemical serotonin, and get those endorphins pumping.
“Any exercise – cardio or strength training – will help you to feel much more positive as the colder, darker months begin to creep in.”
Try a brisk walk, a gentle jog or cycle, or look for outdoor bootcamp-style classes in your local area.
For example, Bootcamp UK (bcuk.uk) has a number of locations in the South East and South West of England.
4. Snack switch
As the darker nights creep in, comfort food (think ice cream, chocolate and sweet treats), can often become a regular go-to.
Shona said: “This is simply your body’s way of trying to lift your mood, given that these foods you’re craving are associated with a quick spike in serotonin and dopamine production.
“Dopamine and serotonin are the two chemicals that naturally improve your mood, memory and improve alertness.”
Instead of reaching for the foods you think you want, consider what your cravings are trying to tell you.
For example, a craving for cheese may be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, while the desire for chocolate may be due to hormone changes.
Shona recommends pre-chopped veg with hummus, sliced apple with some nut-butter, natural yoghurt with frozen berries and honey, or a nice bowl of edamame beans ‘as a way of satisfying your cravings without having to indulge in high-sugar foods or drinks’.
If that sounds too boring, there are dozens of low-calorie sweet and savoury snacks these days.
Or try whipping up your own healthy snack recipe, such as the viral TikTok frozen grapes coated with jelly powder, or chocolate covered strawberries.
6. Matcha boost
That frothy morning coffee gives great comfort.
But try swapping your coffee with matcha for one week, to see if you notice any improvement in your mood.
According to Shona, matcha – a Japanese green tea powder – contains a unique amino-acid called theanine, responsible for producing dopamine and serotonin.
Indeed, studies on mice have shown that providing them with matcha reduced anxiety and stress-induced behaviours.
Plus, matcha does contain caffeine, however it’s less likely to give you the up and down energy spikes that caffeine from coffee does, helping you to maintain consistent energy levels.
7. Spinach for dinner
Plenty of fruit and vegetables will do no harm in your quest for a good mood this autumn.
But there are some that may work more than others.
Shona said: “Spinach, chard and other leafy greens contain the mood moderating, super-hero mineral, magnesium.
“Those of us who get more magnesium in the diet tend to be happier as magnesium stimulates receptors of a calming hormone called GABA, and inhibits the stress hormone, cortisol, thereby reducing feelings of anxiety and worry.”
A 2017 University of Leeds review that looked at 18 different studies found that magnesium did reduce anxiety, although the results were based on self-reports.
8. Brazilian snack
Nuts are a nutritious snack that pack a punch of minerals and vitamins.
Shona said: “Brazil nuts are one of the richest dietary sources of selenium, an essential mineral that can have a big impact on your mood.”
However, Brazil nuts are also the most calorific nut, so watch your portion size and stick to around three a day.
9. Prioritise your gut
They don’t call the gut the second brain for no reason.
Growing scientific evidence is showing a link between the health of the gut and our mental state.
Shona said: “What happens in the gut affects the rest of our body and mind enormously, especially given the gut is responsible for producing the hormones that regulate our mood, hunger, sleep, and stress.”
Boost your gut health by eating probiotic foods, which help to maintain or improve the good bacteria in the gut.
Shona recommends foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, or plant-based yoghurts.
“At the same time, avoid things like fizzy drinks, biscuits and processed meat, all of which have been found to trigger many of the gut issues people are facing today.”
You could even try a supplement designed to take care of overall gut health, such as DR.VEGAN’s Gut Works formula.
10. Maintain a routine
Dr Calcasola recommends keeping a routine to ward off any negative feelings as the seasons change.
This includes going to bed at the same time, ensuring you are getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night, eating at similar times each day and balancing time between work and personal time.
A routine can help to lower stress levels and helps to maintain constant energy.
Particularly with sleep, routine is crucial.
A lack of sleep has a knock-on effect on various areas of health.
Not only will it make you grumpy all the time, it can cause you to eat more, and therefore put on weight, and is linked to a number of serious health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Stick to the same bed and wake-time every day – even at weekends – to prevent throwing your body and brain off.
Avoid a cold this autumn
Germs and bugs are rife at this time of year, and inevitably, tissues, paracetamol and cough sweets slowly start to make an appearance.
But there are ways you can avoid a cold as the weather turns. As well as ensuring you get good, consistent sleep and practising good hygiene every day, certain dietary hacks can also help.
Nutritionist Rob Hobson says that sufficient vitamin D ‘may help reduce your chances of getting ill and that this nutrient is crucial to activating our immune defences’.
The NHS recommends supplementing with at least 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D every day between October and March.
Some foods contain vitamin D including oily fish, eggs, mushrooms and fortified foods such as breakfast cereals and margarine spreads.
Load up on zinc too, as Rob said: “Studies show more convincingly that rather than preventing coughs and colds, zinc helps to alleviate the duration of illness.
“Top up on your zinc intake by eating foods such as shellfish, wholegrains, oats, brown rice, dark green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds.”
Plus, taking at least 200 mg of vitamin C per day has shown to reduce the duration of cold symptoms.
Rob adds that eating garlic could help protect against coughs and colds.
“The active ingredients in garlic are allicin and other sulphur compounds that act as powerful antioxidants.”